Our suburbs - backyards, public urban parks, industrial areas - should be wildlife habitat that encourages wildlife. However instead of Land for Wildlife we should have Gardens for Wildlife schemes encouraging native planting within backyards, on roadside verges and, to a degree, footpaths. Imagine neighbours talking, planning and planting together; discussing, perhaps boasting about their yards’ critters. A keep up with the Joneses where the competition is competing diversity could happen…
From the website; The 'Gardens for Wildlife' program
encourages and recognises wildlife-friendly gardens and
environment-friendly practices in urban gardens. Your garden
for wildlife can contribute to bringing nature home by welcoming wildlife to
share your garden and by providing a healthy, weed free
environment for them to do so.
If fifty percent of our gardens actively encouraged
biodiversity by reducing lawn and planting suitable local natives, encouraging
a little mess like compost piles etc where some of our insect fauna might
multiply, that would be enormously positive.
An interesting read that focuses on similar issues in the
USA is ‘Nature’s Best Hope’ by Douglas Tallamy. “Nature's Best Hope is nature
writing at its best - rooted in history, progressive in its advocacy, and above
all, actionable and hopeful. By proposing practical measures that ordinary
people easily can do, Tallamy gives us reason to believe that the planet can be
preserved for future generations.”
So, in brief:
Gardens for Wildlife type schemes need promotion and perhaps our personal embrace. This is, to my mind, extremely important. Every birder needs to be better as a native indigenous gardener. And, like everything our efforts need promoting. Which brings me to my next post….
Ken Cross
All of the above is merely personal opinion and dreaming and NOT the perspective or policy of Birdlife Australia.
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