Biodiversity in Aussie Backyards

From the 90s onwards, the great Aussie backyards have started to shrink to nearly half their original size. New housing development is seeing backyards having only around 100 square metres, sometimes even smaller! As the population increases, so does the need for additional housing. What once was acres of bushland and natural habitats is now turning into a sea of metal roofs squished side by side.

Yes, we can be sad and angry at this new landscape, the loss of trees and current housing crisis situation. But, that isn't the solution, just a reaction to the reality of life and the world around us. So what can we do about it?

Here is my top three tips to bringing biodiversity back into your yard!

1. Plant natives

Sounds simple enough?! If you own the house you live in, most councils provide free native trees each year with your rates notice, so take advantage of that opportunity.

If not, there is nothing stopping you from planting a few natives in pots, these can include; kangaroo paw, grevilleas and callistemons (the last two are great bird attractors). Also note, the last two can come in a range of sizes and types so best to work out the size you have available in your yard and purchase one accordingly.

Other great natives include (and easily found at the best place in the world, Bunnings #notsponsored)

• Casuarina 'Cousin It'
• Banksia
• Australian Native hibiscus
• Lilly Pilly and more!

2. Attract pollinators

Pollinators can attack bees, butterfly and birds to your backyard. Some great pollinators include:

• Lavender
• Gaura
• Native Rosemary
• Abelia
• Buddleja
• Bottlebrush
• Daisies

And more! The great thing about pollinator flowers, you can let them go wild and let them do their thing, you don't always need to plant them strategically. See image below for some inspo!

Image taken from the 
'South East QLD Backyard Food Growers Facebook Page'

3. Build an 'Air BnB' for the native animals

Lastly, provide accommodation for the animals and insects that come and visit your lovely biodiverse backyard. Providing a bird bath of water is not only great for the birds but also the bees. A strong colony of bees will use over a litre of water on a warm day (Vic Agriculture, 2024)! How crazy is that.

You can also get creative by building bee hotels (a box with array of woods inside for them to rest and hide) and even frog hotels (allowing them to visit and have a safe place to stay).

One final note, please don't feed birds or possums human food such as cheese. This is a particular passion point for me, they are wild animals and need food that is suited for them.

Please see this link below that's intended for carers of the animals but feel it still applies to everyone with native animals that visit and if you want feed them.

https://www.wires.org.au/wildlife-programs/supplementary-food

This is also a good reference: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/natural-environment-and-water/biodiversity-in-brisbane/wildlife-in-brisbane/feeding-native-wildlife

Useful links and resources

https://backyardsforbiodiversity.org/

https://www.facebook.com/BackyardBiodiversityBlitz/

https://bushblitz.org.au/

I hope you found these suggestions helpful!