Butterflies are an important part of our environment. The very few native butterflies we have in the Australian south-west are under threat, mainly due to loss of habitat. Having a garden that includes the right WA native plants is one way to assist in conserving these butterflies.
During the four stages of the butterfly life cycle they require different food and habitats. See this link for ideas on how to plan a butterfly friendly home with available plants for food.
https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/butterfly-friendly-garden
After creating your butterfly habitat your garden may be visited by some of the many different butterflies that commonly visit gardens in Perth and in the south-west, such as the Australian Painted Lady or the Spotted Jezebel.
Bee Hotel
Have you noticed that there are fewer bees in your garden lately? This is due to many factors which include the use of pesticides and the lack of bees natural habitat. Bees are vital for the cross pollination of flowers, vegetable crops and fruit trees, not only for suburban gardens but also for farms, parklands, plant nurseries and community gardens. There are more than 1500 species of native bees in Australia that play an important environmental role in pollinating plants.
One way you can help is to re-introduce these often-unknown little pollinators back into our environment.
Lizard Lounge
Lizards, skinks and geckos are visitors to many gardens in Australia, and are fantastic garden guardians, providing excellent natural pest control. Sadly, urban lizard populations are on the decline due to the loss of lizard friendly habitats – creating a lizard lounge in your garden will help encourage and protect these gentle, valuable creatures. They are also welcome natural pest controllers in your garden.
Bat Boxes
Students from Warwick Senior High School under the guidance of Science Teacher, Grahame Johnson made bat boxes to be installed into the High School grounds. The Friends of Warwick Bushland together with assistance from the City of Joondalup organised to have the boxes installed by the Tree Amigos. Thank you to the Tree Amigos for installing the bat boxes.
Bat nesting boxes are designed specifically for insectivorous bats, and are undesirable to other pest species. Often referred to as the gardener’s friend, microbats keep pest insects under control in the home garden and bushland areas.
In 2023, two further bat boxes were installed. These were placed just off the Jarrah Trail.
Books and Resources
Books of interest
- Identification and Ecology of Southwest Australian Orchids by Mark Brundrett (2014). Currently out of print.
- Perth Plants – A Field Guide to Bushland and Coastal Flora Kings Park and Bold Park By Russell Barrett and Eng Pin Tay (2016)
- The Biggest Estate on Earth – How Aborigines Made Australis by Bill Gammage
- Dark Emu Black Seeds: Agriculture or Accident? by Bruce Pascoe
- Australian Native Plants – The Kings Park Experience by Editor: Mark Webb
- Georgiana Molloy – The Mind That Shines by Bernice Barry
- Nikulinsky Naturally – An Artist’s Life edited by Ted Snell
Books for Children
- Young Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
- Uno’s Garden by Graeme Base
- The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
- Yira Boornak Nyininy an old story retold by Kim Scott, Hazel Brown, Roma Winmar and the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project
- The Two Hearted Numbat by Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina
- Wheres’s Stripey? by Wendy Binks
- The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl
Resources
Indigenous Culture
Kaartdijin Noongar – Noongarculture
Plants and People in Mooro Country
Birds
Minibeasts
Other Friends Groups
