News
Barking Curiosities
Bark is a non-technical term for the layers of tissue outside the vascular cambium of a tree, woody vine or shrub. The purpose of bark is to protect the tree against sun damage, fire, invertebrates, bacteria and fungi. Bark is made up of two components – the inner bark (living tissue composed of the innermost
Biodiversity Survey with the Tjuwanpa Women Rangers
Land for Wildlife has been engaging with the Tjuwanpa Women Rangers for many years now, providing support for on-ground work and facilitating workshops with the Ntaria Junior Rangers. In early April, Land for Wildlife helped the Women Rangers to discover the wildlife in the region by conducting a short biodiversity survey, as well as assist
Erodium Are Fun… Hear Us Out!
Heron’s Bill, Crowfoot, Cranebill, Storkbill. Call them what you like! I’m talking about the fun Erodium genus. Herbs in the genus Erodium (Greek: erodiós or ερωδιός, meaning Heron), have fruit that resemble long bird beaks (hence the name). They are closely related to the Geranium (Greek: geranós or γερανός, meaning Crane) genus and the Pelargonium
Bagworms: A Case of Invertebrate Fever
Bagworm Moths or Case Moths belong to the family Psychidae. They are ranked in the Tineoidea with the family Coleophoridae (also known as Case Moths), though this latter family generally build with silk alone and have females that develop wings following pupation, unlike the females of Psychidae. The Psychidae adult female is largely wingless (has
Land for Wildlife and Garden for Wildlife take out Fairfax Landcare Community Group Award at the NT Landcare Awards
Land for Wildlife is proud to announce that we have taken the prize for Fairfax Landcare Community Group award at the NT Landcare Awards in Darwin! Appreciation goes to Bill Low of Low Ecological Services for the ongoing support and assistance as host of the program. Thanks to all our funding providers (Parks and Wildlife
Seed Collection in Central Australia
At the recent Land for Wildlife birthday event, Samantha Hussey from Charles Darwin University presented a workshop on seed collection to our members and it was of great interest and debate among attendees. Seed collection is something that may interest you at the local level, as you may be interested in revegetating your property through
Mist Netting and Bird Banding Workshop
As part of National Bird Week 2017 (inspired by the Birdlife Australia Aussie Backyard Bird Count), Land for Wildlife conducted a mist netting workshop for members on a rural property in White Gums. Bird banding is an activity that requires the bander to be trained to handle birds and trap them in an ethical and
Bird Bath Biodiversity Survey 2017
Land for Wildlife has conducted biodiversity surveys on member properties since 2007. They are an important tool in determining the success of land management activities carried out and to create a better understanding of species population dynamics in areas of mixed land use. The information gathered from the surveys adds to the knowledge of species
Pruning Grevilleas
By Candice Appleby Little known fact: Grevilleas can cause skin irritation and some people can be quite allergic to the foliage and flowers. Be careful while pruning, wear gloves and long sleeves and be sure to wash your hands, arms and legs when you are finished. One of the best times to prune your grevilleas
Property Planning for Wildlife
We all love the plants, animals and other aspects of the natural world that we are surrounded with and want to learn how to protect them – the best that we can. You can aim as high as you like – or as humble as you like. Just do what you can. At the basic
Building Bat Boxes
By John Tyne (Parks and Wildlife Commission NT) John Tyne (Parks and Wildlife Commission NT) and Erin Westerhuis (Charles Darwin University) gave an excellent presentation and workshop on bat boxes at the Land for Wildlife birthday event recently. Here, John gives some hints and tips on how to create bat boxes of your own. Thanks for
Land for Wildlife and Garden for Wildlife Central Australia: Celebrating 15 years of Wildlife Habitat Preservation, Enhancement and Restoration
Land for Wildlife is celebrating 15 years of the program in central Australia, and Garden for Wildlife is celebrating 10 years of the program! We hope that the two complementary programs have been beneficial to our members and we look forward to continuing to support local landholders to preserve, enhance and restore wildlife habitat on
Domestic Cat Purrr-ticipants Receive Results
The introduction of cats to Australia is considered to be one of the most significant conservation issues in Australia. Cats will often hunt wildlife through instinct, even if their dietary needs are being met. While they have been known to feed on invasive mammals such as mice and rabbits, they also prey on native wildlife.
The Impact of Wildfire in Central Australia
Fire has been an integral part of central Australian arid ecosystems for thousands of years. Fire is used by humans as a hunting aid, for signalling presence, for warmth and for cooking. Fire has a positive effect on germination of ephemeral plants, and is also known to be important for germination of many tough-coated seeding
Backyard Barnyards!
By Candice Appleby Chickens make great mates, to you and to your garden. They not only provide you and your family with a wealth of freshly laid eggs. They also produce incredibly nitrogen rich fertiliser and reduce the amount of household waste in the form of food scraps heading to landfill at the tip. It
National Tree Day Festivities
By Candice Appleby To celebrate National Tree Day on Sunday 30th July, the Land for Wildlife team hosted an official launch of the new online interactive Central Australia Register of Significant Trees map. Thanks to the support from Territory Natural Resource Management, Olive Pink Botanic Gardens and Low Ecological Services P/L. It was a lovely
Cat Owners Feline Fine About Domestic Cat Monitoring and Awareness in Alice Springs Results
As the Domestic Cat Monitoring and Awareness in Alice Springs project starts to wrap up, we have been engaging with domestic cat owners that took part in the project regarding the monitoring results. We conducted a workshop this month on the findings from the cat monitoring, which will be officially released in a report next
The Structure and Insulation of Avian Nests
Birds’ nests have evolved into many shapes and sizes, but they all function to provide a secure substrate for eggs and hatchlings, camouflage and defence from predators, as well as protect the eggs, hatchlings and incubating parent from harsh climatic conditions. My doctoral studies focused on understanding the factors influencing the structure and insulation of
Slater’s Skink – a Lesser-known Central Australian Resident
By Claire Treilibs Without fur, feathers, or large-adorable eyes, reptiles generally draw the short straw when it comes to popular appeal of our native critters. Some (mammal-centric) commentators might argue that reptiles lack charisma, but these scaly creatures have their own je ne sais quoi. A lesser-known central Australian resident is the endangered Slater’s skink
Significant Tree Register Goes Online
By Candice Appleby As you may all recall earlier this year Land for Wildlife announced that we would be coordinating the rejuvenation of the National Trust NT Significant Trees Register. Overall, LFW are appointed to coordinate the maintenance of the register for the entire Northern Territory, however initially we have decided to focus our energy