Tips to attract native wildlife into your backyard

As Australians, we are lucky to have some of the world’s most diverse wildlife, with over 90 per cent of our plant species, 89 per cent of our marsupials, 87 per cent of our mammals, and 45 per cent of birds found nowhere else in the world. 

Backyard Buddies, an environmental education initiative by the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife (FNPW) has provided some tips for attracting these native flora and fauna to your own backyard, which is not only great for you, but great for environmental conservation too!

Follow these tips to create your own slice of Australian national park in your own backyard.

1. Build a bee hotel

• Backyard buddies advises that bees like a natural environment, so you don’t need to be handy at woodwork to make them a home.
• If you have tree stumps or logs, drilling holes in them is all you need to do. No logs? Any offcuts of timber will do, but make sure they have not been chemically treated. Drill the holes so the entrance faces sideways, not straight up.
• Small nests on the ground can be easily constructed with twigs, bark and wire to hold them together. Locate them out of the way so they are not destroyed by birds or people or your dog trampling all over them.
• Lengths of bamboo are an excellent choice, as the entrance is just the right size for bees. Seal one end so they feel safe enough to lay eggs. Around 15 to 20cm long is perfect.
• Holes poked into lumps of builders clay then left to dry out.
• Cement breeze blocks and bricks with holes in them are very simple hotels as long as one side is sealed – use a natural material like clay, mud or even mulch or dead leaves. Not superglue.
• Make sure you consider safety when deciding where to put your hive – somewhere out of the way is ideal. 

2. Attract butterflies

• Plant local natives including grasses, nectar-giving flowering plants, and citrus. This will give butterflies somewhere to feed and lay their eggs.
• Plant a variety of heights of plants so butterflies are protected from strong winds.
• If you want to see butterflies, you’ll need to see caterpillars, too. So avoid using chemicals or pesticides in your backyard.
• Include rocks in your garden so butterflies have somewhere to sit and sun themselves.
• Place a shallow dish of muddy water in a sunny spot so butterflies can have a drink.

3. Set up a frog pond

• Build your pond away from existing large trees. This avoids problems with roots and with leaves falling in.
• Build your pond away from houses, including neighbours, as frogs can get noisy when calling.
• Choose a site that is shady for about three quarters of the day. You don’t want your pond to overheat in summer. Balance is the key. The right dose of sunshine helps algae to grow, feeding hungry tadpoles. Too much sun and algae, however, can reduce water quality.
• Try to make the pond as wide as possible, and around 30 cm deep.
• This is suitable for small aquatic animals. Your local council can advise you on the maximum depth you are allowed, with and without a fence.
• Try to build your pond in an area where water naturally collects. For example, a depression, or under a roof-top pipe where rain drips.

You can find more in-depth instructions and advice for these projects, as well as building a ladybird house, attracting native birds, setting up a lizard garden, and many more ideas to make your backyard a sanctuary at the Backyard Buddies website! These projects would be great fun for the grandkids to help with, as well as educational. 

Do you have a native garden at your house? Tell us about it!