Following a few steps can help attract or protect native wildlife in your garden.

Retain habitat on your property

Protect remnant bushland on your property. All bushland (on both private and public land) is protected under Council's Tree Preservation Order. Retaining native flora saves time and money in trying to replant and recreate a native garden!

Plan your garden to provide a minimal disturbance - a sanctuary area for native wildlife to nest or take cover.
Remove weeds progressively over your site. Disturbing the whole property at once may remove protective cover for native birds and fauna.

Native plants can regenerate from seed stored in the soil if the slope of the land or soil profile is intact, even if the site has been degraded for over 50 years! Wait and see what regenerates before rushing in to plant after weeding.

Some important points:

1. Find out about the local wildlife and their requirements in your area
2. Try to work out what wildlife is already using your area (See Monitor Wildlife in Your Garden)
3. Recognise that many habitat components may already be on site
4. Plan and allow time and patience when changing the status quo – weeds may be acting as good habitat
5. Plan how to restore or convert while retaining existing habitat
6. Retain any remnant bushland and see if natural regeneration is possible for your site – you will save time, money and create the best habitat possible for your site!
7. All bushland is protected in Pittwater on both private and public land under council’s Tree Preservation Order
8. Select local native plants endemic to your location
9. Plant in groups and clusters to create a variety of spatial structures
10. Tidiness can be the death knell for much wildlife, remember it’s not a mess, it’s somebody’s home!

Plant local native plants

In areas on your block where fill or loss of soil slope has occurred, natural regeneration is unlikely. Planting local native plants helps restore habitat providing food and shelter for our wildlife neighbours.

The natural environment is complex. Try to copy this in your garden planting. Remember that birds and animals use plants for many things including food, shelter and breeding sites. Plants need not actually provide food directly but can attract insects which in turn provide food for the local wildlife.

Wildlife friendly gardens need to provide a diversity of local native species, including larger plants complemented by native ground covers, grasses and small dense shrubs. Dense undergrowth provides protection for small birds and reptiles such as blue tongue lizards.

• Choose native species suitable for your location. These plants will grow well, be hardy and provide all local fauna requirements. See the Native Plants for Your Garden page.
• Cluster similar plant species to provide a good source of food or nesting site. Cluster planting also looks great!
• Mature gums often provide nesting hollows for many species. Nesting boxes can help create homes for various native species. Ensure correct placement of your nesting box for your species - height & aspect on tree, type of nest box etc.
• Create a frog pond in a sheltered area to provide water for birds and habitat for frogs. (See Keeping Frogs in Your Garden - on the Frog and Tadpole Study Group of NSW website)
• Provide rocks and hollow logs for lizard habitats.
• Do not feed artificial foods. This poses a major health issue to native birds and can encourage feral birds such as Indian Mynahs into your garden
• Garden mulching helps reduce weed invasion, reducing the need for watering and providing further habitat.
• Create native lawns or 'meadows' with native grasses to provide habitat, seed, and nesting material for birds, with minimal mowing required.
• Talk to your neighbours about planting natives in their garden to increase habitat in your locality.
• Fruit and young trees can be protected from flying foxes and other wild life by stretching durable knitted netting over a homemade frame. Create a frame made from timber, metal or lengths of polythene pipe inserted over star pickets driven into the ground, with spacer bars of pipe or wood to stabilize the frame at the top. A net with mesh size 40mm (or smaller) is needed to exclude flying foxes and larger birds. The net must be stretched very tightly over the frame and pegged securely to the ground. Do not use a thin nylon netting material. This can cause serious injury to flying foxes.