29 Aug 2022
10 EASY WAYS YOU CAN HELP WILDLIFE RIGHT NOW
URGENT: Over 2,000 Aussie animals and plants are at risk of extinction. Send a message to your local member of parliament, calling for stronger nature laws and adequate funding to protect threatened wildlife and the places they call home.
It doesn’t take moving mountains to make a difference and help protect Australia’s nature - every little effort helps! Here are 10 easy actions you can take to help our threatened wildlife.
1. Slow Down
Sadly, roadkill is a common sight along many roads around Australia. From koalas crossing to reach fresh eucalyptus leaves to wallabies hopping towards a water source, we need to take care when driving to keep them safe. Keep an eye out for wildlife and watch your speed, particularly between dusk and dawn when many animals are most active.
2. Make the call
If you come across an injured animal, call your local wildlife rescue once it’s safe to do so. Save their number in your phone to save time and give injured wildlife the best chance at survival. If you do spot roadkill, and if safe to do so, make sure to do a pouch check for surviving young on any marsupials.
3. Keep to the water’s edge
If you live near a beach, you may be lucky enough to spot a shorebird nest or turtle breeding ground. Signs of nests can be spotted around Australia's coastlines. Make sure to keep a safe distance and walk near the water's edge to avoid disrupting chicks or crushing eggs.
4. Ramp it up
Australians know how to beat the summer heat all too well, but as our climate grows warmer, native animals need a hand cooling down. If you have a pool, pond or similar, put a makeshift ramp on the side so that animals can hop in to cool down and get out safely.
5. Help out in the heat
Animals can struggle to find a consistent water supply in the drier, hotter months. Put bowls of water around your home or property to help wildlife stay hydrated in summer. Shallow bowls are best but if you don’t have any, placing some bricks or rocks inside bowls can help out our smaller animals. Having bowls up high will help birds and bowls on the ground help out our ground-dwelling wildlife.
6. Turn out the lights
Wild animals aren’t used to seeing fluorescent lights, and the bright lights at night can cause them to become confused or disoriented. Turn off or dim your lights at night time to help keep native wildlife safe.
7. Safe pets, safe wildlife
One of the greatest impacts on Australia’s wildlife is attacks by pet cats and dogs. Always keep your pets contained and never let them roam. Keep your cats inside and dogs on a leash unless in a specific off-leash area. These steps will keep your furry loved ones safe while also keeping our native wildlife safe.
8. Check out who lives near you by using the My Backyard tool
Heading out for an afternoon walk? Find out what native threatened wildlife live in your neighbourhood and how you can help them using WWF-Australia’s My Backyard tool. From a koala napping high up in the trees, to a grey-headed flying fox soaring between branches, there are so many unique animals waiting to be discovered in your local bushland, nature trails and wetlands. Or even in your own backyard.
And while you’re on that walk, why not learn about the weird and wonderful ways that animal scat (aka poo) is helping wildlife conservation? Subscribe now to the coolest new podcast around - Scat Chat with WWF.
10. Put native plants in your backyard
Helping wildlife can be as simple as buying some seedlings and getting your hands dirty! Half our threatened animals live on the urban fringe, so planting a native Aussie garden is a great way to help. When designing your garden, diversity in shape and size of flowers is best. Flowers are great for pollinators, while structural, spiky plants and grasses provide great habitat for small birds to nest and find shelter in. Here’s a list of native floral species you can grow to create a wildlife-friendly oasis.
Our native wildlife need you. Help protect them and the places they call home.