Wild Habitats Inc.
Water management has traditionally been about supplying clean drinking water however there is a growing expectation in the community that water management is more than that, it is about having healthy waterways without pollution and thriving with life. So how do we adapt to this new expectation?
As part of our grant we wanted to measure the fauna active at Provest Creek. We engaged the services of Cumberland Plain Regeneration to help us. They placed camera traps, took samples of leaf litter and also did a spotlight survey and multiple bird surveys. They revealed a rich ecosystem active on the edge of the Berowra Valley National Park.
While talking to water experts the term Urban Stream Syndrome is often mentioned when describing degraded water ways in urban areas. However, like illnesses in humans, the description of the symptoms does not really help address the underlying problem.
I decided to look into what this term really meant and what ways are being explored to try and address this problem.
Possums are an iconic Australian native animal. They are adorable, that is, until one moves into your roof.
There are two main types of possums we encounter, the ringtail possum and the brushtail possum (pictured above). The ringtail possum is smaller, quieter and is easily identified by a white tail. Normally, they make a nest from sticks, called a drey, so they are rarely a problem. The brushtail possum however can grow to the size of a cat, and is easily identified by a blackish furry tail. In the wild they live in tree hollows. In the absence of hollows, they move into manmade structures, and sound like a small horse in your roof.
If you’ve reached that stage where the kids are too old to play in the pool and you’re tired of the constant maintenance and application of chemicals, consider turning your pool into a pond for wildlife. Our pool went from being a maintenance headache to a constant source of joy.