The reading room
Wildlife, worth knowing.
Understand your wild neighbours, question familiar advice and explore the evidence behind everyday choices.
Greater Sydney canopy: local losses behind an overall gain
The official 2019–2022 figures show a modest overall canopy gain and large local declines, with important limits on the comparison.
4 min readHelping wildlife through hot days
Prepare clean water and shade, avoid disturbing resting animals, and recognise when hot-weather wildlife needs expert help.
4 min readBlue-tongue lizards in gardens: leave them at home
A blue-tongue in the garden usually needs space, shelter and protection from pets, rather than a move to somewhere else.
4 min readFruit-tree netting without trapping wildlife
Protect ripening fruit with small-mesh netting fitted securely, and know when an entangled animal needs professional help.
3 min readArtificial turf: what it costs wildlife
Fake grass looks tidy, but it offers little to the soil life, insects and birds that depend on green spaces, and it sheds plastic. Here's what we know.
3 min readFound a baby bird? When to help and when to leave it
Spring brings young birds to backyards across Australia. Here's how to tell whether a bird on the ground needs help, and what to do if it does.
3 min readMagpie swooping: separating fact from fear
Most magpies never swoop at people, and the few that do are protecting their chicks for a few weeks. Here's what the research says about swooping season.
2 min read