Want to help our special native animals? Check out these simple tips that you can do today.

How to feed birds

Buy bird stations from Bunnings, Mitre10 and garden centres. Place them in trees around your garden.
Fill the bird stations every day with native bird seed. It’s cheaply available from Woolworths, Coles and other stores.

If a specific animal comes into your garden, do an internet search to find out the food that it eats.
Many animals can eat sweet potato, carrots, leafy vegetables and other locally appropriate food. If you leave food on the fringes of fire zones, keep it away from roads.
Find a local group that’s organising food drop-offs for wildlife. Contact your council or look on Facebook for local groups in your area.
Look for trees marked with an orange dot. This could mean it’s a food and water station for wildlife. Make sure these are replenished regularly.

For birds, place water on a pedestal, in a bird bath or up in trees.
For water at ground level, use low buckets or shallow food trays in shady areas. Place a rock or wood in them so tiny animals can get in and out.
Use a poultry drinker – many terrestrial animals prefer these to open dishes.
Keep water clean, refilled, and in the shade – avoid metal bowls that get hot in the sun.
In burnt out areas or bushland, build a wildlife water station using basic plumbing supplies.

In NSW if you come across injured wildlife, contact WIRES (1300 094 737). You can also download the IFAW Wildlife Rescue App. Local vets may also help.
To donate time or money to an animal rescue organisation near you, type your postcode into the home page of DoSomethingNearYou and select ‘Animal Welfare’.
When driving, watch out for wildlife. Animals are being run over foraging for food.
If you have domestic cats and dogs, keep them indoors and away from animals, especially at night.
Use climbable fencing or attach poles on either side of your fences to help animals travelling through your yard.
Install a thick rope in your swimming pool to prevent drowning in case native animals fall in.
Join your local bushcare or landcare group. Planting trees and shrubs will help to create new habitat for wildlife after the fires.

Jon Dee
Co-founder and Managing Director of DoSomethingNearYou
10 January, 2020