WildThings is an urban fauna translocation program developed by Ku-ring-gai Council in 2004 to protect, promote and proliferate wildlife in the Ku-ring-gai local government area.
The program was started by Peter Clarke who, while in charge of the Bushcare program, noticed that while bush regenerators intended to preserve habitat and wildlife, the program was responsible for the wholesale removal of weeds which often lessened the biodiversity value of the ecosystem that the volunteers were trying to protect.
In New South Wales, where Ku-ring-gai is located, the state government has many regulations that effectively deny people the opportunity to have native animals for pets. On their web page they have detailed their objections.
The disconnect between urban residents and wildlife was picked up in a survey commissioned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (New South Wales).
In an attempt to create positive relationships between people and wildlife, the program WildThings was created; however due to the restrictive legislative environment around mammals, the program has concentrated on invertebrates, fish and reptiles.
There are four main components to WildThings:
The captive breeding of Tiliqua. Research has shown that most juvenile Tiliqua fail to reach adulthood due to pressures found in urban areas. Adult lizards, however, have excellent survival prospects. WildThings keeps newborn bluetongue lizards for a year before releasing them on suitable sites.
The placement of Trigona carbonaria hives. This program places native bee hives on residential properties, assisting with pollination while increasing awareness of this insect. As of 2011, over 200 hives have been distributed.
The conversion of unwanted swimming pools into ponds. Baby boomers in particular have pools that are no longer being used and studies conducted by the University of Western Sydney, on a random selection of converted ponds, showed impressive invertebrate biodiversity values as well as water quality suitable for recreational use. An added bonus is that a converted pool is essentially a rainwater tank without a lid, making large amounts of water available for a variety of activities around the home, saving potable water, electricity and eliminating the need for chemicals.
Wildlife Watch Australia. This is a citizen science initiative that allows residents to record wildlife observations that get added to the NSW Wildlife Atlas, a valuable resource that is used to help manage wildlife within New South Wales.
