Gardening for Wildlife

Series 1: Getting started and how to monitor

Video 1: Introduction to the Project

Video 2: Monitoring Methods and Tips

Video 3: Resources and Monitoring Equipment

Video 4: Collecting and Submitting Data

Video 5: Animal Welfare

Important Note: You must watch ‘Video 5: Animal Welfare’, or have attended an in-person workshop, before you start monitoring. Once complete, please complete this short form to confirm you understand the project requirements:  https://uwa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_80IXPUICVUbd5TU

The video and instructions below are for Camera Trapping participants only. These explain how to submit images from your Wildlife Monitoring Camera. Each Camera Trapping participant will receive a unique portal link to their own ‘Property ID Folder’.

Written instructions: Camera Trap Image Upload Instructions

Video 6: Camera Trap Image Upload Instructions

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Series 2: Wildlife-friendly garden structure installation

Video 1: Project Update

Video 2: Next Project Phase

Video 3: Structure Installation Guidelines – Reptile shelters, Bird Baths, Frog Hotels and Ponds

Video 4: Structure Installation Guidelines – Nest Boxes for Bats, Birds and Possums

Video 5: Where and when to buy your structures

Reimbursement claim form for pond, bird bath and/or frog hotel supplies

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	Guide 1: Common Garden Wildlife of Southwestern Australia: Vertebrate Species ID Guide
	Guide 2: Wildlife Monitoring Manual
	Guide 3: Wildlife Friendly Gardening Structure Installation Guide How to Attach Your Nest Box to a Tree

Please check out pages 11-12 of ‘Guide 1: Common Garden Wildlife of Southwestern Australia: Vertebrate Species ID Guide’ for more information. Here are some handy links to a couple of the resources listed in the guide:

	www.ala.org.au   Atlas of Living Australia: ‘Australia’s national biodiversity database’, brings together species records from museums, research collections, and citizen-science projects.
	https://www.inaturalist.org/   iNaturalist partners with ALA and is globally recognised and well established. Search for your species on iNaturalists, or simply add your sighting and let others and the Computer Vision assist. iNaturalist have an associated application and their website has video tutorials to assist in its use.
	Australian Museum fact Sheets: https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/ https://australian.museum/learn/animals/mammals/ https://australian.museum/learn/animals/frogs/   Free application from the Australian Museum: ‘Frog ID’: https://www.frogid.net.au/   WA Museum ‘Froglish for Beginners’: https://museum.wa.gov.au/explore/frog-watch-schools/frog-watch-schools-kit/froglish-beginners
	Free application: ‘Aussie Bird Count’: https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/   Online web version of application , ‘Bird Finder’: https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/finder   Birdlife WA have many Bird Guides by area that you can download:  https://birdlife.org.au/locations/birdlife-western-australia/bird-guides-wa

Download your monitoring field sheets here	Examples of completed field sheets
Field Sheet: Bird Bath Monitoring Field Sheet: Bird Count Field Sheet: Camera Trapping Field Sheet: Frog Search Field Sheet: Pond Monitoring Field Sheet: Reptile Search Field Sheet: Spotlight Survey Field Sheet: Wildlife Friendly Structure Inspection	Completed example: Bird Bath Monitoring Completed example: Bird Count Completed example: Camera Trapping Completed example: Frog Search Completed example: Pond Monitoring Completed example: Reptile Search Completed example: Spotlight Survey Completed example: Wildlife Friendly Structure Inspection

Any data you collect for any of the monitoring methods needs to be entered here.

Data submission portal: https://uwa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_enVPu21PfmZSy46

Make sure you have your property ID number handy!

Camera Trapping photo submissions: Each participant taking part in this monitoring method will be given a link to their own unique Property ID Folder on Cloudstor database. Instruction for uploading photographs will be sent to participant along with this link.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. Should I continue to feed birds in my garden if I already do?

We recommend you do not feed birds in gardens. Feeding native birds can alter natural behaviour and harm their health as it creates an unhealthy dependence on humans and the food is often not suited to their physiology. Additionally, it can draw birds into unsafe areas where they may be predated on.

Feeding native birds without a licence is now an offence under the new Biodiversity Conservation Act. Feeding commercially available bird seed can also spread weeds and may be a blend that isn’t suitable to native birds. Instead, you can play your part by having native plants and shrubs in your garden, so birds have access to natural food sources. More info on having a bird friendly garden is available at https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/gardening/

2. Can I complete more than one of a survey type in two sections of my garden, or for two of my wildlife friendly garden structures?

You can survey more than one of the ‘Wildlife Friendly Structure Inspection’ type methods (Bat Box, Bird Box, Frog Hotel, Possum Box and Reptile Shelter).

For the other methods, you can only monitor one area or structure, these include Bird Bath Monitoring, Bird Count, Camera Trapping, Frog Search, Pond Monitoring, Reptile Search and Spotlight Survey.

3. Can I complete more than one survey method per week?

Sure! All data you collect will be useful!

 

BIRD BATH MONITORING

4. Is a water fountain counted as a birdbath?

Yes, if it contains a permanent standing body of water.

5. Can a sprinkler or gutter be counted as a ‘bird bath’ or a ‘source of water’ when monitoring?

No, it is not a permanent standing source of water.

 

CAMERA TRAPPING

6. Can I use my own wildlife monitoring sensor camera, even if it’s a different brand? What settings are most important?

Yes, simply set as close as possible to what is listed in Guide 2: Wildlife Monitoring Manual. The most important settings are ‘photo’, ‘three bursts’ and ‘low sensitivity’.

7. What camera’s do we recommend if participants want to purchase?

Scout guards or Swift for a cost-efficient resource. If you get in before the 10th of October 2022, we have a discount code for you! Reach out to your main project contact.

8. How often will the wildlife camera batteries need replacing? Will I need to check them part way through?

Citizen Scientists who are borrowing Wildlife Sensor Cameras will need to provide the batteries. They take eight AA Batteries. The batteries will last for the whole 10-day deployment. Recharge or replace batteries before the next month, or before transferring to your partner Citizen Scientist.

You may wish to invest in rechargeable batteries and a charging port as a more sustainable and cost-effective (long term) option – we recommend Eneloop and Fujitsu brands.

9. Do I delete the photos off the SD card once I upload them?

Once you have uploaded the photos, yes please delete them so the card is ready to go for next time/ next person. This is listed in the ‘Camera Trapping’ instructions within Guide 2: Wildlife Monitoring Manual. If you want to keep a copy of your own photos make sure you save them to your computer as well as your Cloudstor link before deleting.

 

FROG SEARCHES

10. If I can only hear a frog in my garden but cannot visually see it, can I count this in my survey?

Unfortunately, no, for any animal including frogs to be counted in the surveys you must visually see them to be sure they are in your garden and not nearby.

11. If I see a frog in my garden but can only ID it based on its call, can I use this ID in my survey?

Yes. If you can clearly see the frog is in your garden and you are just using its call to confirm its species identification, you can count it. Do not count frogs that you hear if you cannot see it in your garden though!

	Citizen Science: August Update 2022
	Citizen Science: September Update 2022
	Citizen Science: October Update 2022
	Citizen Science: November Update 2022
	Citizen Science: January Update 2023

 

We are interested in all types of wildlife. You can choose how many of these surveys you would like to do and the types of wildlife you are interested in. Residents must commit to at least one survey type to be involved in the project, and the more data we can collect – the better! You can choose one or more from the following:

Survey Method	Target Wildlife	Description
Spotlight Surveys	Possums and/or Geckos	Once per week, residents undertake a spotlight search of their garden primarily for possums and geckos. This will involve residents walking around their garden and scanning the trees, fences and roofs with a head torch sometime between last light and midnight. The spotlight search will take approximately 5 – 15 minutes per survey event.
Frog search	Frogs	Once per week, residents undertake a search of their garden and record the frogs that they see. Residents will slowly walk around their garden scanning the ground, rocks, ponds, bird baths, trees and other structures and record each frog they observe during this period. These surveys can occur anytime between last light and 12 am and will take between 10-20 minutes.
Timed bird count	Birds	Once per week, residents undertake a 20 minute bird count where they record all birds that they see during this time. Residents will sit or stand stationary at the same spot in their garden on every survey event. These surveys can occur any time between dawn and dusk.
Camera trapping	All ground-dwelling animals	Residents deploy one remote motion sensing camera for 10 nights every month. This involves setting up the camera, switching it on and leaving it at one location in the garden (it will take about 5-10 minutes to set up). When animals run in front of the motion sensor the camera will automatically photograph the animal. Residents can choose whether they want to look at the camera images themselves or would prefer researchers to do the animal identifications.
Reptile search	Reptiles	Once per week, residents undertake a search of their garden and record the reptiles that they see (e.g. bobtails, lizards, skinks). Residents will slowly walk around their garden scanning the ground, rocks and other ground-based structures, recording each reptile they observe during this period. These surveys can occur anytime between dawn and dusk, and will take 10-20 minutes.
Inspecting wildlife friendly structures	All wildlife	If residents decide to monitor their new or already existing wildlife friendly structures then residents would need to inspect each feature once per week and record which species are using it.

If you want to install wildlife friendly features in your garden as part of the project you can choose one or more from the following:

Feature	Example
Installing a bird nest box This provides birds a place to nest or rest on your property.
Installing a bat box This provides bats a place to roost on your property.
Installing a possum box This provides possums a place to rest and shelter on your property.
Installing a frog hotel This provides frogs a place to rest and shelter on your property.
Installing a reptile shelter This provides small reptiles (e.g. skinks, small lizards) opportunities to hide, shelter and bask upon.
Installing a bird bath Provides birds with water, bathing and cooling opportunities.
Installing a pond Provides habitat for aquatic invertebrates and frogs and offers a water resources to other wildlife like small mammals (e.g. bandicoots), birds and reptiles.

Yes! As a citizen scientist of this project you will be able to learn and undertake a variety of wildlife surveys at your property by:

• Participating in training workshops (at no cost) to learn how to survey and record the wildlife on your property and how to install wildlife friendly structures.
• Receiving a manual to inform you how to undertake garden-based wildlife surveys and install wildlife friendly structures.
• Receiving on-going support from researchers over the project’s life.

Everyone and anyone! We are keen to involve as many people as possible and welcome anyone that is interested in participating in the project.

The monitoring part of the project will run for 18-months, from July 2022 to January 2024. While we would like as many participants as possible joining for the full 18-month project we understand some people cannot commit to this. The minimum participation length to be involved in the study is 3 months.

Get involved by contacting the lead researcher in your region; details at the bottom of the webpage.

There are three ways to be involved in the project:

1. You DON’T already have wildlife friendly structures in your garden and you WANT to install some?
   Get involved by installing some new features in your garden and monitoring the wildlife that use them! For a subset of residents we would love you to do some monitoring of wildlife
   before you install your new features too, as this will tell us if your biodiversity has increased!
2. You DON’T have wildlife friendly structures in your garden and you DON’T WANT to install any?
   Get involved by monitoring the wildlife that is in your garden! We need residents to tell us what’s in gardens when there aren’t any wildlife friendly structures there too!
3. ALREADY HAVE wildlife friendly structures in your garden?
   Get involved by monitoring how regularly wildlife use your wildlife friendly structures! This will tell us how important these structures are for wildlife in urban landscapes.