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Infromation on how to care for an indigenous plant potted during your excursion.

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Take a look at Melbourne Gardens

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Introducing minibeasts of Melbourne.

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We've built an insect hotel in the Kitchen Garden, at Melbourne Gardens.

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Birds, possums and owls are some of the animals who make homes in the hollows of gum trees. When you walk by a River Red Gum, see if you can find any homes!

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The Rainbirds by Metzenthen David - Books

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A CBCA Honour Book, THE RAINBIRDS has received much acclaim and will be brought to life during the September school holidays in a theatre production at the Melbourne Recital Hall.

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Bandicoot Outreach Officer, Charlotte, has some ideas about how to look for critters in your own neighbourhood.

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Could you make a hiding spot to watch the birds from?

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How many birds?

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How Many Birds? | Everyday Learning | PBS LearningMedia

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Follow three young bird watchers as they count how many birds they can find outside, in this video from the KET Everyday Math for Preschoolers collection. The bird watchers count how many cardinals, blue jays, and goldfinches they can find outside, then learn how to chart the results.

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A guidebook of birds at Melbourne  Gardens.

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A Bandicoot tale, by Jo Watson

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Bindi is a bandicoot. Buddy is a boy. They have lots in common! They share the same garden, the same habits and a penchant for bugs. Theirs is a tale of curiosity, wonder and digging... lots of digging.

26-page chunky board book inspired by the bandicoot population at Melbourne's Cranbourne Botanic Gardens.

160 mm x 220 mm

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A delightful, chunky board book inspired by the bandicoot population at Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne. Bindi and Buddy share the same garden, the same habits and a penchant for bugs. Theirs is a tale of curiosity, wonder and digging... lots of digging.

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Can you make your own mini beast hotel?

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SERIES 28 | Episode 20

By providing food and water in your garden, you can encourage native bees to visit. By making them a hotel, you can encourage them to stay! HOW TO MAKE A BEE HOTEL Materials
There are more than 1500 species of native bees in Australia and they play an important environmental role pollinating plants. To encourage native bees into the garden, Sophie is converting an old television into some accommodation - a bee hotel! Different species of bee have different housing requirements, so Sophie is building a mixed material hotel.

A weather proof house, Sophie is using an old CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) television.*

Corflute Sheet (also known as project panel - available from hardware stores). Attach this to the inside ceiling of the bee hotel to keep the rain out.

A range of different diameter materials eg terracotta pipe, bamboo stalks, clay-filled pipes to fill the television casing (see below).

Positioning the Bee Hotel
You'll need...
Assemble the Bee Hotel
The native bee hotel should ideally be facing between the north and east, in a sunny to semi-shaded position that is sheltered, above 1 metre off the ground, but no higher than 2 metres. Make sure it won't get too hot in summer. Don't forget to provide lots of food and water for your bees. For ideas on plants that attract bees, see Costa's story,

Fennel stems - Strip foliage from main stem and then cut stem into lengths making sure there is at least 10 - 15 centimetres of pithy stem between joints. Tie cut pieces together with twine and place them in the 'hotel.'

Bamboo hollows - Cut bamboo stalks into sections leaving 10 - 15 cm of hollow stem between joints with an enclosed end to entice the bees.

Drilled logs - Use untreated sections of cut logs. Using a variety of drill bits ranging from 3 mm - 8 mm, drill holes into log to a depth of at least 10 cm. Space the holes around 2 cm apart. Use sharp drill bits to minimise burrs to keep the tunnels smooth and inviting.

Clay packed pipes and blocks - Pack sifted clay into earthenware pipes or concrete blocks. Using a poker that is 8mm wide, push holes into clay around 10 - 15cm deep into the pipe.

Arrange the different nesting materials by evenly spacing the habitat types within the television casing. Pack it tightly so nothing moves. Fill in any gaps with bundles of pithy stems and bamboo pieces.

* PLEASE NOTE: Extreme caution should be taken when dismantling old CRT (cathode ray tube) TVs and it's recommended that this is carried out by a suitably qualified person.

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By providing food and water in your garden, you can encourage native bees to visit. By making them a hotel, you can encourage them to stay! HOW TO MAKE A BEE HOTEL Materials There are more than 1500 species of native bees in Australia and they play an important environmental role pollinating plants.

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Wildlife gardening

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There's a native Aussie plant that produces amazing fruit, fits perfectly on a cramped balcony or terrace, and supports native butterflies too! The humble Finger Lime ( Citrus australasica)...

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There's a native Aussie plant that produces amazing fruit, fits perfectly on a cramped balcony or terrace, and supports native butterflies too! The humble Finger Lime ( Citrus australasica)...