Today is Threatened Species Day. The date was chosen to commemorate the death of the last thylacine, which was on September 7 1936, and it is an important reminder to us all that we must act before it is too late. Sadly, 109 of Australia’s endemic species have gone extinct since European settlement and we also hold the unenviable title of having the highest rate of mammal extinctions in the world.

Our local bush parks and reserves aren’t just beautiful, they are also ecologically important as they are home to several threatened species such as the smooth darling pea (Swainsona galegifolia), squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis), diamond firetail (Stagonopleura guttata), and Sloane’s froglet (Crinia sloanei) to name a few.

So what can you do to help? As a community, we can contribute to restoring habitat, whether by planting natives or by the removal of weeds and invasive species. We can provide nest boxes and resist tidying of lying logs and dead trees that may contain hollows. We can also contribute to the scientific records of living things by reporting observations to citizen science platforms such as iNaturalist.

If you want to get involved in helping to maintain our reserves or would like to learn how to use apps like iNaturalist, keep an eye on our Events page as some guided walks with Wodonga Urban Landcare are coming up, and more weeding days will be added soon!