Living Connections

There is a species list suitable for the Waverley area at the back of the Waverley Habitat Gardening Guide. The plants used for the program are drawn from this list but do not include all of them.

In addition to plants, the structure of the vegetation in a garden is extremely important in supporting wildlife, as is ensuring sufficient food resources, such as water and insects.

If you wish to support small birds in your garden, we also recommend you avoid using pesticides, including ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ bug and insect sprays, as insects are the food source of these birds.

Properties that fall into one of our designated biodiversity habitat corridors may be able to receive a visit from a horticulturist and receive extra native seedlings.

Check the Waverley map here to view the location of the corridors.

Join the Living Connections Facebook group here - This group is for Living Connections participants and other locals who are interested in joining a network of community members to share ideas and insights, ask questions and learn more about gardening for wildlife.

Yes, if it is suitable. Please read the Verge Garden Guidelines here, complete the self-assessment checklist and submit it to Council. You will need to apply for the Living Connections program separately.

Reports of fox activity in Waverley LGA have been increasing over recent years.  Fox dens have been found in parks and animals seen in backyards and streets. Sighting ‘hotspots’ have been around Tamarama and Bronte, but animals have also been seen in Bondi and Vaucluse.

Fox control is difficult in areas with high human populations, as control methods such as baits and traps cannot be used in public places. Council has undertaken den fumigations in recent years, with some success.  If an active den is discovered you can report it to Council here for investigation.

To deter foxes on private property don’t leave pet food outside, and secure the lid on your compost and other waste bins

Fox sightings can be reported to FoxScan. https://www.feralscan.org.au/foxscan/

We choose tube stock or small pots for this program for two reasons. Younger plants adapt better and grow quicker in their new environment than plants that have lived in a pot for longer. They are cheaper than buying more mature plants, meaning we can provide you with more plants.

This is very dependent on the plant and the conditions – sun, water and soil - but they will generally take up to a year establish into healthy young plants and several more years to reach their full potential.

Don’t worry! It happens to all of us. Did you follow the planting and care instruction? Plants can be sensitive and sometimes they die for no known reason. Gardening is a bit of an experiment and sometimes we just need to trial different plants in a spot to see what works.

Can we provide you with more plants if the first ones die? That depends. Please email us to discuss: vicky.bachelard@waverley.nsw.gov.au

Waverley Council’s Urban Ecology team selected the plants based on:

• The growing conditions in the Waverley area
• Food and shelter that the plants provide for small birds
• Suitability for gardens (not too spiky if kids around, no sharp grass seeds to get in dog paws)
• Ease of maintenance
• Availability at the nursery

Randwick Nursery

Sutherland Council Nursery

Indigigrow

• Waverley Habitat Gardening Guide.
• Backyard Buddies – small bird and lots of other wildlife information.
• Birdlife – a website dedicated to everything you need to know about Australian birds.
• Short video from the Birds in Backyard program on creating habitat for small birds.
• Gardening with Angus – Angus Stewart’s amazing website on native gardening and lots of related topics.
• For general information on creating small bird habitat check out this Second Nature Webinar with Renee Ferster Levy on Attracting Small Birds to Your Garden.