How Small Urban Green Spaces Can Save Native Wildlife

Even in Australia’s busy cities, pockets of bushland and greenery can provide crucial habitats for native wildlife. From fern-lined creeks in local parks to tiny verge gardens beside roads and railways, these overlooked spaces support threatened species and help bring nature into urban lives.

Urban Areas as Wildlife Habitats

Cities are home to nearly 400 threatened species including mammals such as the southern brown bandicoot. Research shows that multiple small green patches can sometimes support greater biodiversity than a few larger reserves. Narrow strips of vegetation, street-side gardens, balconies, and backyards can all become valuable refuges for native plants and animals.

Conservation biologist Dr Kylie Soanes from the University of Melbourne encourages residents to get to know their local environment and observe the species around them. Local councils and volunteer environmental groups often provide guidance and opportunities for planting, weeding, and monitoring wildlife.

“They can turn a suburb from being somewhere that’s hostile for nature to somewhere completely livable,” Soanes says. Each patch is important by itself, perhaps offering a species food, shelter or water – “but when you bring it all together, that’s what makes that landscape a habitat”, Soanes says.

Nurseries and plant guides can help identify native species suited to urban soils, which may be compacted or degraded. Preparing soil by loosening and mulching before planting can improve success rates for native species.

Small Steps to Support Wildlife

Even limited outdoor spaces can make a difference:

• Nest boxes: Installing boxes in trees provides safe breeding sites for birds, sugar gliders, and microbats.

• Street gardens: Replacing mown lawns with native plants conserves water, cools urban areas, and creates corridors for wildlife movement.

“Don’t underestimate the power of a pot of native plants and a birdbath,” Soanes says. “Having those [food and] water sources through urban environments are really critical.”

One example is the Melbourne Pollinator Corridor, which connects street gardens across four suburbs, linking the Royal Botanic Gardens with Westgate Park. This project has transformed 1,800 sq m of public land into thriving habitats for native insects, including blue-banded bees.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have developed a “plant palette” and pruning techniques to create hardy, low-maintenance urban gardens that promote flowering and reduce weeds. Councils, developers, and government agencies have used these guidelines to improve at least 59 roadsides, roundabouts, train stations, and railway sidings.

Urban greening projects benefit from community engagement. Residents are encouraged to discuss potential planting sites with their council to ensure suitability and maximise ecological benefits.

Creating Wildlife Corridors

In regional areas, community groups are linking bush regeneration sites to form corridors, such as “glideways” for sugar gliders in the Great Eastern Ranges from Queensland to Victoria. These connected habitats allow animals to move safely across fragmented landscapes, improving population health and resilience after bushfires.

Working collectively, communities can enhance biodiversity in urban and regional areas alike. Even tiny pockets of regenerated bushland can contribute to thriving ecosystems, countering the effects of deforestation and supporting Australia’s native species.

“That’s a really powerful thing … to be able to show people, ‘Here’s what you can do in your spot that will make a difference.’”

——————————————————————————

At Natural World Fund, we are passionate about restoring habitats in the UK to halt the decline in our wildlife.