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Australia’s Endangered Plants and Animals: Creating Nature Blocks to Save Them

Australia is home to an incredible variety of plant and animal species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. It’s one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, with high levels of endemism.

These unique and special plants and animals form part of our national identity. From koalas, wombats, banksias, and bandicoots — our plants and animals are part of what makes our nation so unique.

But Australia and countries around the world are facing an extinction crisis. Globally, the IUCN Red List estimates that over 45,300 species are threatened with extinction.

While protected areas provide important places of shelter, food and refuge for wildlife and plants, a surprisingly large number of threatened and endangered plants and animals live and occur in Australian towns and cities.

In fact, a quarter (25%) of Australia’s nationally listed threatened plants and 46% of its threatened animals occur in urban areas. That means that cities have the opportunity to be part of the solution to the biodiversity crisis by restoring areas for nature and providing a landscape of connected habitats to support species.

One practical way for everyday Australians to get involved in protecting endangered species is to create a Nature Block: an area of native plants in your garden, on your balcony, or in a pot on your windowsill.

How Nature Blocks Help Protect Endangered Species in Australia 🐨

By creating Nature Blocks, you’re not just creating a beautiful space for nature to grow; you’re also contributing to the conservation of Australia’s unique biodiversity.

Every plant you choose to care for in your Nature Block helps make a difference. 🌸🌺🌼🪴

In 2023, CVA launched the Nature Blocks initiative in partnership with the Bupa Foundation to empower people to take action for nature while improving their own health and wellbeing too.

Here are some of the reasons to create Nature Blocks and ways that creating Nature Blocks can help protect endangered species:

• By growing Nature Blocks with native plants, you’re helping provide food and shelter for many endangered species that rely on specific native plants. For example, the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater feeds on the nectar of certain eucalyptus trees.
• By choosing to plant and grow native, endangered plant species in your Nature Block you can help actively contribute to their preservation.
• By establishing Nature Blocks in your city garden, you are helping to create a patchwork of connected green spaces in cities that act as wildlife corridors – facilitating the free movement of wildlife so that they can search for food, shelter and mates.

By growing native plants you are helping to keep cities green. This can help mitigate the impacts of climate change and keep cities cool, which provides a range of ecological benefits for entire communities of endangered plants and animals.

3 Examples of Endangered Plants and Animals in Australia

The number of species in Australia that are at risk of extinction is growing rapidly. According to the 2021 State of the Environment Report, over 1900 species and ecological communities are threatened or at risk of extinction.

This includes the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus), the Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae) , the Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus), the Regent Honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia), the Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster), the Eastern Quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus), the Eastern Barred Bandicoot (Perameles gunnii), koalas, and huge number of endemic plants, insects and marine life.

Below we shine a spotlight on three examples of endangered plants and animals in Australia and explain how creating Nature Blocks and volunteering with CVA can help contribute towards conservation efforts.

1. Regent Honeyeater (Critically Endangered bird species)

The Regent Honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia) is a critically endangered, medium-sized Australian bird.

Known for its melodious call, the Regent Honeyeater is mostly found in dry eucalypt forest areas and woodlands in northeastern Victoria and stretching up the coast to around Brisbane.

Sadly, there are only around 250 to 400 adult birds left in the wild, which puts it on the brink of extinction in the wild.

One of the most recent sightings of the Regent Honeyeater was at Toowoomba in June and with an estimated 400 left total in the wild, it’s important we build back their habitat.

Bolstering habitat for the conservation of this iconic species is in line with Australia’s National Recovery Plan for the Regent Honeyeater, which notes that the primary threats to this species relate to its “small population size, habitat loss and fragmentation, competition, and degradation of remnant habitat.” By creating Nature Blocks in areas where this bird occurs, backyards can help to provide patches or corridors that support this species as it moves around.

“In my work at CVA I help maintain eucalypt forests and woodlands these birds once called home”, said Alec Patten, a CVA project officer who works in Brisbane to build back nature with volunteers.

Planting Nature Blocks to support Regent Honeyeater birds

If you live in the region where the Regent Honeyeater occurs, you may want to consider planting some of the plants it loves best in your Nature Blocks.

According to Alec Patten, the Regent Honeyeater “loves eating nectar from eucalypt and mistletoe species, but will also enjoy insects given the opportunity. You can help the Regent Honeyeater by planting species such as Eucalypts, Banksia and Bottlebrushes which the Regent Honeyeater can forage and call home in your backyard.”

2.   Koalas (endangered mammals)

In New South Wales (NSW), the koala – arguably the most iconic of all Australia’s animals – is listed as an endangered species.

The recent drastic decline in koala population numbers is due to a combination of habitat loss and habitat fragmentation, wildfires, climate change and disease. It’s estimated that Koala populations in NSW have decreased from between 33% to 61% since 2001. And, more than 8,000 koalas are estimated to have been impacted by Australia’s devastating ‘Black Summer’ bushfires.

David Jones, a Program Manager at CVA, says that his work with CVA has enabled the organisation to “address urgent management actions outlined in the Comprehensive Koala Plan of Management, which includes rehabilitating habitats in the Campbelltown area, particularly the restoration of the Smiths-Creek complex, which is considered a priority area due to its crucial link with the Georges River Koala corridor. Our goal is to protect the future of koalas by improving their habitats in well-connected and resilient landscapes.”

Planting Nature Blocks to protect koalas in NSW

Habitat loss and habitat fragmentation is part of the reason koalas have been listed as endangered. Everyone living in areas where koala’s occur can help to support and protect them by supporting efforts to conserve their natural habitat, which includes creating Nature Blocks in your backyard.

Creating wildlife-friendly gardens where animals like koalas can use to find food, take shelter and move on to other habitats is important. By creating a network of wildlife friendly gardens, we are providing wildlife corridors that can support a great number of plant and animal species. This in turn not only helps to restore nature, but can build back biodiversity – bring a range of conservation, ecological, health, and wellness benefits to all Australians.

“Everyone that lives or works in Koala habitat can help, by keeping koalas safe from domestic animals as well as planting native plants (especially Eucalyptus trees) that koalas depend upon for shelter and food”, added David Jones.

3. Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub (endangered plants)

The Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub is an ecological community of many different types of native and endangered plants that are found in Sydney.

These ecologically significant plants were once abundant in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, but now only small and fragmented remnants remain. Given its significance as supporting many native animal species (including many endangered ones), it’s a priority to conserve and restore these fragmented patches of Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub and to create more connectivity between them.

Comprising mainly Banksia species such as Wallum Banksia (Banksia aemula) and Old Man Banksia (Banksia serrata), the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub plants provide habitat for many native animals and insects including Yellow-tailed black cockatoo and ringtail possums.

Planting Nature Blocks to conserve Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub communities

Because the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub is highly fragmented into small remnants dotted across areas of Sydney’s suburbs, wildlife that use these particular plants as habitat and food, can struggle to move between these fragmented patches.

By planting Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub communities in your Nature Blocks, you can help to provide stepping stones or corridors for these animals to more easily move between patches.

In addition, by growing Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub plants, you are helping to support these endangered plants, green your city and build back biodiversity.

Perhaps you’ll even be able to get your neighbourhood involved in planting Nature Blocks and restoring this endangered habitat where it once occurred with abundance!

Another way to support the conservation of Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub is to volunteer with CVA in restoring the ecological community at Sir Joseph Banks Park in Sydney, where we’ve been removing weeds, planting thousands of seedlings and building habitat boxes for wildlife.

“Anyone that lives in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney can give a helping hand by creating new habitat and supporting biodiversity in the places you live and work – simply plant native food plants like Banksia’s and construct habitat boxes or dreys for our beautiful furry and feathered friends”, says CVA Program Manager, David Jones.

Get Planting: Nature Blocks to the Rescue! 🪴

Nature Blocks can actively contribute towards protecting and conserving endangered species in our cities.

It’s fun and easy to get started creating a Nature Block of your own. We’ve developed our CVA App to connect you with the resources and inspiration you need to create your own Nature Block.

Download the CVA app and start building back nature! You’ll be joining over 83,743 people who have engaged with our Nature Blocks initiative over the past year since the initiative was launched.

Final Thoughts on Protecting Endangered Species in Australia 🐾

The diversity of plants and animals, and their ability to function optimally in thriving and connected ecosystems is what supports life on Earth, wellness, health and many of the things we take for granted like protection from flooding and storms, and availability of food.

But biodiversity is under threat around the world. At CVA we believe that there’s a lot we can each do to help protect and restore biodiversity, which includes prioritising conservation efforts for species that are endangered and face the risk of extinction.

That’s why we empower volunteers to help us restore and build back nature through planting trees, clearing weeds, restoring habitats, cleaning up litter, and more. We also aim to empower people to take action at home to restore and build back nature through the creation of Nature Blocks.

Let’s get planting and work together to protect our endangered species so that we can ensure a thriving future for Australia’s natural heritage.