The Upfield Urban Forest is extremely fortunate to have the Yarra Bend Park Ranger living next to the train-line and assisting our work. Tim Carver has been working for at least 10 years to create a wildlife corridor between Moreland Rd and Reynard St. He writes in May 2019:
The intent of my work, as much to beautify, was to create a continuous mid and upper storey indigenous habitat corridor to link between Ilma Lever/Gandolfo Gardens and the mixed species planting along Audley St. Looking at google maps aerial photos, its easy to see this as achieved.
This has encouraged the small insectivorous and nectar feeding birds that struggle so much in our urban environment. Birds such as new holland honey eaters eastern spinebills and pardalotes are now seen.
Grey headed flying foxes are a threatened species that also feed on the acacia and eucalyptus flowers in this corridor. It’s also supported the more common lorikeets, rosellas, wattle birds, magpie larks, crested pigeons, willie wagtails, magpies and ravens, all regular frequenters.
My son and I were surprised to find a dead boobook owl at Ilma Lever this week. Although sad, it shows the diversity that this link supports. The majestic eucalypts at Gandolfo Gardens would provide perfect roosting sites for these night predators and likely others such as tawny frogmouths. They would be looking for small possums, rats, mice, lizards and small birds and importantly demonstrate the makings of a functional urban ecosystem, hardly thought possible before our combined efforts and commitment in this built up space.
With the world’s biodiversity crashing around us, good news stories like this are so exciting and so worth every bit of community support.
Let’s protect our existing wildlife and make homes for more!