Finding Biodiversity in Greater Dandenong
Biodiversity protects and enhances life. It includes all forms of life, the number and variety of plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms as well as their habitats and ecosystems.
Biodiversity enhances resilience and in turn ensures our environments can adapt and thrive despite growing pressures like climate change.
The City of Greater Dandenong is committed to working with the community to protect biodiversity and build a resilient future for our City. One way that you can help is by getting outdoors and documenting biodiversity within Greater Dandenong.
Participating is easy, all you need is your smart phone or a camera. Visit the iNaturalist website or app and join the Finding Biodiversity in Greater Dandenong project by simply heading outdoors to snap photos of living things in Greater Dandenong and then upload to iNaturalist. You'll be contributing to community science and showing the world the amazing biodiversity Greater Dandenong has to offer.
How to participate
Step 1 - Download the free iNaturalist app and register.
Step 2 - Join the Finding Biodiversity in Greater Dandenong project.
Step 3 - Start recording your observations.
The iNaturalist app is easy to use and there is a community on iNaturalist that can help you identify your observations. It is a great way to learn about local plants and animals and get involved in local conservation.
Watch this great iNaturalist video and get started.
Tread lightly
Please respect our plants and wildlife when taking photos. Spring is nesting season for many birds and flowering time for many orchids and herbs so try not to damage or disturb our plants or animals. If you see young birds on the ground, please leave them unless they are obviously injured. They are fledging the nest and learning to fly, and their parents will be close by.
For more information visit RSPCA Victoria.
If you come across injured wildlife, please contact Wildlife Victoria on 8400 7300.
Our Bright Green Future
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Pest of the Month
Foxes are a declared a pest animal under the Catchment and Land Protection Act (1994).
Foxes are common in urban environments. They are timid, resilient, adaptable and highly mobile, traveling up to 10km per night. They are a significant threat to native wildlife as well as agricultural animals like sheep and poultry.
Foxes can cause a nuisance by harassing domestic animals, eating pet food, raiding rubbish bins, defecating or digging in gardens, and chewing infrastructure such as garden hoses and irrigation systems.
You can report Fox sightings using Council's ‘Finding Biodiversity in Greater Dandenong’ iNaturalist project.
Council's Conservation Officers monitor the ‘Finding Biodiversity in Greater Dandenong’ iNaturalist project for pest animal and weed species observations made by the community to take action to protect local biodiversity.
To find out more about fox control in Greater Dandenong, visit the Other Animals webpage.
