Participants in our network include environmental community groups, shires, councils, and volunteers from across Victoria. We are exploring, developing, or delivering wildlife gardening programs that involve residents, businesses and schools to improve habitat for locally native species on private land to support habitat protection and improvement on public land.
This MAP shows where our participants are working (see list below).
Our AFFILIATES are wildlife gardening programs run by community members with local government using our guiding principles. Find out more about affiliation and its benefits here.
If you wish to keep abreast of programs, start one of your own, or have a program affiliated with Gardens for Wildlife Victoria please contact us here. If you would like to begin planning or affiliating a program, there is an Affiliation Agreement you will find helpful here.
We encourage you to help programs in your area to become Affiliates. There are currently 21 Affiliate programs in Victoria.
Participants in our network (Affiliates in bold italic) come from Albury-Wodonga, Ararat, Ballarat, Banyule, Bass Coast, Bayside, Bellarine (Ocean Grove), Boroondara, Brimbank, Cardinia, Casey, Colac Otway, Darebin, Frankston, Glen Eira, Greater Bendigo, Greater Dandenong, Greater Geelong, Hepburn, Hobson’s Bay, Hume, Kingston, Knox, Macedon, Maribyrnong, Maroondah, City of Melbourne, Merri-bek, Mitchell, Monash, Moonee Valley, Moorabool, Mornington Peninsula, Nillumbik, Port Phillip, Portland, Queenscliffe, Southern Grampians, Stonnington, Warrnambool, Whitehorse, Whittlesea, Wyndham, Yarra, Yarra Ranges, and Yarriambiack areas.
AFFILIATES
Knox Gardens for Wildlife
The Knox Gardens for Wildlife program is designed to encourage Knox residents and businesses to create an area in their garden to support local wildlife.
This can be done by providing habitat planted with locally indigenous, Australian native or suitable introduced species. The program is a partnership between Knox Environment Society and Knox City.
View Inspiring Stories in Knox to see videos of members’ wildlife gardening experiences
Whitehorse Gardens for Wildlife
The City of Whitehorse’s Gardens for Wildlife program is free and designed to support local residents who want to create space in their garden for locally threatened wildlife.
It is a partnership between the City of Whitehorse, Greenlink, and Bungalook Nursery.
Yarra Ranges Gardens for Wildlife
The Yarra Ranges Gardens for Wildlife program is designed to help people create beautiful gardens for native plants and wildlife through education and connection to neighbours.
It is a partnership between Yarra Ranges Council, Southern Dandenongs community nursery, Candlebark Nursery, and Yarra Ranges Landcare Network.
Cardinia Gardens for Wildlife
The Cardinia Gardens for Wildlife Program includes a wildlife garden assessment by a trained volunteer and some great fact sheets to help locals get their gardens on the right track.
It is a partnership between Cardinia Shire, Toomuc Valley Landcare, Maryknoll Progress Association, Bunyip Landcare, Cardinia Environment Coalition, Mount Cannibal Friends Group, Cardinia Catchment Landcare Network and Bessie Creek Landcare.
Frankston Gardens for Wildlife
Frankston Gardens for Wildlife is a free program for residents, providing simple, practical advice on how you can support locally native plants and wildlife in your garden.
The program is hosted by Frankston City Council, supported by community volunteer Garden Guides who visit your property and provide suggestions. Your garden can provide a home for locally native plants. Garden habitat can help to form a corridor or ‘stepping stone’ for wildlife to move between Frankston’s increasingly isolated nature reserves.
City of Melbourne Gardens for Wildlife
Gardens for Wildlife Melbourne is a partnership between the City of Melbourne, Westgate Biodiversity: Bili Nursery & Landcare, and the Melbourne community.
Private landholders manage a similar proportion of land in the municipality as the City of Melbourne; so protection and enhancement of the urban environment by private landholders is critical for achieving healthy ecosystems and thriving biodiversity.
Whether you have a big backyard, a community garden, a school veggie patch, a green rooftop, or pot plants on your balcony, you can provide an area in the garden to promote and support local wildlife. By participating in Gardens for Wildlife Melbourne and becoming engaged in wildlife gardening in the City, you too are helping to boost local nature.
MOORABOOL GARDENS FOR WILDLIFE
Moorabool Gardens for Wildlife is a free program for our urban communities, run in partnership between Moorabool Council, Moorabool Landcare Network and volunteer community members. It aims to provide advice to residents, businesses, community gardens and schools on how they can create native habitats to enrich biodiversity and support our local wildlife in their gardens.
Our friendly trained volunteer guides provide advice, encouragement and support to participants, including a garden visit and newsletter. Whether the garden is large, small or on a balcony, there are ideas to share which will help local small birds, butterflies and other insects.
Book a visit via our website>>
Nillumbik Gardens for Wildlife
Nillumbik Gardens for Wildlife shows you how to create a haven for local wildlife in your own garden in Nillumbik Shire.
The program is a partnership between the community and Nillumbik Shire Council to create habitat gardens that nurture locally native flora and fauna.
The program is free and involves trained volunteer garden guides who provide advice and encouragement to registered participants on increasing habitat and natural food sources for wildlife in their gardens.
HUME GARDENS FOR WILDLIFE
The Hume Gardens for Wildlife program is connecting people and wildlife through habitat gardening, leading to better outcomes for local biodiversity, as well as improved wellbeing for participants.
By following the wildlife-friendly garden recipe, residents, schools, and businesses in Hume City can find out about indigenous plant species to use and the various habitat features like bird baths, bee hotels, or lizard lounges that can be installed. Book a free garden visit with friendly volunteer Garden Guides and become eligible to get some seedlings. Also get involved with citizen science to help monitor the wildlife in our neighbourhoods and provide evidence that habitat gardening works.
GREATER DANDENONG GARDENS FOR WILDLIFE
Whether you have a big backyard, a small balcony or share a community garden, there are many ways to provide shelter, nesting habitat, and natural food and water sources.
Gardens for Wildlife Greater Dandenong is a free program supporting residents and community groups to attract and support wildlife with indigenous plants and wildlife gardening practices.
The program is a collaboration between the communities of Greater Dandenong, local Council and Greenlink Sandbelt Indigenous Nursery. The local program empowers community members to gain wildlife gardening skills, connecting them to the state wide Gardens for Wildlife network.
Darebin Gardens for Wildlife
Darebin Gardens for Wildlife program is a partnership between Darebin council, the Darebin Nature Trust (an expert advisory group to council) and the Darebin community.
The nature of Darebin is the critically endangered grasslands and grassy woodlands of the Victorian Volcanic Plains, bounded by natural waterways on three sides; Darebin Creek, Merri Creek and the Yarra River. Tree clearing and development are contributing significantly to the heat in Darebin (researchers have identified Reservoir and Preston as among the hottest suburbs in Melbourne) and to the negative impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss.
Our vision is to use native plants and habitat to tackle the climate emergency, the biodiversity emergency and to improve health for all Darebin residents with varied and innovative gardens, including on council and state land, private gardens, naturestrips, schoolyards, planter boxes and vertical gardens. Darebin Gardens for Wildlife is an excellent program to help us achieve our vision and to connect the Darebin community with nature.
Banyule Gardens for Wildlife
Banyule’s Gardens for Wildlife is a free program for the Banyule community, run in partnership between Banyule Council and volunteer community members. It aims to provide advice to households, businesses and schools on how they can create native habitats to enrich biodiversity and support local wildlife.
Trained volunteer guides provide advice, encouragement and support to registered participants, including site visits, on how they can increase native habitat for local animals and insects.
The program also benefits social connections between like minded people who want to connect with nature and share their passion for wildlife gardening together.
MORNINGTON PENINSULA GARDENS FOR WILDLIFE
Mornington Peninsula’s free Gardens for Wildlife program is designed to encourage and support residents in creating a haven for local wildlife using local plants in their gardens.
The program is a partnership between the Shire and community members/groups that share the common goal of protecting and promoting our native flora and fauna.
WARRNAMBOOL GARDENS FOR WILDLIFE
The Warrnambool Gardens for Wildlife program officially launched in August of 2023. The program is a partnership between Warrnambool City Council, local volunteers and the community.
The program shares information to build healthy indigenous gardens for thriving local wildlife, and create long lasting biodiversity and conservation improvements within Warrnambool.
Volunteer Garden Guides come from a broad range of backgrounds and are trained to provide free wildlife gardening visits to interested residents. All experience is welcome, and no garden is too large or too small.
Merri-bek gardens for wildlife
Gardens for Wildlife Merri-bek is a free program to promote caring for nature through habitat gardening. Volunteers and Council work together to offer advice and resources for wildlife gardening at home.
Through our gardens, we can support and enhance the nature in our neighbourhood. We can create habitat stepping stones that link larger parks and reserves to create a city where nature can thrive. Whether you have a big backyard or a small balcony, there are many ways to provide shelter, nesting habitat, and natural food and water sources for wildlife. Our friendly and knowledgeable volunteer guides can show you how.
Find out more and register for a visit via our website
hepburn gardens for wildlife
Hepburn Gardens for Wildlife (HG4W) is a unique partnership between the local community, Hepburn Shire Council and the Neighbourhood Centres across the shire. HG4W works with the community here on Dja Dja Wurrung Country to increase our knowledge, understanding of and support for wildlife and habitat creation. Hepburn Gardens for Wildlife provides trained volunteers who offer a free consultation to walk you through the steps involved in creating a wildlife-friendly garden.
Contact the nearest Neighbourhood Centre: Trentham Neighbourhood Centre (trenthamnc.org.au), Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre (dncentre.org.au), Creswick Neighbourhood Centre (cnc.org.au).
Or visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Hepburngardensforwildlife/
Casey Gardens for WildlifE
Casey Gardens for Wildlife is a free program available to Casey residents that equips gardeners of all abilities with the support and materials they need to create a wildlife-friendly garden that supports our local flora and fauna.
Residents can register their interest to receive in-person advice from our volunteer garden guides on how to create habitat in their own garden, as well as receive a voucher for free indigenous plants.
Our program is run through a partnership between the City of Casey and the Casey community in affiliation with Gardens for Wildlife Victoria. Nurseries supporting this program include Cranbourne Growing Friends, Conservation Collective, and Southern Dandenong’s Community Nursery.
Visit our website
Queenscliffe Gardens for Wildlife
We invite people in the communities of Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale to learn more about our local wildlife and consider how their garden, courtyard or balcony could contribute to building and restoring habitat and strengthening biodiversity in this area of the Bellarine Peninsula.
This program forms one of the primary activities of the Swan Bay Environment Association and is delivered with the support of the Borough of Queenscliffe. Swan Bay Environment Association engages with the community through a range of activities and there are many ways to be involved, from propagation to restoration and revegetation. All aim to strengthen environmental resilience and community wellbeing.
The Gardens for Wildlife program is free. Local volunteer Garden Guides support the visit with the program co-ordinator and share the complexities, joys and challenges of wildlife friendly gardening. A small number of indigenous plants are also provided for free, following the visit, by the Swan Bay Environment Association through the Queenscliffe Indigenous Nursery.
Register for a garden visit through the website
Bayside Gardens for WIldlife
The Bayside Gardens for Wildlife program is a free program designed to inspire and encourage Bayside residents, community groups, schools and businesses to create habitat in their gardens and open spaces to support local native wildlife.
The program is a joint initiative between the community, Council and Bayside Community Nursery.
Visit their website