animals Archives - Australian Environmental Education

September 29, 2026September 29, 2026

Return of the Bogong Moth

If you have stepped outside across eastern Australia recently, you might have noticed a flurry of brown nocturnal visitors resting under outdoor eaves, gathering near porch lights, or sheltering in quiet garden spots. Reports are pouring in across New South Wales, the ACT, and Victoria of a significant increase in Bogong moth (Agrotis infusa) activity this season.

The droughts between 2017 and 2019 resulted in a severe population crash and a listing on the Endangered species list. Numbers dropped by up to 99.5% during this time was due to severe inland drought and warming temperatures.Seeing these resilient insects return in large numbers is an encouraging sign for Australian biodiversity.

Australia’s Great Insect Migration

Each year, millions of Bogong moths undertake one of the most extraordinary journeys in the natural world. Hatching in the agricultural plains and inland cracking-clay soils of the Murray-Darling Basin, adult moths emerge in early spring to escape the rising summer heat.

Their destination? The cool, high-altitude caves and granite boulder fields of the Australian Alps and Snowy Mountains.

What makes this journey mind-boggling is that every generation completes it without instruction from their parents. Navigating hundreds of kilometres using Earth’s magnetic fields and starlight, the moths fly to the high country to enter aestivation—a state of summer dormancy—before returning inland to breed in autumn.

Why Their Recovery Matters

The recent uptick in sightings—with hundreds of observations logged on citizen science platforms like iNaturalist over just a few days—brings vital ecological benefits:

Essential Food Source for Alpine Wildlife: Bogong moths are exceptionally rich in fats and proteins. They are the primary food source for the critically endangered Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus) when it wakes hungry from winter hibernation.
Nutrient Transporters: By migrating in massive numbers, moths carry key nutrients up into fragile alpine soils and aquatic food webs.
Inland Moisture Signals: Favourable winter rainfall in breeding grounds likely boosted caterpillar survival rates, giving the population a much-needed break from drought conditions.
Deep Cultural Connections: Bogong moths hold thousands of years of cultural significance for First Nations groups, who traditionally gathered in the high country during summer to harvest them as a rich food source and gather for ceremonies.

Simple Ways You Can Help Migrating Moths

As these nocturnal navigators pass through towns and cities, light pollution and urban hazards can throw them off course. Bright artificial lights disorientate the moths, leading to exhaustion before they reach their alpine destination.

Here is how you can help give Bogong moths safe passage this season:

Turn Off Outdoor Lights: Switch off external lights and pull blinds closed at night to prevent disorienting migrating moths.
Avoid Chemical Sprays: Skip pesticides around your house and garden.Bogong moths are completely harmless to people and property.
Log Your Sightings: Help researchers track migration pathways by logging sightings on iNaturalist or Zoos Victoria’s Moth Tracker app.
Create Habitat: Plant native flowering species in your garden to provide nectar and shelter for resting travellers.

Every small effort in our backyards helps ensure these incredible creatures complete their remarkable journey across our landscape.

January 9, 2026January 9, 2026

Water for Wildlife

Australia is renowned for its beautiful, sunny summers but with that comes the reality of heatwaves. We can retreat indoors or cool off in a pool, our incredible native wildlife isn’t always so fortunate. Extreme temperatures can be devastating, leading to dehydration, heat stress, and even death for many animals.

Just like humans, animals need consistent access to water to regulate their body temperature and maintain essential bodily functions. During a heatwave natural water sources can dry up quickly, leaving animals vulnerable. They might have to travel long distances in extreme heat to find water, expending precious energy and increasing their risk of heat stress. Providing accessible water points can significantly reduce this struggle.

You Can Help Our Wildlife This Summer:

Provide water stations:

Refresh daily: Always use fresh, clean water. Stagnant water can become a breeding ground for bacteria and mosquitoes.
Clean regularly: Scrub dishes thoroughly to prevent algae and pathogen build up.
Place in multiple spots: Offer several water sources in different locations. This helps reduce competition and caters to animals with varying preferences or territorial ranges. Consider placing some in shaded areas and some in more open spots, ensuring visibility.

Use shallow dishes & rocks:

Safety first: Opt for shallow dishes or bowls to prevent smaller birds and mammals from drowning. A ceramic plant saucer is often ideal.
Add rocks or pebbles: Place a few rocks or stones in the dish. This provides a safe perch for birds to drink without getting fully submerged and offers an escape route for insects and small creatures if they fall in.
Avoid deep containers: Buckets or deep pet bowls can be dangerous drowning hazards for smaller animals.

Offer shade:

Natural cover: Plant native trees and shrubs in your garden to provide natural shade and cooler resting spots.
Artificial shade: If you don’t have ample tree cover, consider positioning a large umbrella, a piece of old tin, or even a shade cloth near your water station. This allows animals to drink and rest in cooler conditions, away from direct sunlight.

We all can make a difference by taking these simple steps in our backyard and local area. you can provide vital support and help our wildlife survive the scorching summer months. Remember, every drop of water and every patch of shade can make a world of difference to an animal fighting for survival.

December 4, 2025December 4, 2025

Where are all the Christmas beetles?

Christmas beetles Anoplognathus spp are a group of iconic Australian insects that emerge in early spring and are associated with Christmas. In the past, millions of these large, colourful beetles used to fly around in December and January.

You can become a citizen scientist and help us track Australia’s Christmas beetle population! Beetles start emerging in November and will continue to fly until late January. If you see a suspected Christmas beetle, take a photo and upload to iNaturalist.

Christmas Beetles have vibrant colours and the adults emerge close to the Christmas period. Christmas Beetles come from surrounding bush and feed on eucalyptus leaves. The larvae are white and C-shaped, similar to those of flower chafers and stag beetles and feed on grass roots.

Tips for identifying Christmas Beetle can be found on the Australian Museum website. You can also download the Xmas Beetles ID Guide mobile app.

Australian Museum

November 7, 2025November 7, 2025

Celebrate FrogID Week 2025: Tune into Nature’s Chorus

From 7–16 November, join me and tune into the sounds of your local wetlands, gardens, and bushland to help record Australia’s incredible frog diversity. This is one of my favourite citizen science events of the year. It is simple, fun and so valuable for understanding about frog biodiversity and the health of our environment.

FrogID Week is a national event coordinated by the Australian Museum that encourages everyone to record frog calls using the free FrogID app. Each frog species has its own distinctive call, so your recording helps scientists accurately identify species and monitor where frogs are thriving — and where they might be in trouble.

By sharing your recordings, you’re contributing to a long-term database that tracks changes in frog populations across Australia. It’s an easy way to make a real difference for science and conservation — all from your backyard or local park.

How to Get Involved

You don’t need any special equipment or experience — just your ears, your curiosity, and a smartphone.

Download the FrogID app (it’s free!).
- Listen for frog calls after rain, at dusk, or at night.
- Record what you hear — the app automatically tags your location and sends your recording to experts at the Australian Museum.
- Check your results — you’ll get feedback identifying which frog species you heard!

You can record from anywhere: a bushwalk, a local pond, your backyard, or even a roadside ditch after rain. Every single call helps build a clearer picture of Australia’s frogs.

Create a frog friendly Backyard

You can encourage frogs to come to live and breed in your backyard by creating a frog friendly garden. Create a small shallow pond in an area that is partly shaded or install a Frog Hotel. You can create these habitat that supports them year-round.

Add a small pond or water dish with shallow edges.
Provide shelter with rocks, logs, or native plants.
Avoid using chemicals or pesticides — frogs are very sensitive to pollutants.
Create moist, shaded areas where frogs can hide during the day.
Keep your garden lights low at night to reduce disturbance.

Even small changes can make a big difference. Frogs will find your garden naturally once they know it’s a safe and welcoming place.

How to make a frog habitat infographic — Frog Habitat infographic © Australian Environmental Education

Frog Friendly Garden

Whether you live in the city, by the coast, or in the bush, there’s a good chance you’ll find a few frog friends nearby. So, step outside and tune into nature’s chorus. Record the sounds of your local frogs and be part of Australia’s biggest frog count!

July 8, 2025July 8, 2025

Plastic Free July

Join millions of people reducing their plastic waste this July. Plastic Free July is important because it encourages people worldwide to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics, contributing to cleaner streets, oceans, and communities. By participating, individuals can make simple changes that reduces plastic waste and its harmful effects on the environment, wildlife and human health.

Tips to reduce plastic waste and to prevent ocean pollution: sustainable lifestyle, environmental protection and zero waste concept infographic — © elenabsl

Be part of Plastic Free July by pledging to refuse single-use plastics?

The website is full of great ideas to make it easy for you to make changes in all parts of your life.

One change can make a big difference

Plastic free July website

Australians are embracing sustainable living in their daily lives and want to transition to hosting a sustainable events. If you’re planning to throw a celebration that leaves a minimal environmental footprint, we’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ll guide you through the steps to put on a sustainable party.

How to host a sustainable party

Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution. By part of the change!

January 22, 2025January 23, 2025

Violet Snails, nature’s floating marvels

I went to Killare Beach on the Central Coast of NSW after the recent wild weather and saw a lot of Blue Bottles and Violet Snails along the hightide line. Violet Snail are sometimes found washed ashore, particularly during summer in Australia and around the world.

Violet Snails Beachcombing Killcare 2025

The Violet Snail Janthina janthina get their name from their striking violet or purple-colored shells, which provide them with a distinctive appearance. These snails inhabit tropical and subtropical oceans, where they spend their lives riding the ocean currents at the mercy of the winds.

Violet Snails float by producing a own mucus-covered bubble raft, and feeding on floating jellyfish and organisms like Blue Bottles Physalia physalis. These jellyfish and Blue Bottles provide both food and protection, however Violet Snails must be careful when feeding to avoid being stung by their venomous tentacles.

Unlike most snails that crawl along the seafloor, violet snails have adapted to a open ocean lifestyle. They produce a bubble raft using mucus, which allows them to float on the water’s surface and travel vast distances.

Living a life adrift comes with many challenges. Violet snails are at the mercy of ocean currents and weather patterns, which can sometimes strand them on beaches far from their usual habitats. When they do wash ashore, their vibrant shells often attract beachcombers and curious observers like me.

The Role of Violet Snails in the Ecosystem

As both predators and prey, violet snails play an important role in marine ecosystems. They help control populations of their prey and, in turn, provide food for a variety of fish and seabirds. Their unique adaptations make them an excellent example of how marine life thrives in the vast, unpredictable ocean.

If you’re lucky enough to spot a Violet Snail when beachcombing, take a moment to admire its delicate beauty and the intricate design of its shell. However, it’s best to observe and leave them in their natural habitat, as they are an important part of the marine food chain.

Learning about incredible creatures like the violet snail helps us appreciate the diversity and complexity of our oceans. Next time you’re at the beach, keep an eye out for these little floating marvels—you never know what wonders the next tide might bring!

At Australian Environmental Education, we love sharing the wonders of the natural world. Stay tuned for more fascinating insights into Australia’s diverse ecosystems and the amazing creatures that call them home!

May 17, 2024May 27, 2024

Exploring the Myth and Reality about cartoon animals

Cartoons have been a beloved part of many peoples childhood, entertaining audiences with colourful characters and crazy adventures. One of the enduring aspects of cartoons are the portrayal of animals, which often take on exaggerated characteristics and behaviours. From the lightning-fast Road Runner to the whirlwind Tasmanian Devil, these cartoon animals have captured our imaginations.

While the cartoon Road Runner may be a fictionalized version of this bird, it’s clear that the real roadrunner is a remarkable creature in its own right, perfectly adapted to its harsh desert environment. The cartoon Road Runner is depicted as a blue bird with long brown legs and a dark blue crest on top of its head. Living in the southwest American desert surrounded by cacti, boulders, and sand.

There really is a Roadrunner!

The Greater Roadrunner Geococcyx californianus, the larger of the 2 species for roadrunner measures about 55 cm in length.

Roadrunners have various predators including coyotes. But the coyote can run at 65 km/h which is much faster than the speed of a roadrunner, so would have no problem catching up with one.

The roadrunner will be forever remembered by the sound ‘Meep meep’. Listen below to what they really sound like.

What makes the real roadrunner really remarkable is its adaptability and intelligence. These birds are skilled hunters, preying on insects, lizards, and even snakes. They are also known for their distinctive appearance, with long legs, a crest of feathers on their head.

Greater Roadrunner walking in the Mojave desert, California USA
© Jessie Eastland

Find out more

Another iconic cartoon animal is the Tasmanian Devil, portrayed as a spinning whirlwind of energy and chaos. With its ferocious growl and insatiable appetite, the cartoon Tasmanian Devil is a force to be reckoned with. The real Tasmanian Devil is a unique marsupial found only in Tasmania, off the south coast of Australia.

While it shares some characteristics with its cartoon counterpart, such as its stocky build and powerful jaws, the similarities end there.

In reality, the Tasmanian Devil is a solitary and nocturnal creature, known for its scavenging habits and loud vocalizations.

Unfortunately, the real Tasmanian Devil faces significant challenges in the wild, including habitat loss and Devil Facial Tumour Disease a contagious cancer, which has decimated populations. Efforts are underway to protect this iconic species, including conservation breeding programs and initiatives to control the spread of the disease.

Cartoon animals may entertain us with their exaggerated antics and larger-than-life personalities, but they often bear little resemblance to their real-life counterparts. While characters like the Road Runner and the Tasmanian Devil may capture our imaginations, it’s important to remember the beauty and complexity of the natural world they are based on. By learning more about real animals and the challenges they face, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the incredible diversity of life on Earth. So whether you’re watching cartoons or exploring the great outdoors, take a moment to marvel at the wonders of the animal kingdom, both real and imagined.

November 3, 2021November 15, 2021

FrogID Week

Take part in Australia’s biggest frog count during FrogID Week. Frog ID Week is on between 12 – 21 November. Australia is home to about 240 species of native Amphibians, all of which are frogs. In urban areas, human development has reduced the natural habitat available to frogs. FrogID Week is a great way to learn about frogs living in your backyard.

Help to record frog calls during FrogID Week using the free app and uncover which frogs live in your backyards, local parks and bushlands. Your recording can help identify changes to local frog populations and inform frog conservation across Australia. Download the free FrogID app today and help us count Australia’s frogs.

This park in the middle of urban Sydney might not look like much, but after a few days of rain the low lying grass area became a Frog Swamp. I could hear the frogs call from 50 metres away, the closer I got the louder there were. I was able to get a great recording for FrogID Week. Listen below to the Common Eastern Froglets Crinia signifera and Striped Marsh Frogs Limnodynastes peronii calling.

Common Eastern Froglet Crinia signifera

This tiny frog is only 3cm in size and if very commonly heard but rarely seen. They are common and widespread across south-eastern Australia. Their call is a repetitive “crick, crick, crick, crick, crick”.

Striped Marsh Frog Limnodynastes peronii

This large species of frog is found down the east coast of Australia. Their call is a single, short “tuk” or “whuck” which is repeated every few seconds.

Join me on Tuesday 16 November at 2pm for a FREE live virtual excursion to learn more about Frogs and how you can get involved in FrogID.

Book now for the FrogID Week session

If you can’t join me for the Live session you can watch the Fascinating Frogs video to find out more.

You can create a frog friendly garden

Frogs are very sensitive to water loss because their skin is permeable. This also means Frogs are really sensitive to chemicals. Frogs can end up absorbing chemicals that could harm or potentially even kill them. Pesticides can also deplete the frogs’ food source.

You can encourage frogs to come to live and breed in your backyard by creating a frog friendly garden. Create a small shallow pond in an area that is partly shaded or install a Frog Hotel.

Reducing chemicals use in your garden
Creating a Frog Habitat
Be patient and wait, if you build it they will come

Use FrogID to research the frogs that are found in you local area. This will help you work out what kind of habitat will suit your backyard best.

You can use PVC pipe to create a habitat for tree frogs. Frog Tubes are an easy way to provide somewhere safe for tree frogs to live too. Use a 1 metre length of PVC pipe and stick the base in the ground to tie them to a tree. It provides a really moist environment for tree frogs to hide in.

A Frog Hotel is a great option for tree frogs and provide them a safe place to hide during the day. Check out the video below for step by step instructions on how ro make a Frog Hotel.

Discover more about Frogs and some of their amazing adaptions. There are also lots of information to create a frog friendly backyard in your area.

Frog activity and resources

September 7, 2020September 7, 2020

Threatened Species Day

Every year on September 7 we commemorate National Threatened Species Day to raise awareness of plants and animals at risk of extinction. Threatened Species Day acknowledges the death of the last remaining Thylacine, Tasmanian tiger at Hobart Zoo in 1936. It is a day to reflect on what you can do to make a difference.

Thylacine photographed in cage with chicken by Henry Burrell 1921.

Australia is home to more than 500,000 animal and plant species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. Over the last 200 years, more than 100 animal and plant species have become extinct. In NSW there are almost 1000 animal and plant species at risk of extinction.

Threatened Species Day is a time to focus on or native plants, animals, and ecosystems and look at how we can protect them into the future.

Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife

What can you do to help?

Volunteers some of your time to help save Australian Species for the next generation. You can volunteers for National Parks or join a Citizen Science program.

Create a animal friendly backyard

You can create a native haven in your garden that will encourage wildlife to come and share your backyard.

Attract birds to your garden: use plants that will provide food, shelter and nesting sites. Local flowering plants and fruit trees provide birds with nectar and seeds. Use mulch to encourage worms, insects and grubs to thrive. Plant dense prickly native shrubs create shelter, hang up nesting boxes and install a bird bath.

Encourage frogs to your backyard: create a small shallow pond in an area that is partly shaded. Include thick ground hugging plants around part of the pond to provide areas of warmer and cooler water. Your pond will need some sunlight to encourage algae and other plants that provide food for tadpoles. Make sure the banks slope gently so that the frogs can get out. Add some rocks and logs to provide shelter for adult frogs. Put up some Frog Tubes to provide shelter for tree frogs

Make a home for invertebrates too: remember not are insects are pests. Good insects pollinate plants, break down dead flora and fauna, aerate the soil and are a food source for other wildlife. They can even help keep harmful pests away. Create an inviting environment for insects and spiders by planting plenty of native plants.

Make sure you use chemical-free pest control to maintain your animal friendly backyard.