Welcome to Birak 🏵️
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Kaya! Hello!
October 2023
🏵️ Birak is here! 🏵️
The Noongar season Birak is represented by the colour red – symbolising heat, sun and fire. Yellow-orange flowers have begun to bloom, including the beautiful Moodjar (WA Christmas Tree) – learn more about this important plant in our Flora Feature below.
Birak is traditionally the fire season, where Noongar people would burn the country in mosaic patterns with many benefits – including reduced fuels, increased grazing pastures, aiding seed germination, and making it easier to move across country. If you haven’t already, it’s a good time to create your bushfire plan.
Reptiles will be more active during this warmer season, so be sure to leave a shallow water dish out for our local bobtails and other reptiles, with sticks or rocks around the edge to create easy escape routes from the water. As the temperatures rise and rainfall decreases, it’s also time for young frogs to complete their transformation into adulthood, and young birds will be fledging – leaving the nest.
As the year comes to an end, first and foremost, we would like to thank each and every one of you. We met more than 6000 people this year through 89 events - thank you for joining in to make Perth a greener connected city for all Perth residents; - plants, wildlife and us, and to our major supporter, Lotterywest, for making our program possible.
This season's flora and creature features have a distinctive festive theme in celebration of the upcoming holiday season. We wish you all a wonderful Birak break, enjoying time in the garden and nature with family and friends. For the kids, be sure to check out the January school holiday activities we have planned.
We will be back in the office 8th January and back in your inbox for Bunuru news in February 2024. Until then, happy new year and please do keep in touch on Facebook and Instagram!
*‘Kaartdijin Noongar – Noongar Knowledge’ from the South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council
TOP TIPS FOR THE SEASON
Photo: Jason Pitman
Water for wildlife
On a hot summer’s day, there’s nothing better than relaxing with a cool glass of water or taking a dip at the pool! Same goes for our native wildlife - water is a vital resource for drinking, bathing, and even completing life cycles. Your garden can provide several different water sources over summer, including water bowls and dishes for birds and ground dwelling wildlife, and aquatic habitats like ponds or damplands. Be sure to maintain the water levels in these structures over the heat of summer and enjoy seeing wildlife refresh in your garden!
Summer drinks for native plants
Many ReWild plants are also water-wise, so they are perfect for Perth's hot climates! Plants experiencing their first summer in the ground will generally require ‘deep watering’ once a week and twice a week during very hot weather. By their second summer many plants will be hardy and established no longer requiring regular watering, however, they will benefit from a deep watering once a month. Hot tip: Apply wetting agent now to areas you plan to water over summer, this is essential for successful summer watering to ensure every drop soaks into the soil where your plants' roots can access it. Save water and keep your plants happy in the heat!
Leaves dropping? No problem!
'Tis the season for leaf drop – when it gets hot over summer, some plants will drop their leaves in response. Instead of raking up all those leaves and popping them in the bin, why not spread some onto your garden beds? These leaves can act as a natural soil improver and weed suppressant, with the bonus of providing a home for little critters hanging out in the leaf-litter.
Enjoy cool summer nights in the garden
As we come to the end of 2023, it’s a great time to reflect on the year that’s been. Take some time to enjoy the fruits of your labour in the garden this year, especially in the evenings when you can take advantage of the slightly cooler temperatures! You might like to update your ReWild Perth profile with any new plants or habitat structures you’ve added this year, and explore the ReWild actions to choose a ReWild Resolution for your garden in the New Year!
PEOPLE OF REWILD
Meet Robyn and and discover her Cottesloe Bush Garden with garden guests galore! As well as gardening for wildlife, Robyn also volunteers with her local community group Cottesloe Coastcare Association – a great way to connect with nature and your local environment.
"Once established, my local native plants look after themselves and I am delighted to see many insects, native bees and various butterflies."
Do you want to feature in People of ReWild? Show off your progress and share what you've learnt along the way - log into the website and fill in this form.
FLORA FEATURE
Nuytsia floribunda (CC-BY-NC 4.0) ladymidgesome
Scientific name: Nuytsia floribunda
Noongar name: Moodjar
You will have spotted the marvellous orange flowers of the WA Christmas Tree popping up all over Perth over the last month or so, signalling the beginning of warmer weather. This tree is a hemiparasitic plant in the same family as mistletoes, attaching below ground to other host plants to gain water and nutrients. In Noongar culture, the Moodjar is of major cultural and spiritual significance, and so it is important to respect these trees and never damage or remove branches or flowers.
Verticordia nitens (CC-BY-NC 4.0) Wayne Clarke
Scientific name: Verticordia nitens
Noongar name: Kodjeningara
Keeping with the Christmas theme, the Christmas Morrison is a small shrub with stunning displays of orange flowers. The scientific name Verticordia literally translates to 'turner of hearts', and those gorgeous feathery flowers show us why! Christmas Morrison prefers an open, full sun position and is perfect for a feature shrubbery.
CREATURE FEATURE
Turtle Frog – (C) Joe Porter
Scientific name: Myobatrachus gouldii
Noongar name: Kyooya (Frog)
In the 12 days of Christmas song, we hear about a partridge in a pear tree and two turtle-doves. We don’t have partridges or turtle-doves native in Perth, but we do have the beautiful yet somewhat elusive turtle frogs! Turtle frogs will burrow into sandy soils under fallen logs, large rocks, leaf litter, or in the shade of dense shrubs. Their peculiar turtle-without-a-shell appearance is paired with a deep ‘croak’ call – if you see or hear them, you can record their call via Frog ID to help scientists monitor their population.
Austracantha minax – Paul George – (CC BY 4.0)
Scientific name: Austracantha minax
Noongar name: Kara (Spider)
Orb-weaving Spiders such as Christmas spiders catch flying insects caught in their webs, providing fantastic pest control in our homes and gardens! Plant small shrubs and clumping grasses along with mulch and leaf litter to provide foraging habitat in the garden. If you see a spider, you can record your sighting on the Atlas of Living Australia and help scientists monitor populations.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Frog Frolics (Children 8-12 years)
School holiday program: children 8-12 years.
Ever wondered about the croaking, moaning, squelching sounds in your garden? You might just be lucky enough to have frogs hanging out! Discover who’s who in the frog world and how to create a frog-friendly garden at home, plus take a frog hotel home!
Date: Monday 22 January 2024
Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Location: WA Museum
Book your tickets here!
With thanks to the support of Lotterywest, ReWild Perth's major supporter, and WA Museum.
Perth Zoo Crew: Critter Keeper
School holiday program: children 8-13 years.
Find out how Perth Zoo looks after some of their carnivores and cater for their special needs. Plus learn how to care for critters visiting your garden at home and build your own native bee hotel.
Date: Friday 12 and 19 January 2024
Time: 9:15am - 3:30pm
Location: Perth Zoo
Book your tickets here!
With thanks to the support of Lotterywest, ReWild Perth's major supporter, and Perth Zoo.
Cats and the Conservation Estate
Join us at 'Meet the Museum' to learn how to provide the most enriching life for your cat while keeping them safe and content within the comforts of your home with expert cat behaviourist Dr Heather Crawford.
Date: Thursday 15 February 2024
Time: 5.00pm - 6.00pm
Location: WA Museum
Book your tickets here!
With thanks to the support of Lotterywest, ReWild Perth's major supporter, and WA Museum.
OTHER EVENTS
25 December - Christmas Day: happy Christmas to all who celebrate!
1 January - New Years Day
2 February - World Wetlands Day
28 February - Clean Up Australia Day
3 March - World Wildlife Day
Thank you for being part of the ReWild Perth community this year!
Keep an eye on our Events & News page for more to come in 2024!
ReWild Perth is powered by Perth NRM with funding from Lotterywest.
