Indigenous wildlife get glossy guide

FRIENDS of the Canadian Corridor and the Leigh Catchment Group have partnered to fund and produce an informative, educational pocket-sized guide of local native animals.

Indigenous Wildlife of Southern Ballarat is a catalogue of the area’s birds, mammals, frogs and reptiles, including coloured photos so residents can identify or look out for specific species.

Joel Ellis, the brochure’s editor is an FOCC and Leigh Catchment Group member who has led the project, improving on the previous 2010 version.

“The 2020 edition is scientifically up-to-date, comprehensive and provides an increased amount of species and visual detail,” he said.

“The selection and arrangement of the 115 native species featured has been reviewed by a senior ecology lecturer, and serves to help the layperson with species identification, while awakening them to the fascinating world of biodiversity on their proverbial doorstep.

“The brochure captures the beauty of biodiversity. Each image was rigorously selected to highlight the diagnostic identifying features of each species, including some luxurious split images to differentiate between male and female, breeding and non-breeding, adult and juvenile, and… flight posture and use of nesting hollows.”

This time around, there’s greater emphasis on animals that might be less familiar, not as charismatic, “taxonomically diverse and data deficient,” like some nocturnal species.

“This is to raise awareness of the more obscure locally-occurring fauna,” Mr Ellis said.

“We hope it inspires a passion for wildlife while empowering active participation in citizen science initiatives to make one’s backyard more wildlife-friendly.”

Images have been ethically procured and most have been donated by local photographers in the community. The pamphlet is fully-biodegradable.

Copies of the publication designed by Colourfield Design are accessible via email. Contact [email protected].