Groups like ours can certainly make a difference, and give a second chance to many of the animals that come into our care. But there are so many things that we can all do to really make a difference to: (A) Prevent animals coming into care in the first place, and, (B) reduce our impact on our environment, whilst enhancing it at the same time.

"We can't change the world by ourselves, but a whole lot of people, each doing a little can really work miracles"

Listed below are some really practical things that we can all do... REQUIRING VERY LITTLE EFFORT

"Whether we pass on to our children a poorer world, or a planet that is healthy, with a rich natural biodiversity, is not up to government, someone else, or your neighbour...

It is up to you. It is your choice"

It is quite amazing how a mother, despite horrific and fatal injuries, will often be carrying a perfectly healthy joey with no injuries at all. Joeys have been known to survive in the dead mother's pouch for up to 10 days, slowly dying from dehydration and starvation.

3. The mother may be dead, but may have a youngster nearby. This is very common with animals like Echidnas and joeys that have left the pouch. They will only be a few metres away watching, hungry and frightened. If you've taken the time to stop and check... Please check the surrounding bushland and grass for a few metres in each direction.

4. Dead animals attract other animals. These animals can then become victims themselves, as they are either too preoccupied with feeding. (Animals like Monitor lizards and Tasmanian Devils fall into this category) Or in the case of birds like Wedge-tailed Eagles, once full of meat, are so heavy that they are very slow to rise from the road surface. So please move dead animals well away from the road.

PLEASE REMEMBER: Your safety comes first. Park where you are clearly visible to other motorists, or get a friend to stop traffic.

The faster you can report an orphaned or injured animal, the sooner we can get out to pick it up.

This simply means that the animal can come into care as quickly as possible, reducing treatment time and distress - greatly increasing its chances.

Please do not try and look after the animal yourself...

Many well meaning people "have a go", and then pass them onto to wildlife caring groups when things go badly wrong. Unfortunately at this stage it can often either be too late, or at very best requires enormous effort to restore them to health.

All Australian native animals in care require a specialised and intensive feeding program: (exact diet, amounts, and frequency). A lot will need urgent veterinary attention, (not immediately obvious) and many require specialised housing ~ exact heating, pouching, perching, and sometimes humidity. ALL may require a complex rehabilitation program.

For more information on what to do if you find a sick, orphaned or injured animal visit our animal first aid page.

It is estimated that that in NSW alone there are over 400,000 feral cats, responsible for killing some 400 million native animals a year.

Australia's 3 million domestic cats catch an average 32 animals per year each (96 million annualy). The sums are frightening...

Figures above provided by University of Adelaide.

One of the single biggest reasons for decline of our unique native wildlife is without doubt; loss of habitat. The clearing of land for housing, industry, farming, and the continued logging of old growth forest has led to an alarming reduction in availability of food and shelter.

Unlike the woodpeckers of Europe, which make their own, so many of our native species rely for shelter entirely on the natural hollows which form in old growth Eucalypt forest.

Some of our animals which are dependent on tree hollows include:

Consider this: It can take a single Eucalyptus tree from 100 - 400 years to form natural hollows, but Eucalypts harvested for forestry are cut at approximately 60 - 80 years old.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Fortunately there is something we can all do to make a difference. Making artificial nestboxes is easy, fun, and will most likely attract native animals to your garden. Constructed right, and placed correctly, these artificial hollows can help redress the balance. Remember, as we sleep comfortably at night, our suburbs were once forest, and home to a myriad of creatures.

For information on making and placing nestboxes, visit our factsheets section.

If you feel strongly about an issue affecting your local environment, or the wider world.

- WRITE A LETTER

- MAKE A PHONE CALL

- SEND AN EMAIL

From personal experience, it really does make a difference. We live in a democratic country, but democracy is useless if you feel you can't, or don't have your say, to express your opinions, your concerns. So many people feel helpless. "I'm just one voice amongst millions." or "What difference can I possibly make?"

If you feel your one letter or email won't make a difference, consider the following point. It is generally acknowledged that

ONE LETTER IS WORTH 1500 VOTES.

An example: The Grey-headed Flying-fox has for years been misunderstood, and persecuted relentlessly. It's numbers have plummetted by 30% in the last 10 years. On May 5th 2001 the NSW Scientific Committee listed these animals as vulnerable on schedule 2 of the act. This will afford them protection from shooting & harrassment, and the NPWS (NSW) is now preparing a recovery plan for the species.

Concerned parties had been lobbying for 6 years, but it came down to this... Despite intense opposition from orchardists, the committee sat and read submissions from the pro protection side in making their recommendation.

So, how many "pro" letters of submission did they read from a population of 20 million people?

JUST 400

So... Make that phonecall, write a letter, or fire up that computer. Apathy kills wildlife, and inaction sees that precious piece of bush clear-felled to make way for an often short sighted, short term profit driven development.