Habitat Stepping Stones - Stage 2

Following the award-winning first stage of this project, in 2015 the NSW Environmental Trust funded an expansion of the project to include five new council areas:

• Bankstown
• City of Sydney
• Parramatta
• Pittwater
• The Hills

The project provides an innovative approach to encourage people to improve urban biodiversity.

www.HabitatSteppingStones.org.au

Visitors to the website find inspiring images and useful information for dozens of the most beautiful and beneficial food, water and shelter elements to include in their gardens to assist native wildlife.

Aspects of gamification include an easy 1-2-3 process: Discover-Pledge-Share. Visitors can make an online pledge to add three or more habitat elements to their own place to create a wildlife-friendly stopover, and they can choose to have a colourful bird added to their property on the online map to gain public recognition for their good work.

They also receive discounts from local suppliers and a Habitat Stepping Stone plaque for their front fence to gain more public recognition and increase awareness among their neighbours. The project includes a lively and supportive social media community where everyone can share their experiences and get lots of useful information such as local plants coming into flower and the arrival of migratory birds.

Evaluation

Evaluation of this successful project has revealed the following data:

• 23% of visitors to the project website return to learn more.
• 44% of surveyed participants have already noticed more wildlife in their gardens.
• 49% said their experience in the project inspired them to take part in other wildlife and habitat projects.
• 88% reported an increased awareness of the important of habitat for urban wildlife.
• 98% are likely to continue to add habitat elements to their gardens or balconies.

Over 3,000 habitat elements were pledged. In addition to that, another 20% of surveyed web visitors are using the information to create habitat stepping stones anyway, without making a pledge.

This project has now completed and moved into a self-sufficient model - Stage 3.

This project was assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust.