Environment Matters Autumn/Winter 2023

What’s in this issue 4 Ready, set… rollout! How to FOGO at home

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A lifetime’s work to change a landscape

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Big finds in the Bioblitz

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Constructing a living wetland

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Jim Donald Wetlands

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Urban greening in our suburbs

10 Fuel to the fire

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What’s On

13 Kids Corner

16 At your library

CREATURE FEATURE There are around 500 ladybird species in Australia. Not all are spotted – they can be stripy, one colour, even hairy. If startled, ladybirds can exude a yellow liquid from their leg joints that tastes foul to predators. Ladybirds can be a gardener’s best friend – the common spotted ladybird can devour 2,500 aphids during their lifetime. An Australian native ladybird was the world’s first biocontrol agent, exported to California in 1888 to control scale in citrus. Three years later the mealybug ladybird followed to do a similar job. If you find a black and yellow ladybug, it eats mildew fungus which is a common garden problem. But if you find a large ladybird with 28 spots, it’s a leaf eater and is probably munching on your plants.

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