Finding Melbourne's Nature

Send us Fan Mail What happens when we make the night brighter? In this episode of Finding Melbourne's Nature , we head to Uambi Reserve in Heathmont with wildlife ecologist Dr Kaori Yokochi from Deakin University to explore the hidden world of microbats, darkness and urban ecology. Kaori explains why darkness is just as important to ecosystems as daylight, how artificial light is affecting wi...

Send us Fan Mail This is our most botanical episode yet. Prepare to get a little plant nerdy. Professor's Hill Reserve, in North Warrandyte within Nillumbik Shire, might only cover five hectares, but it contains one of Melbourne's richest and most significant patches of native bushland. In this episode, I walk with botanist David Cameron, whose work has shaped the way Victoria understand...

Send us Fan Mail At Pinkerton Forest in Mount Cottrell, on Melbourne’s western edge, we’re walking through one of the last remaining patches of grassy woodland in this part of the state. In this episode of Finding Melbourne’s Nature , I sit down with Daryl Akers, who’s been closely involved in caring for this reserve over many years. We talk about what this place once was, a much larger landscape...

Send us Fan Mail At the Edithvale Seaford Wetlands, I’m walking with Kinjia Munkara Murray, a proud Tiwi and Rembarrnga woman, and someone who sees a whole world most of us miss. From the start, we’re stopping constantly. Looking at ants, watching movement on the ground, noticing things I would have walked straight past. Kinjia has been into insects for as long as she can remember, and it shows. A...

Send us Fan Mail Out towards St Andrews on Melbourne’s north-eastern edge, some of the most important habitat isn’t in reserves at all, it’s along the roadside. In this episode of Finding Melbourne’s Nature , I walk with Wendy Probert, a long-time member of the Australian Native Orchid Society and a director of the Australian Orchid Foundation. Wendy has spent decades searching for native orchids,...

Send us Fan Mail Braeside Park in Melbourne’s south east is a big reserve with a mix of wetlands, grassy woodlands and heathland, and a history that’s shifted a lot over time. In this episode of Finding Melbourne’s Nature , I walk through the park with Judith Sise OAM, president of the Friends of Braeside Park. As we move through the reserve, we talk about what this place has been. Carrum Carrum S...

Send us Fan Mail At the edge of the Birrarung, beneath the West Gate Bridge, sits one of Melbourne’s most unexpected urban landscapes. Westgate Park wasn’t always like this. Once a heavily modified and neglected site shaped by landfill and industry, it has been transformed over decades into a mosaic of wetlands, grasslands and habitat. In this episode of Finding Melbourne’s Nature , we walk throug...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Finding Melbourne’s Nature , we walk through Banyule Flats Reserve with urban ecologist Dr Jacinta Humphrey. Moving through wetlands, billabongs and remnant vegetation along the Birrarung, Jacinta shares her journey into conservation and her work exploring how birds persist, adapt and even thrive in urban environments. We talk about what cities are missing, and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I’m joined by urban ecologist Dr Kylie Soanes. We meet in Docklands, in Melbourne/Naarm, beside the floating wetlands Kylie helped bring to life. It’s not a typical conservation setting. Concrete, water, buildings and movement surround us, and right there, a small patch of habitat quietly doing its work. We talk about how these wetlands came to be, what they’re al...

Send us Fan Mail In this first episode of Finding Melbourne’s Nature , we walk through Darebin Parklands with Peter Wiltshire, long-time ranger with the Darebin Creek Management Committee. Once a quarry and later a tip, Darebin Parklands is now a much-loved nature reserve with wetlands, thriving wildlife and rich native flora. Peter has spent over 40 years working in this landscape. As we walk, he...

Send us Fan Mail Finding Melbourne’s Nature is a walking conversation series exploring the wild places within the city. In each episode, guests choose a reserve and walk together with Traditional Owners, conservationists, scientists and community voices. They talk about what lives there, what has changed, what needs protecting, and the personal journeys that have shaped their connection with natur...