Our environmental education centre offers a large array of resources that provide information on many Australian plants and animals.
Fauna resources:
- Rock platform plants and animals
- Wild life friendly gardens
- threatened species of the Sydney Basin
- threatened species fact sheets, biodiversity
- identification of spiders
- identification of snakes
- insect profiles and pictures
- Birds in Backyards
- Australian native bees
- attracting native bees to your garden
- Freshwater bug ID chart
- Estuary fauna ID chart
- feral animal fact sheets.
Flora resources:
- Bushwalks, reserves and lookouts on the Central Coast
- CEN plant nursery
- Australian Native Plant Society
- gardening to attract native animals
- ABC Gardening Australia video of a Central Coast wildlife garden
- Lake Macquarie Council's excellent Creating Backyard Habitat resource
- description, ID keys and images of NSW plants.
Books, kits and CDs available for loan from Rumbalara and contact details of other organisations for further details.
- platypus education kit: Info on protecting local platypus. Please ring Rumbalara 02 4324 7200 if you would like a copy.
- 'Rainforest, The Secret of Life' DVD: This film was recently shown on TV and is available for loan at Rumbalara. It is an excellent overview of rainforest life and issues and relevant to our Central Coast rainforests.
- 'Native Plant or Weed – Pick The Difference' by Ann Loughran: is a well presented easy to use guide that provides big clear pictures of common weeds and look-alike in nature. Only $12 for schools, it can be purchased from the Department of Primary Industries or Tocal College.
- exploring biodiversity Australia: activities on how to increase biodiversity in your school, phone Science Teachers Association 02 9746 3210 for more information.
- plants for Central Coast Gardens Australia: brochures and details on appropriate native plants for gardens on the Central Coast, phone Plant Society Phone on 02 4323 3986 for more information.
- landscape management In NSW Schools: Department of Education NSW.
The video below focuses on using the sustainability action process to increase biodiversity.
Download the Draft 5 Step Sustainability Process video transcript (PDF 71KB) for a written copy of the spoken content in this video.