Continual development, new buildings, the creation of towns and cities and other human activities all have an impact on plants and animals, endangering some, and creating conditions where others thrive. How plants and animals react with their environment and the way this can affect major adaptive change to generations of species in the future is increasingly becoming a concern.

At UNSW, a concerted effort is being made to improve the native plant and animal communities on campus. As a result, at least half the plantings in landscape projects include indigneous plant species from locally propagated seed.

Chemical use is also under the microscope and is being reduced by five percent every year.

In one project, an embankment infested by litter and weeds has been transformed into a sanctuary for small fairy wrens. This labour-intensive initiative is carried out and supported by UNSW Facilities and a small army of student and community volunteers. Hundreds of local native plants are now thriving on the site, near Gate 7. It’s become an important local habitat giving recognition to the plight and decline of many small bird populations across Sydney.

Green Trail is an integrated network of interpretative eco-tours located within the Kensington campus. The bush tucker walk was the first Green Trail initiative. Called Bushtucker and Biodiversity, this walk highlights the beauty and ecological significance of the plants found in the Sydney basin. It showcases many of the initiatives UNSW is practising in environmental sustainability and starts with the extensive native gardens on campus. As you walk the Trail you’ll come across 25 different native plants, which in many cases were used by Aboriginal Australians for food, medicine and tools. These particular plants are clearly mapped and signposted.

Once every stage is complete, the Green Trail will include another two important themes - Buildings and Technologies, and Programs and People. Buildings and Technologies will highlight the technological innovations and environmentally friendly policy that UNSW applies in the design and construction of new buildings. Programs and People will acquaint visitors with the environmental research, teaching and operational programs in place on campus.

Fairy Wrens

These delightful birds are characterised by the male Superb Fairy Wren, which is brightly coloured during the breeding season from September to January with rich blue and black plumage above and on the throat. Their nest consists of dome-shaped grasses which are usually placed in a low bush close to the ground where you’ll often see them feeding in small groups.