Make sure pet cats are desexed (some vets offer special rates). Keep them inside at night, and attach bells to warn wildlife. Cats (and dogs) in cities kill hundreds of native birds, possums and reptiles each year.

Use natural Australian plant disinfectants. Eucalyptus and Teatree oils both make excellent disinfectants as well as having medicinal properties.

Learn a new skill - look after injured wildlife. Many people have learned to care for injured bats, possums and wallabies.

If you are buying furniture or building with wood, choose recycled (second hand) timber, plantation timber or laminated or composite timbers made of wood scraps.

Fix a leaky tap and save 30 litres of water per day. The more water we save, the fewer natural areas have to be flooded to create new dams.

Build a compost heap. Shred and compost garden weeds, rather than dumping them in the bush or taking them to the tip. Weeds such as lantana, holly and privet crowd out the native plants which provide food and shelter for animals.

Make your own environmentally sound bushrocks. Bushrock is important habitat for hundreds of species, particularly lizards, and should be left in the bush.

Make your garden a haven for biodiversity - avoid using chemicals, plant local natives to attract birds, grow native ground covers such as prostrate Grevillia instead of lawn. Native gardens are also cheaper because they need less water, pesticides and fertilisers.

Protect your open spaces. Biodiversity resides in many unexpected places, such as roadsides, railway easements, nature strips, small parks, disused cemeteries and open spaces in your neighbourhood. Keep these places weed free and encourage local native plants to grow there.

Find out about planned local developments at the library or council. Land clearing and suburban sprawl is the single biggest cause of biodiversity loss in Australia. Developers must prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for many projects.

Grow local native species in your parks and gardens. Amenity planting and beautification schemes are often undertaken by government authorities and councils to make your neighbourhood more attractive.

Shop to reduce resource use. Go for products with recyclable or no packaging. Reducing resource use puts less pressure on the natural environment and the biodiversity it contains.

Take your own bag shopping. Plastics, such as bags and beer can holders can choke whales, seals and seabirds if they get into the oceans.

Buy organically grown food where possible. When crop pesticides flow into rivers and creeks, they can harm or kill native birds and fish.

Recycle paper at the office and at home. If all Australians recycled, we could save more than 40 million trees each year.

Create a worm farm at your place of work, especially if you work in the food or hospitality industry. Worm castings are an important source of organic fertiliser (and could be a source of additional income.)

Drive slowly at dawn and dusk, and where trees grow near the road. Many native animals get killed on the roads early in the morning and at the end of the day, when they come out to feed by the roadside.

Take a tour with an Aboriginal company. Get a different perspective on biodiversity and how Australian plant and animal species have sustained a culture over thousands of years.

Visit a National Park close to home and ask the ranger about the biodiversity there. Take only photographs, leave only footprints.

Get involved with a Bushcare or Greening Australia group and spend the weekend with friends, restoring natural habitats on denuded land. (Environment Australia, freecall phone 1800 803 772).

This section of my environment web site is based upon a booklet produced by the Department of the Environment and Heritage, Environment Australia. This material can be freely reproduced for non-commercial purposes provided Environment Australia is acknowledged. Their logo appears at the bottom of this page.