The Project

The Life in the Suburbs project is an initiative of the Australian National University (ANU) in partnership with the ACT Government, the Australian National Botanical Gardens (ANBG), CSIRO, National Museum of Australia, National Capital Authority, and the Sullivans Creek Catchment Group.  The initiative is supported by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust.

The project commenced in 2002 with the Lower Sullivans Creek Catchment Ecological Survey (LSCCES).  The survey, Australia’s first comprehensive ecological survey of an urban study site, aimed to learn more about the fauna of the urban sub-catchment, and the role of urban landscapes in providing habitat for local species.

To promote community involvement in the project, volunteers from across the ACT were invited to take part in surveys. 

Over 400 community members, field naturalists, students, staff of partner organisations, Scouts, Work for the Dole and Greencorps members participated in surveys of the sites birds, mammals, frogs, reptiles and invertebrates over an 18 month period.

To increase community awareness of urban biodiversity, funding was sought from the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust.  This funding has enabled the analysis of data collected and the extension of the project to include a major community education focus.

The Life in the Suburbs project aims to:

• present the findings of the Lower Sullivans Creek Catchment Ecological Survey,
• develop guidelines for urban habitat in the ACT,
• increase community access to resources and initiatives relevant to the ACT, and
• develop a species database to allow community members to identify locally occurring species and learn about their ecology. 

The project is due for completion in July 2007.

Last updated 11 October 2006