Yesterday I overheard my daughter chatting with her friend on the phone. They were discussing what pets they had. Her friend had origami frogs. As well as her new brood of origami frogs, Maia proudly listed the number of guinea pigs, chickens and fish she cares for, but then also added that she has wild pets – the kangaroos that live in our garden, and the king parrots that visit every day too. She has names for them all. We don’t keep the wild animals of course, we co-exist here in the land and have come to know each other.

Our home is in an ecovillage that has Land For Wildlife status. Ever since the beginning of the village in the late 1980’s there have been no cats or dogs living here. Without predators, you can imagine how friendly and unafraid the wildlife has become.

Maia chats to one of the regular female kangaroo visitors to our garden. The ear markings are usually the easiest way to tell the difference.

The kangaroos range through our garden helping to keep the grass down. You often have to step over their tails going down the path to the house.

The king parrots call out to us early every morning and visit many times through the day. They are such characters – very cheeky.

The king parrot dropping by to say g’day.

Being so close to nature and interacting daily with the wildlife and incredible birdlife makes living here just wonderful. I try in my permaculture designs to think through how the design with support or impact on all species dwelling in the land, not just meet the human needs.