Raakajilm is a 490-hectare conservation property in the Mallee of northwest Victoria, Australia.

Recent blog posts:

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What is the Mallee Looper?
What is the Mallee Looper?

The Mallee Looper caterpillars are eating their way through thousands of hectares of Mallee Eucalypts. Learn about Loopers and what you can do.

The Swainsona Files
The Swainsona Files

The Swainson-peas are beautiful plants, difficult to propagate and mostly threatened in Victoria. In the Mallee we have several species, including: Small-leaf Swainson-pea (Swainsona microphylla); Silky Swainson-pea (Swainsona sericea); Dwarf Swainson Pea (Swainsona phacoides); and Hairy Darling-pea (Swainsona greyana).

Swainson-pea Field Day
Swainson-pea Field Day

Thursday 4 September - FULLY BOOKED

Please join us and staff from the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria to survey the rare Silky Swainson-pea, Swainsona sericea.

Raakajilm wetland
Raakajilm wetland

We are excited to announce … there’s a wetland on Raakajilm!

This beautiful one hectare area will be seasonally wet, with a smaller permanent pool forming a drought refuge for wildlife. A wetland like this offers many opportunities to establish insurance populations of rare plants and a completely different bird-watching experience.

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Our seasonal nature diary - blog posts from September in previous years…

What is happening in July ...
Emu poo filled with Quandongs
Emu poo filled with Quandongs

We have invited a few emus to live on Raakajlim. Job description: “Eat, walk and poo”. And now we have giant Quandong-filled poo all over the place!

September
September

The Judy-Phil-Fiona direct seeding machine, mysterious cuckoo spit and the secrets of the Invisible Plant revealed.

September socials
September socials

Highlights from September included a Brown Striped Skink, Murnong (Yam Daisy), an Eastern Brown Snake and some Preying Mantids hatching from an ootheca.

The mystery of the Abnormal Jewel Beetle
The mystery of the Abnormal Jewel Beetle

A 67 year-old mystery has been solved by citizen science and social media, and a lost Jewel Beetle has been rediscovered.

A happy Pobblebonk
A happy Pobblebonk

We dug this Pobblebonk out of our vegie patch today. He posed for some photos to show off the identifying features.

Good years for Spear Grass
Good years for Spear Grass

2020 was a great year for Spear Grass, our best since 2014!

Bearded Dragons and Stumpytail lizards
Bearded Dragons and Stumpytail lizards

On the first day of our Spring bird survey, I couldn’t resist these Stumpytails and Central Bearded Dragons.

Bougainville’s Skink
Bougainville’s Skink

Episode 2 of “They’re not all the same skink!”. This glossy, sand-swimming skink was in our vegie patch.

Murnong - the Yam Daisy
Murnong - the Yam Daisy

The Murnong are flowering in the Mallee. It’s going to be a great year for Yam Daisies!

Who visits a waterhole?
Who visits a waterhole?

It’s amazing who visits a waterhole when you are not watching …

Arid Bronze Azure butterfly
Arid Bronze Azure butterfly

Here is the Arid Bronze Azure butterfly immortalised in cake-form for the Threatened Species Day bake-off.

Emus, green eggs and stripey chicks
Emus, green eggs and stripey chicks

The emus have hatched their eggs, leaving two eggs behind.

Wattle day
Wattle day

Year after year, the Wattle have their own, consistent rhythm for flowering … and seed collection.

About us
Blog posts: Read them all in chronological order!
Galleries of photographs

Our blog posts are about birds, other creatures, plants and our projects.