Bush Blitz

Happy World Rainforest Day 🌱

Today we’re celebrating Australia's precious rainforests that are home to some of our most extraordinary biodiversity. Rainforests are the world’s life support, acting as the Earth’s lungs to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and recycle nutrients that are relied on by so many animals, plants and fungi.

We’ve been lucky enough to bring our scientists to some of Australia’s most pristine rainforests across Australia to uncover species new to science.

Celebrate today by taking a walk and appreciate the little things buzzing, crawling or flying in your local rainforest (if you’re lucky to have one!) or visit your closest botanic gardens. Together we can protect and enjoy our rainforests well into the future!

Earthwatch Australia

Most people find wasps scary, but here are seven reasons why we should love wasps!

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7. They eat spiders so they can’t bite you 🕷️💀

Female spiderwasps sting, paralyse, rip the legs off and lay eggs inside spiders so their babies have something to eat.

6. Flower power 💪🌸

Adult wasps are helpful pollinators of veggies and native plants thanks to their craving for pollen.

5. Hidden beauties 🔎👄

Most of the 12,000 native Australian wasp species are drop dead gorgeous.

4. Masters of disguise 🕵️

To bee or not to bee? Some wasps mimic bees or ants to blend in or avoid predators.

3. Ancient wonders 🦴⌛

Wasps have been around since the time of the dinosaurs like this fossil sawfly that’s 11 million years old!

2. Mumma bears 🐛🍼
Female wasps care for their young like mudwasps and paperwasps that build nests, or sawflies that guard their brood.

1. Their sting could cure your next headache 💉🧠
Wasp venom has a unique effect on the central nervous system that could one day be used to treat Alzheimer’s.

Watch Dr Juanita Rodriguez () share her love of wasps as she searches for ‘sneaky’ spiderwasps on the Pilliga Bush Blitz in our latest YouTube video!

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We love a native cockroach! This native metallic cockroach (Megazosteria patula) proves that even roaches can be beautiful. It was found by our friends at Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory living it's best glam life on our recent Jawoyn Bush Blitz near Katherine, Northern Territory. 🪳😍

We’re celebrating our 50th Bush Blitz on King Island!

We’re excited to share what we found during our recent Bush Blitz to King Island, Tasmania. Home to woodland forests, grasslands and wetlands, King Island is a remote island located at the western entrance to Bass Strait, halfway between Victoria and Tasmania.

12,000 years ago, King Island was once part of the land bridge between Tasmania and mainland Australia. Now it’s home to a mix of unique flora and fauna related to its Victoria and Tasmania counterparts – including species uncovered for the first time!

Our King Island Bush Blitz team recorded:

🤯44 species new to science

🦋1,301 species of animals, plants and fungi

🚨70 introduced pest species

🦞First records of the Southern Hairy Red Snail, Gristle Fern and Common Yabby.

A huge thank you to our friends for making the King Island Bush Blitz a success!

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery , Tasmanian Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria , University of New South Wales , King Island High School and King Island Field Naturalists Club.

Read the full report on the Bush Blitz website at bushblitz.org.au

Team Bush Blitz had a blast sharing our love for tiny critters at this year's World Science Festival Brisbane.
💚🐝🐞🦋👀
Kids loved learning how to classify Pokemon and insects playing our name game and even got up close to some real life Pokemon - the Goliath stick insect! We even had a visit from nature warrior Ranger Stacey herself!

Thanks to the crew and local entomologist Dr Nicole Gunter from for helping out and speaking to so many young scientists in the making!

Stay curious! 🤓🔎🐛