The Secret Life of our local Eucalypts – Bullsbrook (WA)

Give a Hoot Bullsbrook is an inclusive, collaborative event that welcomes everyone, regardless of age, background or ability. By centring eucalypt trees—the quiet giants of the landscape—as teachers, shelters and lifelines, the event aims to foster a deeper sense of stewardship and belonging. Through curiosity, storytelling and hands-on experience, Give a Hoot invites the community to not only admire these trees, but to understand why protecting them is essential for the future of local wildlife and the identity of Bullsbrook itself.

Give a Hoot Bullsbrook is an annual community-led environmental education event held at a community centre in Bullsbrook, a north-eastern suburb of Perth that sits at the meeting point of urban growth and remaining bushland. This peri-urban/rural community is still, in parts, enveloped by significant eucalypt species including marri, wandoo, powderbark wandoo, flooded gum and flowering ficifolia. These trees form the ecological backbone of the district, yet many are being progressively removed as land is cleared for new housing estates. At the same time, Bullsbrook is experiencing rapid social change, with new Australians and urban-based families moving to the area seeking a “country” lifestyle—often without a full understanding of the local environment they are now part of.

Few residents know the names of these eucalyptus species, let alone the critical role they play in supporting wildlife, regulating climate, providing habitat, and sustaining biodiversity. Give a Hoot Bullsbrook was created to gently but powerfully address this gap in knowledge. The event encourages the entire community to pause, look at their own environmental footprint, and reflect on how everyday choices impact the natural systems that surround them.

The focus will be on helping children and families understand the vital relationship between mature eucalypt trees and the animals that depend on them—particularly hollow-dependent species—while reinforcing the importance of preserving old, mature trees alongside ongoing community tree-planting efforts that occur during the winter rainfall period. Through meaningful, place-based learning, Give a Hoot aims to support families to better understand, value and care for the eucalypt species that shape the Bullsbrook landscape, now and into the future.

Three key eucalyptus-focused activities will feature:
• A guided eucalypt walk exhibit designed specifically for children, where children can see, touch and compare local eucalypt specimens, learning how to recognise them, what each ones special trait is and why each matters.
• A dedicated storytime space, where children will be read Hollow is a Home, paired with the presence of a live local animal species that relies on eucalypt hollows,and a creative activity that is focussed on our local eucalypts – creating a memorable, place-based learning experience.
• The creation of a localised self-guided trail map highlighting nearby publicly accessible bushland and foreshore walkways, including magnificent flooded gums and marri trees—some hundreds of years old—located on a constructed brook walkway. Although easily accessible, this area remains largely unknown to local families. The trail map will encourage continued engagement beyond the event day, empowering families to explore, learn and connect with their local environment independently.