Inviting the Wild In: How Gardens Can Reconnect Landscapes | SHD26 Workshops

What if your garden could do more than just look beautiful? What if it could become part of a living, breathing ecosystem?

Many of us have taken steps to make our homes more sustainable - reducing energy use, conserving water, and lowering our impact. But our gardens hold just as much potential. In this inspiring and practical session, you’ll discover how to extend those same values outdoors and transform your backyard into a thriving habitat for local wildlife.

Join Hannah Jones from Habitat Connection Co. where, we’ll explore how even small urban gardens can play a powerful role in restoring fragmented landscapes and supporting biodiversity.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

• Take practical, achievable steps to turn your garden into a low-impact, wildlife-friendly haven

• How features like raingardens, swales, and frog bogs can help your garden manage stormwater and conserve water

• Using native plants, layered habitats, and shelter zones to attract and support local wildlife, making your garden part of a connected ecosystem

• Observing local ecosystems and understanding plant–wildlife relationships to thoughtfully integrate these elements into your own space.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to enhance an existing garden, this session will give you the knowledge and confidence to create a space that supports both people and planet.

Tickets

• You can purchase an individual ticket to this event for $15, or consider a SHD2026 Season Pass to attend the ten workshops for $110.

• If you'd like to purchase tickets to other individual workshops you can access the workshop series here: SHD Workshops

• Free season pass for full renew members and SHD Home Tour Hosts - Discount code sent directly.

• You might like to take out a Full Renew membership before you book to access the 100% discounted season pass as well as Renew member benefits.

• $55 season pass for Council Partners for their staff and Community - Contact your council for the code | Participating councils are: City of Boroondara | City of Yarra | Merri-bek City Council | Mount Alexander Shire Council | Mitchell Shire Council | Mornington Peninsula Shire | Darebin City Council | Byron Shire Council

• You will receive an order confirmation email with a Zoom link to attend the session.

• If you need to download Zoom, you can do so here.

Sustainable House Day (SHD) is a national event by Renew connecting Australians with practical ideas, expert advice and real homes creating more comfortable, efficient and climate-ready living.

Following SHD, join our expert-led online series covering affordable retrofits, all-electric homes, EVs, passive design, wildlife-friendly gardens, biophilic design and future-ready strata living. Hear from leading architects, builders, designers and energy experts sharing practical advice, real-world lessons and live Q&A to help you create a more sustainable home.

Sustainable House Day and the online event series wouldn't be possible without our amazing sponsors, we are so grateful for their support.

Principal Partner: Bank Australia

Valued Sponsors: Envirotecture | NSW Architects Registration Board | Victorian Energy Upgrades | Victorian State Government | NSW Government | SEC Victoria

Council Sponsors: City of Boroondara | City of Yarra | Merri-bek City Council | Mount Alexander Shire Council | Mitchell Shire Council | Mornington Peninsula Shire |

Darebin City Council | Byron Shire Council

Workshop Partners: Envirotecture | Light House Architecture and Science | Habitat Connection Co. | Cooee Architecture | The Sustainable Builders Alliance | Sustainable Homes Melbourne | Undercover Architect | Tim Forcey | Get Off Gas | Tim Eden | Strata Answers | Nicki Hodgson | Anderson Architecture