The sight of a young red-necked wallaby hopping through the rain on a regenerating bush block brought an unexpected smile to my face today. While scrolling through my social feeds between debugging sessions at work, this image caught my attention and made me pause my regular routine of squashing code bugs and reviewing pull requests.

There’s something profoundly moving about seeing our native wildlife thriving in regenerated spaces. The concept of “regenerating” particularly resonates with me - it’s not just about preserving what we have, but actively working to restore what we’ve lost. Right now, with development seemingly happening on every corner of our suburbs, these glimpses of nature fighting back are more precious than ever.

The heated debate about outdoor cats and wildlife protection continues to simmer in our communities, but sometimes our quick assumptions need a reality check. Earlier today, I spotted a discussion about bird deaths that perfectly illustrated how we often jump to conclusions without considering the full picture.

Standing in my backyard this morning, watching a pair of willy wagtails dart between the native plants we’ve established, I reflected on how our urban environments have become complex ecosystems where native and introduced species interact in ways we don’t always fully understand.

Walking through our local parks these days, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of city life, forgetting about the remarkable creatures that share our urban spaces. Recently, a stunning photograph of an echidna caught my attention online, and it sparked some thoughts about these fascinating monotremes that have called this continent home for millions of years.

The photo captured something rarely seen - the soulful eyes of an echidna peering directly into the camera. There’s something deeply moving about seeing these typically shy creatures up close. Most of us are used to glimpsing only their spiky backs as they waddle away or curl into a defensive ball when startled.

The morning light was just breaking through my kitchen window when something caught my eye in the garden. At first glance, it looked like a moving pine cone, but there it was - a magnificent echidna, casually wandering through my yard as if it owned the place.

These encounters with native wildlife in urban areas seem to be becoming more frequent lately. Just last week, while walking through Warrandyte State Park, I spotted another echidna foraging near the trail. It’s fascinating how these prehistoric-looking creatures are adapting to life in our expanding urban landscape.