Melbourne has a wild heart. Can you feel it beat?

Cities may look stark and grey at first glance, but wait a moment and you’ll notice birdlife and insects moving from park to park and along waterways, tiny plants breaking out through cracks in the pavement, the glimmer of fish under river ripples.

Under all that concrete lie soil, water and ecosystems that have been here for thousands to millions of years. Nature still lives and breathes here, though modified, existing in a new landscape that throws species together in surprising communities.

While development has been an insurmountable barrier for some species, others still carry out seasonal behaviours and annual migrations, working their way around drains, roads and fencelines, following ancient urges and undrawn maps. Some even thrive and exploit the cliff-like surroundings of the concrete jungle.

It might surprise you to learn that cities are refuges for surprising numbers of threatened species. Melbourne itself is home to 46 threatened species of plants and animals, though an additional 14 once lived there too. In the last 20 years more than 300 species of vertebrates (animals with backbones) and 1500 species of insects were spotted in the city.

Does knowing how many animals and plants share this space with us change how your feel about the city?

Our hope is that residents and visitors to our wild city will be inspired by the Wild Heart AR trail to notice and connect with urban nature.

The more we notice and celebrate our native neighbours, the greater the importance we place on creating and nurturing wild spaces, and wildlife in the city.

Imagine how strongly this wild heart could beat if we all tended to the nature around us, and developed greener, wilder, more connected neighbourhoods.

So please, follow the trail and meet these special characters. Think about the nature of the city and how it has changed since colonisation, even within your own lifetime.

Use the AR filters on Instagram to share your memories and stories of Melbourne’s Wild Heart with us. We also want to hear your hopes or vision for an even wilder city.

If you use the filters within Greater Melbourne, upload your post with the hashtag #wildheartmelb.

If you are outside Melbourne, we encourage you to post using the #wildheartcities tag, and let us know where you are posting from!

A collaboration between Remember The Wild and Eggpicnic.

Supported by the City of Melbourne.