What this misunderstood plant tells us about our backyard birds
When people notice mistletoe growing in a tree, their first instinct is often to remove it. But ecologists suggest that doing so can actually reduce important habitat and food sources for local wildlife.
Professor Dave Watson, based at Charles Sturt University’s Gulbali Institute in Albury-Wodonga, has spent thirty years researching mistletoe across Australia and the world — and what he’s found might surprise you.
Far from being the destructive parasite of popular belief, mistletoe plays a critical role in supporting woodland birds and urban ecosystems. Prof Watson’s research has revealed it to be a keystone resource — one of those rare elements in nature whose presence or absence has a disproportionate effect on the health of the whole ecosystem around it.
On the evening of 4 June 2026, Prof Watson will share the findings of three decades of discovery at a free public talk hosted by the Wodonga Urban Landcare Network’s Gardens for Wildlife project. The event will be held in Albury, and is open to anyone curious about the natural world in their own backyard — no science background required.
“The secret life of mistletoe” will draw on Prof Watson’s extraordinary career, which has taken him from studying birds in Central American cloud forests during his PhD to establishing the Australian Acoustic Observatory and discovering new species on tropical mountains. His work in southern Australia, however, has become a touchstone for understanding how small changes in our gardens and green spaces can have large effects on biodiversity.
Through its Gardens for Wildlife program, Wodonga Urban Landcare Network supports community members across the region to create backyard habitats for local wildlife. Prof Watson’s talk is part of that mission — bringing world-class research directly to local residents in an accessible, conversational format.
Places are limited and bookings are essential.
Register for free at events.humanitix.com/the-secret-life-of-mistletoe or contact Jess Robinson, Gardens For Wildlife Project Officer at jess@wodongalandcare.org.au.
This event is proudly supported by AlburyCity.