Issues around the natural environment
Paper Wasps There aren’t that many dangerous insects compared with the thousands of harmless and useful ones but among those which are aggressive are Australia’s native paper wasps. There are two kinds of paper wasp, both being fairly common in most parts...
Primate Research – Crocodylus Park A new initiative at Crocodylus Park, Darwin is research into the behaviour of various primates and monkeys and observing their similarities to humans. For example the Colombian Cotton-top Tamarin is one of the only primates...
Old-fashioned septic tanks produce nutrient-rich water that flows out into absorption trenches. Most native plants cannot cope with such high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, so they die. You can make a tremendous difference to the environment if you change to a...
Tree Preservation Over the last 15 years Australian home owners have stopped planting trees. Not only have they stopped planting trees in general, but they’ve almost totally stopped planting native trees in their own backyards. Don is concerned that a...
Tasmanian Tiger The Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, was a shy, elusive creature hunted to extinction after only a century of European settlement in Australia. The last known animal died in a Hobart zoo over sixty years ago, ironically just a few months after it had...
Worms There are hundreds of species of earthworms, those amazing underground movers and shakers that are so beneficial to have in the garden. They improve soil structure, increase the rate of decomposition of organic material, and make nutrients more available to...
The Australian floral emblem is the golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha), but we don’t have any national animal emblems. It’s generally accepted that they are the kangaroo and emu, although they’ve never been officially proclaimed as such. What many...
The Burke’s Backyard aviaries, built last year were landscaped and irrigated to maintain an environment for breeding finches. Rare and endangered finches were released including two pairs of Red-eared Firetail finches. The finches have bred and there are seven...
Grey Headed Flying Fox The bat is a fascinating creature that has appeared in the belief systems, art, literature, film and even recipes of people for centuries. You might not realise it, but bats will probably have visited your backyard at some stage this year. There...
Fairhill native nursery at Yandina in Queensland is undoubtedly one of the best native plant nurseries in Australia. At nurseries like Fairhill customers have access to the expertise of specialist staff, and they’re able to choose from a wide range of native...