Issues around the natural environment
Snake Bites Every year in Australia between 500 to 3000 people are bitten by snakes. A very common myth about snakes is that they are extremely aggressive, and they’ll do just about anything to bite and kill you. This is false. Most snakes will do their utmost...
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...
Ring around the moon, rain before noon. A mirky milky way means a dull damp day. Rain before seven, fine before eleven. We’ve all heard them before, you know, those little stories and rhymes which have just sort of grown up with us, and many people swear by...
Orb Weaving Spider Although spiders are unpopular with lots of people, they play a very important role in the garden. They assist in the pollination of plants, recycle dead plant and animal matter, and help to keep insect populations under control. John Dengate looked...
Recycling Don’s tip: it’s possible to recycle all sorts of organic matter (that’s anything that was once alive) in your garden. Add leaves, lawn clippings, kitchen scraps and even torn newspaper to the compost heap. Large items such as prunings and...
Skink Checking footwear for spiders or snakes every morning is second nature to many Australians, particularly those living near the bush. John Dengate discovered a creature in one of his boots that at first looked dangerous, but on closer inspection turned out...
Cane toads (Bufo marinus) are natives of South and Central America. They were introduced into Australia in 1935 to help control the beetles which were decimating our sugarcane crops. Cane toads were useless in controlling the cane beetles but they have become a...
Endangered Red Panda Modern zoos not only exhibit animals, they also act as safe houses for many endangered species, and they play a crucial role in preserving our precious genetic diversity. A good example of the conservation work zoos undertake is an international...