Issues around the natural environment
New Mantis Shrimp A giant predatory shrimp previously unknown to science has recently been found in the waters east of Sydney Harbour Bridge. The creature was discovered by marine biologist Shane Ahyong, as part of an ongoing study of crustacea in the Indo-Pacific...
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...
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...
Horse Culling One of the proudest moments of the Sydney Olympic Games was the opening ceremony, when dozens of mounted stockmen rode into the stadium, each carrying an Australian flag. The notion of wild bush horses and brave mountain stockmen is one that is etched...
Native Bees There are over 2000 species of native bees, although only about 1700 have been named! The smallest is Cape York’s 2mm long Quasihesma bee, and the largest is the carpenter bee found in Queensland and northern New South Wales which can grow to 24mm...
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...