arbilp3

Our echidnas never cease to make us smile, especially when romance (and lots of walking) is in the air. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n55y_s1haEM&list=PL0cavlVRdTzO3i33eYNhEFv4ekWsxTb6a

Getting involved in a citizen science project is one way of countering the sense of helplessness we may feel about the environmental challenges we face. Citizen science is not just a hobby either. Scientists cannot do all the work that needs to be done by themselves so everyday people's contribution accounts for a lot.

This is just one example. Bogong moth populations have crashed in recent years. Get involved in recording observations and tagging. If you have kids, get them out and get them involved.

Even though most Bogongs spend the summer in just the highest parts of Australia’s South Eastern mountains, Bogong moths breed in and fly over vast areas of Australia every year including Boorloo / Perth, Adelaide, Naarm / Melbourne, Lutruwita / Tassie, southern Queensland, and basically all of NSW!

"Bogong moths are important to First Nations peoples...

Bogong moths are important flower-visitors along their migratory paths and in the Alps

Bogong moths provide critical nutrients in the Australian Alps to various predators...

Bogong moth over-summering habitats are declining in quality because they are increasing in temperature and they are no longer using some of their most northerly sights for the whole summer. "

For more details: https://www.bogong.org/

"... More than half of Australia’s marine parks are open to damaging activities like industrial fishing, drilling for fossil fuels, and seismic blasting [but] a rare opportunity to change that is rapidly approaching.

Marine sanctuaries, acting like national parks in the ocean, are a type of marine park that fully protects marine life.

“The oceans can recover faster than we ever imagined. … It can bounce back to life. … If left alone, it may not just recover, but thrive beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.” – Sir David Attenborough

**The Australian Government is about to review the national network of marine parks in our offshore waters. This only happens once every 10 years! We must seize this opportunity to expand marine sanctuaries, protecting marine life and habitats. **

That’s where you come in. Our elected representatives will only improve marine sanctuary protections if they hear strong support...

Use our quick online form to send a message to your local MP" https://www.marineconservation.org.au/actions/marine-parks-reviews/

They're saying that bills will come down with increase of battery storage. Let's hope so. Otherwise we'll have the usual fossil fuel spruikers pushing for more coal and gas and bad-mouthing renewable energy as happens where I live.

Great suggestions but would our government and industry actually implement them?

IN SHORT: Don't take a baby bird from parents , as they teach all the lessons and survival skills that chicks need to know: how to fly, what food to eat, how to find food and how to avoid predators. **Don’t rescue chicks unless in immediate danger, sick or injured. ** Having said that, there's more to know. This poster explains it well:

https://aussie.zone/pictrs/image/712af739-5cbf-4b55-b1d0-c9a4a34362d1.png

If everyone is happy with the idea, I'd like to feature one of our native animals once per week for fun and interesting weekend viewing to share with your kids or grandkids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMXw7CWudsg

This resource was compiled and created by Alice McGlashan. It is free to the public and includes a lot of valuable information about nest boxes and tree hollow dependent species PLUS designs and instructions on how to make, install and look after nest boxes and their amazing little tenants. Very important to provide homes for our wildlife as they are losing so much but ensure you are well-informed on the species you want to set up a nest box for so they and their babies are well protected. https://nestboxtales.com/

"Australia’s native birds, wildlife, and even family pets are being poisoned by Second-generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs), a dangerous class of chemicals which are still readily available in supermarkets and online. BirdLife Australia is calling for all SGARs to be removed from public sale and restricted to licensed professionals." https://birdlife.org.au/protect-aussie-birds-from-deadly-sgar-rat-poisons?srsltid=AfmBOop30sK2-YxDNedeluKzgdySjRZmGcjrBrAHWLhYqMp9S4RuoMSb

Another great book,* Garden on the Verge* by Gayle Dallaston who could be seen as a 'verge activist' and has done much to increase the development of verges in Qld and elsewhere. The book covers just about all you need to know about creating a native verge or native strip in your street (including dealing with local council rules). Let's make our verges useful and beautiful AND save many native animals particularly our insects, lizards, birds and small mammals.

With the instability in the world and the rising price of food as more and more climate disasters affect our farming land, it is worth thinking about growing some of our own produce and/or starting or taking part in community gardens. Permaculture, biodiversity, organics and companion planting are the principles that underlie the contents of this book which is highly respected. It can be bought from various outlets.

Details "Across Australia, devastating bushfires, floods, a marine heatwave and enormous harmful algal bloom are affecting communities and wildlife. While natural disasters have long shaped this country, climate change is increasing their frequency and intensity, creating a more volatile future...

In this interactive webinar, experts will share practical insights on what the future holds and how Australia can strengthen disaster readiness and response - drawing on lessons from events such as bushfires and marine heatwaves - while also addressing the often-overlooked mental health impacts of these events. The webinar will include a Q&A session." https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/22c8e5c4-ca2e-4603-b15d-01e44f15116f@fea0918e-fa13-41bf-affb-5f7ef42ce0c6