Contributed by Caitlin Weatherstone, Big Scrub Landcare We all know that nature is good for us. We can feel it every time we go for a walk, swim at the beach, dig into the dirt and sleep under the stars. Our society’s quest for progress has seen us divert further from nature, as we put...
Contributed by Ken Dorey, Big Scrub Landcare Biodiversity is a wonderful thing – who doesn’t like biodiversity? As an ID novice I’ve had moments when diversity, the sheer number of species, has stretched my patience – when pouring over a field guide, frustration can merge into a dark resignation, and I’ve asked myself why do...
Contributed by Joy Window, Big Scrub Landcare News broke recently of the finding of a rare and little known rainforest ground beetle (Nurus moorei) below Minyon Falls in the Nightcap National Park during a faunal survey. This recently described, flightless beetle has been found so far only in rainforests in valleys of the Lamington and...
Contributed by Robert Kooyman National Herbarium of NSW Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney You might ask why we need to use cutting edge science in restoration, and just what issues are so pressing that they require resolution using genomic tools to maximise the benefits of tree planting. After all, the trees seem to be growing just...
Big Scrub Landcare have appeared in the Journal of Australasian Science: Australia’s authority on science since 1938. Professor Ian Lowe’s article looks at the loss of biodiversity globally and highlights the positive impact that groups like Big Scrub Landcare are making. The article also refers to the Australian Science Policy Fellowship Program available for mid-career...
Contributed by Justin Mallee First the discovery. Marcel Proust wrote “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” While the eyes in this story are not new, they have had a renewed focus as part of the Saving our Species (SoS) Onion Cedar project. The result …...
Contributed by Jeremy Jones Image: Naskrecki’s bush katydid, Ozphyllum naskreckii, Minyon Falls. (Copyright Jeremy Jones, Instagram:@jeremycology). The fauna of the Big Scrub is often heard but rarely seen — this is especially so for its most diverse group of inhabitants — the insects. A summer bushwalk in a Big Scrub remnant can be a deafening experience. Thousands...
Contributed by Stephanie Lymburner In February 1968, Di Mercer drove her trusty Mini-Moke up the rutted Coolgardie Road. On impulse she parked and scrambled through a barbed wire fence. She walked through the tangle of Kikuyu and lantana to the crest of the hill. She gasped with delight at the vista that opened up before...
Shannon Greenfields of Big Scrub Landcare talks with Georgie Jones of Envite Environment about camphor conversion. Shannon: What are the options for landholders that want to get rid of camphor laurel on their property? Georgie: I would first advise that you get a suitably qualified and experienced bush regenerator to come and asses your site. ...
Contributed by Joy Window, Member – Big Scrub Landcare Grey-headed flying foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus) are familiar to many of us who have gardens – they eat pollen, nectar and fruit there when their wild sources of food are scarce. Because most of their wild habitat (including the Big Scrub) has been destroyed by humans, they...
