While there is no risk of the European Honeybee going extinct, things are not so rosy for our native bee species, which are becoming rare in our urban areas...
Author: Mackenzie Kwak (Mackenzie Kwak)
Post
How to compost like a forest: 5 lessons from nature
Australia is a very old, very nutrient-poor continent. But there is a straightforward solution: composting!
Post
Build your own Stag Beetle Bungalow: a DIY guide
Stag Beetles are not only a beautiful group of insects to have in your yard, but also valuable nutrient recyclers which contribute to the creation of rich top soils in the garden...
Post
Native hedgerows: a DIY guide for wildlife gardeners
It is not surprising that when the first Europeans arrived in Australia, they brought the humble hedgerow with them...
Post
The fairy and the goblin
Picture yourself in a forest. Damp green mosses clothe giant trees, veiled in slow swirling columns of mist. The varied calls of lyrebirds and parrots echo through the woody labyrinth as you wade through a waist-deep sea of ferns which ripple and sway against the trunks of the mighty Mountain Ash. A pantheon of small...
Post
What can parasites teach us about managing koalas?
Koalas are a beloved Australian icon, arguably as popular amongst tourists to Australia as the Giant Panda is for those visiting China. Yet, across their range koalas are causing a commotion amongst conservationists and land managers. The Northern Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus adustus) is threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, while the Southern Koala (Phascolarctos...
Post
Fleas: a life in fur and feathers
When we think of the wide variety of insects which call Australia home, we rarely think of the fleas. Compared with the more outwardly striking insects like butterflies and beetles, fleas hardly get a second thought from the most dedicated of insect buffs, let alone the average nature enthusiast. Without a doubt though, fleas are...
Post
Australia’s last megafauna
If you had an opportunity to take a safari of Australia during the Pleistocene era (two million years ago), you would gaze upon a very different landscape than the one you view today. You would see herds of huge Diprotodon wombats the size of cars, colossal, three-metre tall, emu-like Dromornis birds, and perhaps even the...