Although field work is the simplest go-to option for a lot of conservationists, there are some issues that can’t be solved in the field. This is when we must don the lab coat once again and explore more drastic options...
Category: Science
Post
Australia’s river-monster of the dinosaur age
Australia has a reputation for perilous waters. Unsurprisingly, the waters of Australia’s past were no different and of the creatures that lurked in them, none were more bizarre than the ancient river-monster: Koolasuchus.
Post
How citizens are changing science and how to get involved
The western scientific revolution birthed the scientific method and professional research scientists took over from the church in investigating the way the world works. Now science is enjoying another transformation...
Post
Eucalypt mythbusting: a comprehensive guide
Misconceptions about eucalypts abound. They seem to be as widespread and diverse as the eucalypts themselves...
Post
Catching hope: the race against fire
Burnt leaves litter the heathland at Howe Flat in the eastern-most tip of Victoria, blown on the wind as the fire edges ever-closer. For a small, ground-dwelling bird called the Eastern Bristlebird, this spells trouble...
Post
Rethinking burning for biodiversity
Management of bushfire regimes through planned burning represents an opportunity to deliver positive outcomes for fire-sensitive plants and animals – if we can get it right.
Post
An extraordinary day in the life of a field scientist
I went to take a closer look at the first Slender-billed White-eye nest I had ever seen. Nestled at the bottom was a single precious egg...
Post
Threatened species day is an event, but extinction is a process
Setting aside a single day of the year for threatened species awareness posits extinction as an event. But extinction is a process.
Post
A time-travelling botanist and Australia’s first plants
The vast continent of Australia is home to some of the world’s most unusual plants, so it’s hardly surprising that the extinct plants that once dwelt here were just as strange...
Post
Reptiles of Victoria: 40 years of chasing Victoria’s reptiles
Reptiles of Victoria is an extensive, user-friendly and engaging account of the staggering reptile diversity of Victoria. It has filled a niche left empty in the literature for far too long...