Back in 2006, a major wildfire burned approximately 85,000 hectares of the Grampians National Park. Lightning sparked the blaze and a burning question – how will the system respond to this large, high intensity fire?...
Category: Science
Wild and Proud
This is going to be contentious, but I’ve got to say it, parasites – particularly our native parasites – are pretty darn awesome. Almost every animal, bird, and fish has at least one endemic parasite, which means that they account for a large amount of biodiversity...
Toadfish: Getting a Bad Rap?
During my many dives and snorkels in Port Phillip Bay, I have always enjoyed coming across toadfish (Tetractenos glaber) – their curious demeanour along with their big eyes and upturned ‘smiling’ face have always made them a delight to encounter...
Oasis in the Desert
Imagine, just for a second, that you were transported to far-Western Victoria as it was 300 years ago. The sweeping plains and occasional dunes continue on as far as the eye can see, with not a scrap of barbed wire in sight....
A cold winter in a box-ironbark forest is far from a silent spring
As a winter morning breaks in box-ironbark country, the first feeble rays of sunshine to crest the horizon more often than not reveal a blanket of either frost or fog. It is at these times that the forest is at its most beautiful...
Plight of the Orange-Bellied Parrot
Did you know that one of the rarest parrots in the world can be found right here in Victoria? The orange-bellied parrot (OBP) is a small, beautifully coloured ground-feeding parrot slightly larger than a budgerigar...
Six Things You Should Know About Eucalypts
This National Eucalypt Day we are celebrating all the amazing things about our beautiful eucs! So here are some little-known facts about one of Australia’s most iconic plant species...
Dinosaur Hunting: Searching for a Prehistoric Melbourne
If you went out today and asked a Melbournian where you could see a prehistoric creature, they would likely point you in the direction of the Melbourne Museum. Most people don’t realise that you can find all kinds of prehistoric animals and plants in the wilds of Victoria...
Plover Diaries: The Tale of a Territory
The hooded plover (aka ‘hoodie’) is a local beach-nesting bird, battling to survive on the Mornington Peninsula...
Melbourne’s Parasites: Biodiversity Unseen
Parasites include a huge proportion of the Earth’s biodiversity, with some categorising more than half of the world’s animal species as parasites. This is an aspect of biodiversity rarely seen and even more rarely thought about. However, this group includes some of the most fascinating animals found in the natural world...