Eastern Blue-tongue
By Merlin Tzaros, Wangaratta – age 13, who has had a keen interest in nature, especially reptiles, for several years. One of the most iconic, well-known, and likeable reptiles in Australia can be found in most backyards in north-east Victoria. The Eastern Blue-tongue is a species of skink ranging in many different colour forms and …
Australian Reed-Warbler
By Ian Davidson and Chris Tzaros – Wangaratta Landcare & Sustainability The Australian Reed-Warbler is more often heard than seen, but can be observed at times climbing amongst reeds and other water vegetation or making short low flights across water. They were originally named the Clamorous Reed-warbler after its similarities with bird species from the …
Feeding native wildlife
By Alan Hewett We have all seen the delight of children feeding bread to ducks! How many of us have thrown chips to seagulls at the beach and watched the feeding frenzy that follows? What about the bird feeders in our gardens, when the birds become trusting enough to be able to hand feed? All …
The Mysterious Koel
By Jonathon Howard It’s normal for folks living along the coast of NSW to hear the sound of the Koels in Spring when they arrive from their wintering grounds further north. These birds let the locals know they have arrived with a loud repeated ‘coo-weee’ call. However, Koels have also become common visitors to Albury/Wodonga …
Common Bronzewing
By Ian Davidson and Chris Tzaros – Wangaratta Landcare & Sustainability The Common Bronzewing is a shy native pigeon that rarely allows the observer a close approach. If startled, they fly away with a clatter, keeping low to the ground while moving in a steady, direct manner. Their common call is a deep “oom”, repeated …
At one with nature?
By Alan Hewett Living with nature can be both a pleasure and a challenge. At the moment in the very early hours we are waking up to the loud, repetitive and mournful cries of an Eastern Koel. This bird is a cuckoo from S.E. Asia that visits our shores to breed and deposit an egg …
Yellow-tufted honeyeater
By Ian Davidson and Chris Tzaros – Wangaratta Landcare & Sustainability The Yellow-tufted Honeyeater is a visually striking bird. It has an olive-yellow head and broad black mask that extends from the base of its bill, over its eye to the sides of its neck. It looks more striking due to the elongated yellow feathers …
The hard problem of introduced species: rejecting the call to violence
By Mike Fuery Every year our attention is drawn to the ongoing degradation of our wilderness ecosystems, and statements apportioning blame to the presence of ‘invasive,’ ‘feral’ or ‘pest’ animals. These pejorative terms do nothing to help us solve the underlying problem and conveniently side-step the reason for them being where they shouldn’t: our species …
What Has Biodiversity Ever Done For Us?
By Lauriston Muirhead Biodiversity is the diversity of life found in an ecosystem. The more biodiverse, the more balanced and resilient the ecosystem. A diverse ecosystem is more resistant to shocks and will last longer. What has biodiversity ever done for us? Well for a start, it has provided nearly all the oxygen on the …
Garden Planning
By Jenny Indian A friend of mine recently lamented that when she planned her garden she failed to take into account the importance of planting native vegetation to attract native birds. Although she had planted some natives, her feeling was that she should have planted a total native garden. On reflection, I thought that was …
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About Living Lightly …
Living Lightly is a column in the Border Mail newspaper on Wednesdays featuring local stories about sustainable living.
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