The Importance of Trees
By Jonathon Howard Our native plants and animals work at different time scales. I know time can be measured using standardised units- but the reality is it is a subjective experience by those who are travelling through it. Trees operate on time scales dramatically more extended than our own. They operate far more slowly than …
The distinctive Bandy Bandy
By Merlin Tzaros – age 13, who has had a keen interest in nature, especially reptiles, for several years The Bandy Bandy is a predatory snake that sits one step up the food chain than its Blind Snake counterpart, feeding almost exclusively on Blind Snake species, sometimes consuming individuals as long as themselves. The Bandy …
Exclusively indigenous local garden
By Lizette Salmon, Gardens for Wildlife Albury-Wodonga Project Officer for Wodonga Urban Landcare Network I’ve had the privilege of visiting many wonderful habitat gardens across Albury-Wodonga, but to date I’ve only come across one that features exclusively indigenous (locally native) plants. Despite being located in the middle of suburbia, stepping into Neil’s backyard is like stepping …
To burn or not to burn
By Alan Hewett We are well into autumn and the period when prescribed or hazard reduction burning takes place. This entails the deliberate lighting of fires under controlled conditions to reduce leaf litter, grasses and bark. The purpose is to reduce excess fuel to mitigate the danger of severe bush fires. After the Black Summer …
A fine line between courtship and consumption
By Jonathon Howard Wolf spiders are small to medium sized spider that are generally grey or brown with a series of black stripes. You may find them in your garden and lawns. The two most common species around here are Tasmanicosa godeffroyi and Venatrix furcillata. Wolf spiders have eight eyes: four eyes in front and …
Painted Button-quail
By Ian Davidson and Chris Tzaros – Wangaratta Landcare & Sustainability When birdwatching in bushland areas, our attention is often drawn to species that occur in the trees and shrubs, or that move conspicuously by flying about and calling. However, some birds are quite secretive in their habits and seldom fly or call at all. …
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 …
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Living Lightly is a column in the Border Mail newspaper on Wednesdays featuring local stories about sustainable living.
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