Living Lightly is a collection of local stories about sustainable living.
The column commenced in 2012 and until 2023 was published in the Border Mail newspaper each week.
The content is community sourced – groups, organisations and individuals have written and contributed each of these informative and entertaining articles – all overseen by a local volunteer coordinator.
We are currently considering a monthly schedule for articles, stay tuned as we explore this option.
Here you can browse and search previous articles or subscribe to receive an email each time an article is published.
The Living Lightly coordinator is always keen to receive articles! Use the link below to find out how you can submit an article for the column.
With a big thank you to all the Living Lightly authors for contributing to this wonderful collection of articles.
Her arching branches are ready to embrace you. At her feet, a network of roots holds steadfast and strong. She is delicate yet dogged. She gives food and offers shelter. Her towering canopy speaks to the centuries of history she has shared. And her leaves whisper to the future of
By Alan Hewett A recent article by comedian Rowan Atkinson, (a.k.a. ‘Mr Bean’), has caused some controversy. Although he has owned an electric vehicle (EV) for nine years he claims have been ‘duped’ as to the environmental benefits. Although he made several errors in the article he has re-ignited the
By Ian Davidson and Chris Tzaros – Wangaratta Landcare & Sustainability Yellow Box is a native tree that grows locally and is highly valued for both its attractive form and abundant nectar supply when flowering. The Yellow Box is a long-lived, medium-sized and occasionally tall eucalyptus tree that is endemic
By Alan Hewett In 1968 Paul and Anne Erlich published a book called ‘The Population Bomb.’ It predicted that over- population would place huge stresses on the environment and cause mass starvation. They based their beliefs on the theory that population growth would overtake agricultural production. Although their claims and
By Ian Davidson and Chris Tzaros – Wangaratta Landcare & Sustainability There are several species of legless lizards found throughout this region, perhaps the most commonly encountered being the Olive Legless Lizard. The general olive-brown colouration and slender-bodied appearance of this species bears some resemblance to a small brown snake,
By Bruce Key, member of Wodonga Albury Towards Climate Health (WATCH) An area where most of us like to live lightly is spending money. Heating our homes is a costly exercise and it is difficult to make a direct comparison between gas heating and electrical heating, but it can be
By Jonathon Howard Spring is close to breaking free from winter and soon some remarkable moves will take place. Moving can be the ultimate gesture of love: it shows a willingness for someone to drop everything to spend their life with a partner. In the skies above us yellow-faced honeyeaters
By Ian Davidson and Chris Tzaros – Wangaratta Landcare & Sustainability Occurring right throughout south-eastern and south-western Australia, the Dusky Woodswallow is a common and familiar bird found in many different wooded habitat types. It does, however, favour open eucalypt woodlands and forest edges where there are widely spaced large
By Joanne Millar, Kiewa Catchment Landcare Network If you regularly walk through forest reserves around the Border region, you may notice familiar plants from house gardens. Over the years, these garden escapees have found their way into native forests and proliferated. How on earth did they get there you may
By Ian Davidson and Chris Tzaros – Wangaratta Landcare & Sustainability One of the most spectacular birds occurring in north-east Victoria, the Turquoise Parrot is an iconic species of the region. Preferring lightly-timbered habitats, especially forest edges and clearings, Turquoise Parrots may be moderately common in localised patches around Chiltern,
By Lauriston Muirhead Petrol engines come in two main types – two and four stroke. In a “two stroke” the piston goes up (one stroke) and down (two stroke) to produce one push on the crankshaft. In a “four-stroke” the piston goes up and down and then up and down
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
