[W]e need a much more sophisticated discussion about growth that distinguishes between qualitative and quantitative growth. There

Australians could cut power bills by 90% if they made their homes more energy efficient,

Are animals smart? From dolphin language to toolmaking crows, lots of species have obvious intelligence,

Maggie the Magpie and the Heroes of the Land by Brad Chapman THERE WAS ONCE

Off the editor’s radar Not even an honourable mention is made of one of the

Vale Audrey Koosman A dedicated visionary who never gave up. This is truly a person who

Not only then, but also now Terra nullius – this was the attitude of the

Christmas wreath making workshop This is an annual event conducted by the Cardiff Sustainable Neighbourhood

Life Matters, ABC Radio National Spending more time in nature, on doctor’s orders Thursday, 28

Fungi and flatworms? Scientists call for greater emoji biodiversity Researchers say better representation could elicit

Designing cities around the amount of time needed to reach services and amenities is a

PICTURES: James Hanlon, spider specialist and author of Silk and Venom. Silk, sex, secrets and

Just add water – Just add trees A bloke rang in to speak with Ian

Planetary health recognises the health of the planet as a system.  It incorporates human health as

PICTURE: People are still emailing in poems and love letters more than a decade on.(ABC

PICTURE: Top – Titled ‘View from Munibung Hill’, artist Luke Adams with this expansive painting

PICTURE:  Time for some down time. Source: Internet search When nothing is something worth doing

PICTURE:  Newcastle City Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk has visions that the city will provide healthy ecosystems

PICTURE: Linda Drummond, author, How to Raise Outdoor Kids, Australian Geographic. Image sourced from internet. Our motto

PICTURE: Within a Steady State Economy, the interests of the Earth are kept in balance

A group excursion with a modicum of exertion Yet another bush ‘n’ burbs loop, this

Healing Country for this and future generations Munibung Hill is not alone in being a

Most of the stories we post on the subject of roaming domestic cats are sourced

Once upon a time.  That’s the way of the fairy tale author when they begin

Being in a constant state of growth seems is held up as the goal for

The future subdivisions to the North of Windross Drive Warners Bay / Lakelands have been

A regional council’s decision to impose a 24-hour curfew on domestic cats could extend pets’

PICTURE: Munibung Hill to the right and Waners Bay situated in the Biddabah Creek Catchment

Ever since the economic system tied itself to growth as the only means to achieve

The subject of cats and the NSW Companion Animal Act allowing for domestic cats to

The talk about balancing the economy never seems to get around to discussing balancing this

What does this say about our ecological literacy, about our priorities, about our commitment to

PICTURE: One crazy interchange; looking at the junction of the Clem Jones Tunnel, Airport Link

It was a sad day last week when we heard that Will Steffen had died

To ensure that Munibung Hill is able to survive and thrive depends to a large

To start the year on a positive note, let’s take a leaf out of an

It’s almost upon us, that time of the year when extravagance gets a boost to

For far too long there has been a gigantic disconnect between things economic and things

Darryl Jones, Professor of Ecology at Griffith University, Brisbane, refers to Eric Rolls when he

PICTURE: More valuable than watching a video or flipping through a picture book, is getting

From his childhood in a country town noticing blackbirds and sparrows to studying brush turkeys

Despite the noise, heat, dust and fumes, the ceaseless movement, light and toxins, many birds

Our previous post related to the sad news about the death of Herman Daly, who

It’s been a day of sadness and reflection. We have learned that Herman Daly the

Whose accounts, and voices get privileged. Whose stories get the attention they deserve. This is

CHANGING THE WAY WE BUILD, LIVE AND EAT. Good news is everywhere. Pity it doesn’t

It wasn’t all that long ago when storytelling was valued as a means of passing

To do justice to some stories you just have to read them and in this

Invasive species have been an issue for the Australian landscape almost from the first day

To view the walk, click on the link. Munibung Creek Walk, Macquarie Hills to Cardiff

What would, what does, a sustainable future look like? It’s a matter of perspective, since

PICTURE: “We are limited to one vessel, with nowhere else to go.” Collections of the Smithsonian.com Annual

There are 1900 species on the critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable species list under the

LESSONS FROM HISTORY is a compilation of essays written by prominent Australians grappling with the

LESSONS FROM HISTORY is a compilation of essays written by prominent Australians grappling with the

While Australia does the dithering act and has to be dragged to the action table

PICTURE: Fungi at Munibung Hill. Credit: Gavin Ord. WITH all the wet weather along the

The science is continuing to build about the importance of fungi in nature.  As we

Stuffing up nature doesn’t do anyone any favours, least of all us.  The SOE* report

This post includes references to documents courtesy of a Sustainable Population Australia news feed. QUOTE 

Our life support is in trouble, but a series of half measures is unlikely to

There is a picture depicting a young girl gazing into a glass cabinet with a

First Monday of the second half of 2022. Let’s get started with some positives by

Trees. What’s not to like about trees? With so many attributes, it’s hard to imagine

Things are never as simple as they seem or as we’d like to imagine they

It’s time to get it right, because getting it wrong can be a not so

In the case of the seemingly humble native meadow, planting design has been used to

Two reports worth noting and posting:  Romy Zyngier: Australia has overshot three planetary boundaries based

We promote the getting out into nature and Munibung Hill in particular, as much as

The running of the federal election campaign and for that matter all campaigns, be they

Reducing greenhouse gases emissions produced from the burning of fossil fuels must remain a top

This is a phenomenon that goes back a long way.  As much a delusion as

As one of the most abundant and diverse groups of mammals on planet earth, bats

Within the circular economy framework recycling is low on the list of priorities. Nevertheless, right

Land care is a concept that’s been around for eons.  Indigenous people did it as

When we citizens of Australia find it difficult to self discipline, unable to desist from

A short post to pass on a couple of wise observations. According to Robin Wall

How our biggest threat is us.  How can that be?  It’s not unusual to threaten

Lake Macquarie City Council’s Built and Natural Assets Standing Committee (BNASC) met on 11 April.

Lives lost to ferals continues to mount by the day, let along the week, the

The two issues we most often skirt around when we talk about nature and how

Bombarded by emails, tantilised with offers, the never ending constant arrival of what would in

A lot of emphasis is given to building our intelligence, having a better understanding of

In the drive to reduce ‘waste’ and having once perfectly good and functioning products end

If we are going to stop short of breaking the planetary boundaries that we need

We’ve known about chemical pollution for eons.  Well it seems like that long, but of

There is a school of thought that claims humans as being the superior species.  The

PICTURE: The suns rays produce many contrasting shades of green at Munibung Hill  Credit: Samantha

This is the day that the recycling industry hath made – 18 March 2022.  In just

There’s an underground movement happening underfoot whenever we step outside into the bush.  We need

Life cycles – the comings and the goings of life on Earth. Hills and creeks

What to do, about rising C02? It’s a good question to ask in the first quarter

Sustainability, living within planetary boundaries, only one earth, there is no plan B.  These all

‘Caring for the Earth and for our environment seems to have been a notion dear

The second part in our two part series on wildlife and roads and crossings and

When roads are made safer for humans they often end up being riskier for wildlife

And this we know, what to do about it. And this we also know, we

Australia is blessed with an abundance of wild, natural landscapes.  So where are the books

The call is getting stronger.  The voices are getting more diverse.  The push to bring

They have a reputation for being spooky.  Being dark in colour and hanging upside down

One could be forgiven that we are about to discuss the rather sinister side of

When it comes making the case for a particular way of thinking, there are a

Protecting nature to protect ourselves.  Sounds obvious, but … On this road trip of life,

It seems obvious that we are a part of nature, not some separate entity independent

Here is a follow-up to our posts referencing Matthew Evans and his book Soil. In

Our second part of the John Green feature: The Anthropocene Reviewed.   Sometimes I like to

Travel writers are always on the lookout for subjects to write about, but very few

Continuing to focus on authors and their books that include ideas worth sharing, here are

…We are all, for a certain while, not soil, and the best research we have

Soil: the incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy,  by Matthew Evans

For many people animals are part of their business. In these instances animals are viewed

In a society that places so much emphasis on private land ownership, community land can

The Lake Mac Urban Greening Strategy (UGS) is being produced with an aim to increase

Producing an ecological health report card, is an important part of understanding how nature is

He’s the bloke who wrote The Dogs That Made Australia. It contains some ripper yarns

If the earth is the source of our being then it stands to reason that

COMING AT THE SUBJECT THREE WAYS … To rubbish Munibung Hill is to rubbish our

When was the last time we saw a cat on a leash or restrained by

When we think of the tide, we think of water lapping on the shore.  We

MUNIBUNG HILL IS ONE OF LAKE MAC’S MOST SPECTACULAR LOCATIONS THE NEW DRAFT MANAGEMENT PLAN

Citizen science The number of native animals killed on Australian roads is rising as the

If one of the stories we are telling ourselves is that we’re living in a

In a media release posted on Lake Mac’s website: Draft plan sets out future for

It’s easy to get caught up in the immediacy of daily events.  There’s something about

As we experience the ups and downs of life at this time, freedom has become

On this road trip of life, where do we expect to end up?  If life

It’s sad but true, that urban waterways have suffered badly at the hands of developers

Clive Blazey is Co-founder of The Diggers Club and has been a constant voice for

Here’s a provocative statement to launch a blog post:  ‘Lawns are nature purged of sex

There is no doubt in our minds that Mother Earth should be given stakeholder status

Our occasional series of stories where people reflect on their visits to Munibung Hill, includes

She’s been a tower of strength stretching back decades.  Now in her 87th year, Jane

Continuing with another post on the plastic crisis. It’s everywhere. Literally and figuratively, it’s everywhere. 

Although it is often considered the bane of gardeners, arborists and farmers, the pendulous clumps

It’s all very well for big business to urge us all to make a bigger

European settlement has not only devastated indigenous peoples culture, it has also devastated many plant

Money seems to dominate so much of our lives.  More than that it seems to

Place making is one of the principles practiced by indigenous peoples and it would seem

To save one of the rarest butterflies in the world, you first need to save

We’ve gotten ourselves into a pickle. Messing up the earth is what happens when we

If like many of us, you are visiting Munibung Hill, Glenrock or another local area

To acknowledge an accomplishment is a gesture most often reserved for human acts of achievement.

In his book Changing Tides: An Ecologist’s Journey to Make Peace with the Anthropocene, Alejandro

We have a bias at MHCS.  Art that is inspired by and incorporates aspects of

Climbing Munibung Hill is nothing like climbing Mt Everest.  Being a hill, not a mountain

Electronic components await inspection and possible repair at the Stilbruch workshop in Hamburg, Germany. Legislation

Picture: Connecting remnant bushland with larger areas is critical to the survival of invertebrates, small

Everything is connected. We are part of a whole and what we do in Lake

‘Beyond each price tag hides a ripple effect. It expands from soil to waterways, grocery

In his book A Life on Our Planet, David Attenborough writes about what we need

Awesome is a word that’s bandied about a lot these days, especially in relation to

Grief and loss can involve more than the human species. In this story Let’s Talk About

If there’s anyone qualified to speak about the health condition of the Earth and the

Around the World in Eighty Days was a great film that has inspired many offshoots

As planners continue to drive up the density of urban areas, a consequence is the

Anytime is a good time to go exploring some place that’s new for us, especially

It’s nothing new to ask for nature to be given a higher priority on the

Three articles about humans and biodiversity. It seems like we have to quantify everything before

One of the challenges we face today is that of ‘false consensus’.  The way it

Sarah Shah, reporting on the work of Martin Wikelski, a biologist at Germany’s University of

To help understand and appreciate the importance of indigenous story telling we are posting this

To help better understand and appreciate the importance of indigenous story telling we are posting

Contemplating our impacts on and our obligations towards our earthly home – three perspectives From

This is an edited version of a segment from Conversations with Richard Fidler, ABC Radio.  The

For some people this is a step too far, but research is coming down on

The word fixed can be used in many contexts.  We rather like the way Florence

There is an increasing awareness of the impact of human society on the other than

Spiders are everywhere.  So much so, we don’t even know of their existence, so small

We are as the name implies, an organisation committed to protecting that area of Country

The media is a rich source of information when it comes to expanding our minds

Being connected in times past would most likely mean being in touch with family and

We’re all seeking knowledge, even basic stuff like what’s the weather going to be so

Mark Carney, the former Governor of the Bank of England, doesn’t muck about when he

In this report: A Radical Reset for Conservation in Africa, journalist Rachel Nuwer (Yes, 14

Once upon a time, in the good old days, it was a given: when something

How could it be any other way?  Is it not an cliché to realise that

Jacinta Tobin decided it would be a good idea to learn more about the language

We reprint this article in full, as a contribution to discussions about how to better

There’s something eerie, something of a detached mentality, about the scenarios being painted of what

Much attention, indeed emphasis is given to conserving the earth’s biodiversity.  Taken for granted or

With the rise of the internet and frequency of the tweet, the place of storytelling

How do we best describe nature?  For a start, this depends on our worldview.  Do

The older we get the wiser, the slower, the weaker, the stronger, the grumpier, the

Munibung Hill has been on the minds of many people over the years, not least

There’s an old saying that notes: when the going gets tough, the tough get going. 

It’s time to get personal.  In a time when letter writing has become a bit

When areas have been altered by European ways of land use, that include actions such

Reading the archives is not everyone’s cup of tea.  Trawling through page after page of

For many years scientists, and people in general, have subscribed to the notion that we

Munibung Hill was not unoccupied or vacant or waste land prior to European settlement in

Wisdom comes with age so they say. Sadly the way some older people use social

Following the dry times of the last few years and the decimation of wildlife during

It seems like an oxymoron to say that it’s a waste to produce waste.  It

It wasn’t so long ago that not only were there free range chickens and free

It can be a vexed question when it comes to discussing, let alone deciding, how

If one of the stories we are telling ourselves is that we’re living in a

Research into the role of fungi in nature and how this organism (often mistaken to

There’s a story we tell ourselves that says we are robust and once an adult,

We humans have a fascination with whales that goes back a long way.  In times

What are the limits to our human encroachment on the other than human world of

In this post we hear about how uninformed newcomers can negatively impact a vital water

It was at South Cardiff on a barmy June afternoon and he was scouting around

Of the people, by the people, for the people.  Democracy was at work on 22

Plants are the basis for what we eat, be it a meat / dairy, vegetarian

We are constantly being reminded that all things in nature are connected.  This was made

David Pollock is not an author by profession, he’s a pastoralist. And that’s one of

Salt: Selected stories and essays, is the latest publication by Bruce Pascoe, author of Dark

We’ve been told of late that it’s good for our physical and mental well-being to

‘It’s too costly to repair environmental damage’ we are told time and time again.  In

Look on the side of a bottle of medication and it will list all the

When it comes to isolation and being alone, Jon Muir could be referred as something

The upside of the downside that is the coronavirus,  is that nature is getting some

As the discussion about the COVID-19 pandemic profiles the human impact and loss of life,

Easter has traditionally been a time of reflection, contemplation and celebration.  There has been a

Essays on the relationship between humans and nature “I have lately been thinking,” says Strachan Donnelly,

In March 2020 the Warners Bay Sustainable Neighbourhood Group issued an invitation to see a

The place you feel most at home isn’t always the place you call home.  

How to get from here in these troubled times to there where we need to

These words sound good: profit from perennial grass, year round protection for native species and

The false narratives we’ve been told that become embedded as social norms, require determination and

What better way to mark a leap year – the 29th of February – than

In a rapidly growing and developing City, Council is required to manage biodiversity loss and

In Reshape the economy to fight climate crisis, Graeme Weardon (The Guardian January 23, 2020)

There’s talk about an economic recession and the grim consequences that could come from such

The conversation about whether or not to speak out about a subject that was first

  It is troubling because it challenges the current paradigm that the economy holds the

‘Australia’s first climate refugees’ is how Nick Ritar described his situation as he prepared to

Fungi between our toes is not pleasant. Known as athlete’s foot or tinea pedis, you

Doctoring debates seems to be common practice these days.  Call it fake news.  Call it

Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. This is a branch of science dealing

What brings us to the realisation that nature is the main game?  It can take

Question.  What is a tree worth?  A cluster of trees worth?  A forest of trees

This week we are again delivered findings from highly qualified scientists reporting on alarming findings

Stories about property and livelihood losses in Australia as a result of the bushfires just

It must be extremely frustrating for scientists who are witnesses to how human actions are

There is an increasing body of evidence supporting claims that various human conditions, both physical

What are the factors that bring about a change of heart.  For some it’s a

Not only bees … insects and why they matter The downside to wishing bugs would

The magic and majesty of bird whisperer Leila Jeffreys Love and affection between humans is

Image: A renowned artist and Aboriginal Sites Officer with National Parks, Badger Bates has been

For those who like to read, and for those who like to listen, this post

It was a typical Spring day with warm temperatures and sunny skies. What a way

The focus of resource management decisions “should be on what is left behind, not what

Featured image: Eastern bandicoot, living on Munibung Hill, is a close relative of the Bilby

Mountain pygmy-possums weigh just 40 grams when they awake from months of hibernation.CREDIT:ZOOS VICTORIA This

From a distance a landscape can appear to be simply a shape on the horizon. 

Clare Dubois had one of those aha moments a few years back. It was the

There’s a call for a change in our mindset about land, in the writing of

When science and art meet the outcome is yet another example of the whole being

“Back in the day when I was a child, they made learning fun, so you

Forest conservation, rainforest protection, World Heritage and national parks are just some of the reaons

The publication Faster: The Acceleration of Just About Everything, by science writer James Gleick was

Good grief, what on earth is going on? Here we are in the 21st century

For those of us who start the day with a walk in the bush, along

The impact of population growth on our cities and suburbs increases the demand for housing,

In 2020 we get to celebrate the year -1770 – that Captain James Cook claimed

Misinformation once left to be repeated across generations can take some undoing.  This is certainly

Featured image: Fungi: Golden-scruffy, Cryptotrama asprata.  Credit: Andrew Slee Imagine the alarm bells that would

The importance of nature is well known and yet economists and politicians continue to downplay

It’s not too late to mention that Monday (May 20th) marked World Bee Day. It’s 

There was a time when a love for nature was such a natural thing that

With such a long heritage trees elicit a plethora of emotions especially for people living

She was a tireless advocate for earth rights.  She was a founder of the earth

It all started with the land or maybe with the oceans.  It all started long

Nothing must get in the way of economic growth.   To mention an economic squeeze or

A question most of us wouldn’t even begin asking goes something like this: can plants

To leave a legacy.                        

“Going up” said the lift driver, back in the days of the elevator operator. Back

“Most Australians know of and regret the extinction of the thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) in 1936

Wildlife photographer Doug Gimesy doesn’t beat about the bush when he hears claims of habitat

If you are keen to know what Australia is doing to protect an iconic species

Let’s just think about it for a moment.  What are the critical factors for our

Over the last 100 years or so we’re shifted – literally – from being a

Knowing what we know about how the world works: the Sun supplies every skerrick of

There is more to trees than trunks, branches and leaves.  Apart from their physical make-up

As you walk along some of the tracks criss-crossing Munibung Hill you might notice holes in

This is typically a yarn telling time of year.  There are all manner of memories

This time of the year provides us with the opportunity to take a break and

Turning a blind eye to what is taking place on Munibung Hill is adding up

If you see a tree which has been stripped of its bark, this has most

With an eye catching display of flowers the Long-flowered Mistletoe (Dendrophthoe vitellina) is in full bloom

Bandicoot diggings are often seen along the tracks on Munibung Hill. A nocturnal marsupial mammal,

Eucalypt trees are often referred to as Gum Trees, but a single word is inadequate

As our population continues to rise on this finite earthly home, the answers to the

This is the kind of story Munibung Hill Conservation Society loves to post.  With words

Most of us when asked, would say that we are law abiding citizens – in