More time in nature does us such a world of good
Life Matters, ABC Radio National Spending more time in nature, on doctor’s orders Thursday, 28
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
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
For too long the short term thinking of the present age has discounted the rights
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
None of us needs to be an accountant to appreciate the numbers highlighted by Prince
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
It’s was once considered an amazing human innovation. Aerate some petroleum into a light weight
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
The chorus of voices supporting stricter controls on domestic cat movement is mounting, getting louder
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
This end of year time can be tricky. A time for reflection. A time for
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
“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