CLIMATE MATTERS: Willows — friend or foe?

by | 5 Aug 2020 | Habitat

You may have noticed that there is a war on willows in Armidale’s creeks. What’s wrong with willows in the creek? Is there anywhere they can be planted? Willows belong to the genus Salix, with nine species occurring on the Northern Tablelands. Willows are commonly...

Swarm at Armidale Community Preschool

by | 29 Jun 2020 | Garden, Habitat

Armidale Community Preschool is a community-based service in the centre of Armidale.  Our preschool environment is natural, consisting of native and exotic plants and trees, which attracts a range of creatures from insects to birds and lizards.  We have installed...

CLIMATE MATTERS: Save Armidale’s Koalas

by | 4 May 2020 | Climate, Habitat

With a decrease of 90% in the koala population west of the divide, caring for koalas in the high country has become critical. On current trends, if no action is taken, the entire koala population of NSW may be extinct by 2050. Koalas are now listed as a vulnerable...

A dilemma during a forest conflict in North-West Tasmania

by | 4 May 2020 | Habitat

It was the moment we had been dreading – a letter in the mail-box from Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) to say that they were intending to log the ‘coupe’ (aka native regrowth forest) next to the Live Well Tasmania property we are planning to use to develop models...

Drummond Park meadow in flower

by | 5 Mar 2020 | Garden, Habitat

Hello friends Armidale Regional Council has let native wildflowers and grasses flower and set seed in part of Drummond Park. It used to be mown regularly but was left unmown during the drought and when the rain refreshed it. Some wildflower species survived past...

The one million trees project

by | 5 Mar 2020 | Habitat

As I write this, a massive project is underway to plant a million trees and shrubs in the red soils of our Western Australia rangelands property – Eurardy Reserve. This is where I live with my wife Tina and my son Liam. Eurardy is located six hours drive north of...