- An invitation for reflection – ‘Telling the Whole Story’ at Maria Creek / Pawur, Kingston SE (SA) 29/11/2024
For any readers of the NGT newsletter who live in or regularly travel through the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, next time you are passing through Kingston SE, I’d encourage you to take a break at the visitor information bay on the outskirts of town, where the coastal highway and the highway to Millicent ...
- The mystery of the floating islands near Colac (Vic) 29/11/2024
Back in the early 1990s, I remember seeing a news story on some floating islands – which the locals were towing to the other side of a pond after the wind had blown them to one side. It was one of those quirky stories which run at the end of the news edition, but it’s ...
- Eastern Quoll Hub update – some playful young quolls are enjoying their new home in SW Victoria! 29/11/2024
It has been several months since our last update from the South West (Vic) Eastern Quoll Hub back in March, so we have a couple of interesting updates to share!
First of all, the three eastern quolls released into Rhynie Pastoral’s free-ranging enclosure (Shepherds Hut Sanctuary) back in March have now settled in to their new ...
- Cicadas are the masters of prime numbers – how maths plays a role in nature 29/11/2024
I recently came across an article that I thought was a fascinating read worth sharing. It describes the tendency for a small number of species of cicadas to have mass emergences in multi-year cycles that correspond with prime numbers like 7 (in Australia), or 13 and 17 (in North America). Although the potential evolutionary reasons ...
- Adelaide school students release endangered fish into River Torrens 29/11/2024
In late November, students and staff from three Adelaide schools gathered on the banks of Torrens River at Lockleys with precious cargo. The schools (Urrbrae Agricultural College, Holy Family Catholic School and St Francis Xavier’s Regional Catholic School) had been given the very special task of breeding an endangered native fish species, the Southern Purple-spotted ...
- New study refocusses fish conservation efforts – Introduced fish biggest threat to native species 29/11/2024
Fifty-two top native fish experts from across the country including Sylvia Zukowski (NGT), Nick Whiterod, Michael Hammer and Maiko Lutz (ex-NGT), have banded together to complete the nation’s first comprehensive national freshwater fish assessment. They used the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria to assess 241 species of native freshwater fish. They found ...
- Year 5 students learn about aquatic species conservation at Currency Creek (SA) 29/11/2024
Year 5 students from Investigator College spent a fun-filled, hands-on day on the River at Currency Creek learning about local turtles and fish, and their conservation.
Over 50% of the world’s turtle and tortoise species are threatened with extinction. In Australia, there are 20 species of freshwater turtle, and during this event, the focus was ...
- Returning to Minyumai (NSW) for Landscape Rehydration Training 29/11/2024
It’s been a while since we updated readers on progress at Minyumai Indigenous Protected Area on the NSW north coast. You may recall from past blogs that NGT has been working with the Bandjalang clan Traditional Owners at Minyumai since early 2022 to plan and implement hydrological restoration of an area of endangered swamp forest. ...
- Understanding vegetation dynamics in wetlands – Who’s really impacting the ecosystem? 29/11/2024
When we think about the factors influencing wetland vegetation (think animals, water and human intervention), several characters might come to mind – like the notorious ‘Charlie Carp’, ‘Old Man Emu’, ‘Babe the Pig’, or even ‘Skippy’. But, characters aside, understanding the real drivers behind wetland vegetation dynamics is a serious business. Who/what is having the ...
- Immersive nature education for Newbery Park Primary School kids 29/11/2024
Over the past couple of months, Newbery Park Primary School, from Millicent in S.A., have joined NGT’s Jess on a variety of excursions, to learn all about the local natural environment.
First the year 3/4 class headed to Mount Burr Swamp for the day. The group was greeted by sunny weather and Uncle Doug, local ...
