A national survey on Australia’s iconic animals and plants.

 Wildlife  Comments Off on A national survey on Australia’s iconic animals and plants.
Apr 302016
 

What do you know? 

Can you tell the difference between a Crimson Chat and a Red-capped Robin? Which is more endangered, a Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby or a Red-finned Blue-eye? Are ferals or bushfires a bigger threat to Australian native plants and animals?

You’ll find questions like these, plus the answers and some fascinating fun facts, in this quick and easy survey.

Your responses will help Bush Heritage understand just how much the community knows about our amazing Aussie species. This will help us to work better together to protect our wonderful plants and animals.

Thank you,

Dr Jim Radford
Science and Research Manager
Bush Heritage Australia
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 Posted by at 1:05 pm

Lila’s Mother’s day tips

 Events, Sustainable Gifts  Comments Off on Lila’s Mother’s day tips
Apr 292016
 

Hi everyone,

It’s Mother’s day next Sunday.  If you observe Mother’s Day, here’s some ideas to give it a bit of a green theme.

  • If you decide on flowers as a gift, choose locally grown or flowers that regenerate such as roses, tulip and lilies or even buy a flowering plant that will keep for heaps longer
  • For green thumbed Mums, packets of seeds and/or bulbs make great gifts or if outdoor space is limited how about an indoor herb garden or mushroom growing kit
  • If giving beauty products is a preference, avoid synthetic and chemically based and choose items with organic and natural ingredients
  • Candles are a popular gift choice, greener choices include those made from beeswax or soy and contain essential oils
  • Jewellery is another popular gift. You can opt for something pre-loved, from a socially responsible jeweller or items made from fair trade silver, glass or recycled materials
  • For book loving Mums, check out the many second hand book stores or op shops where you’ll find a great selection in perfect condition or consider supporting Earth Hour by purchasing their Planet to Plate: The Earth Hour Cookbook.
  • Make up your own goodies basket. You can pick up a cane basket at the op shop and then go to the local organic market to pick up some of her favourite treats
  • If clothing is on the list, look for organic cotton, bamboo or hemp items
  • Opt for a service instead of a gift such as a massage voucher or movie tickets
  • Consider a sponsorship or a donation to your favourite charity e.g. Oxfam Unwrapped, World Vision, Greenfleet, Habitat for Humanity
  • Grab a green gift certificate from the many online eco-stores available on the Internet
  • Homemade gifts are a good choice or offer to spend an afternoon doing something that your Mum chooses to do or even a disliked chore like cleaning out the cupboards
  • Make your own Mother’s Day card and include a favourite  photo of you and your Mum or write a poem/special note of thanks
  • Instead of going out to a restaurant, organise a picnic lunch. Pack a basket of goodies and find a nice spot to enjoy good food, company and nature
  • Serve local and/or organic food at your Mother’s day lunch and avoid disposable cups, plates etc

The best gift can also be simply hugs and kisses and spending quality time with your Mum and making her feel special and appreciated.

Source: Green living tips, Think green gifts this Mother’s Day, http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/green-mothers-day-gifts.html, Alive.com/au, Autumn 2011

Enjoy Mother’s Day and help to make it a green day too.

Many thanks

Lila

Resource Management Specialist,

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 Posted by at 11:07 am

Plant some garlic this autumn and start a yearly tradition.

 Community Gardens, Food  Comments Off on Plant some garlic this autumn and start a yearly tradition.
Apr 222016
 

From Lila;
Hi everyone,

Are you a garlic lover like me? This little package of flavour can transform a meal and has so many goodies in it to keep you healthy. We have a stockpile at home and are always on the lookout for the prime looking bulbs at the Farmers Markets when they’re in season.

We’ve tried growing it at home without much success but this year it’s going to be different. We went to a talk on growing garlic a few weeks ago and now we have all the tips to have a bumper crop. One of the first things that surprised me was that I always thought you should plant garlic on the Winter Solstice (20th June) and harvest on the Summer Solstice (21st December). The recommendation at the talk was to plant in autumn around Anzac Day while the soil is still warm. So guess what we’re doing this weekend. We’ve got the garlic all ready to go and just need to get it into the perfect spot in the garden.

Here’s some tips for a successful garlic crop:

  • Get your planting garlic from a quality source – most garlic at the supermarket is treated and will not reproduce
  • Pop it into the crisper for a week or so before planting just like you do with spring flowering bulbs to create an artificial winter
  • Pick a spot in the garden that gets full sun and has well drained good soil
  • Add some good quality compost or worm food into the patch before planting the garlic
  • Water regularly during the growing season which is about 8 months
  • For more details go to:

https://www.diggers.com.au/…/articles-a…/fact-sheets/garlic/

Source: Planting garlic, Diggers Club, https://www.diggers.com.au/…/articles-a…/fact-sheets/garlic/

Plant some garlic this autumn and start a yearly tradition.

Many thanks
Lila
Resource Management Specialist

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 Posted by at 1:30 pm