Only One Earth

World Environment Day is celebrated every 5th of June and this years theme is “Only One Earth” with the focus on “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature”.

“Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature” has also been a key focus of mine since starting Australian Environmental Education. I believe you can make a difference today with every choice you make.

There are many ways that you can help to conserve Australia’s environment and be more sustainable. Think about the choices you make every day; how do you get to school, what do you put in the bin, how long was your shower today, did you remember the reusable bag for the shopping?

Find out more

Free Education resources

Help restore your local ecosystem this World Environment day with these great activities. Creating a Wildlife Habitat is a 5 part program that can help you plan and plant a wildlife habitat at your school, home or local area.

Backyard with folowers and sustainability features

Focus on Frogs

In urban areas, human development has reduced the natural habitat available to frogs. The Focus on Frogs workshop provides information and skills that will enable you to discover what frogs live in your backyard or local area.

Minibeasts in your Garden

Minibeasts in your Garden explores the diverse world of minibeasts. Discover why minibeasts are important and learn how find them in your garden or local park. The program will help you to identify common groups of backyard minibeasts and provides information and skills to conduct your own minibeasts investigation.

Noises in the Night

You don’t see many of the animals that live in your local area because they are nocturnal. Often it is the Noises in the Night that give us a clue to the nocturnal species that are living in our local area.

March 22, 2022March 22, 2023

World Water Day

Today is World Water Day, the 22 March highlights the importance of freshwater. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. This years theme is “Groundwater – making the invisible visible” and explores the importance of groundwater.

Water covers 75% of the earth’s surface, however only a very small amount is freshwater that can be used directly by people, animals and plants because:

97% of this water is in oceans and is too salty for people, animals or plants to use
2% is frozen at the north and south poles, in glaciers and on snowy mountain ranges
Only 1% is avaiable as freshwater in rivers, lakes and groundwater.

Groundwater is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere. Our drinking water and sanitation, our food supply and natural environment–all these rely on groundwater.

Groundwater is critically important to the healthy functioning of ecosystems, such as wetlands. In deltas and coastal areas, groundwater also ensures the stability of the ground and prevents seawater intrusion under the land.

Groundwater is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere.

Under our feet, groundwater is a hidden treasure that enriches our lives.

Almost all of the liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater.

As climate change gets worse, groundwater will become more and more critical.

We need to work together to sustainably manage this precious resource.

Groundwater may be out of sight, but it must not be out of mind.

Australian Environmental Education resources

How to be Waterwise

Water is essential for all life and is the most abundant substance on Earth, yet water scarcity is one of the biggest issues facing us today. Australia is the world’s driest inhabited continent and 2019 was the hottest and driest year on record.

The Urban Water Cycle

The natural water cycle has been modified by people to ensure a constant water supply and the safe disposal of wastewater. The Urban Water Cycle incorporates the Water Supply System, Wastewater system and the Stormwater system.

Why is Water Important

Water is the most common substance found on earth, so why is it important? Water is essential for all forms of life and can dissolve nearly anything. It can exist as a gas (water vapour and steam), a liquid (water) and a solid (ice).

October 10, 2021October 10, 2021

Connect to Nature

Sometimes you just need to slow down and connect with nature. Sit under your favourite tree or go for a walk in the park. This is especially important at the moment to give yourself permission to have a break. Take some time out every day for you, even 5 minutes can make a difference.

Remember to look up and change your perspective
Touch and feel different tree bark
Visit your favourite tree, if you don't have one, find one
Don't forget to use all your senses

I recently had a wonderful and restorative online Forest Therapy session with Mary Bell from Nature Knows. It was great to take some time to connect with the environment around me and appreciate the sights, sounds and smells in my backyard. Along my journey I discovered these animals in my garden. I wouldn’t have spotted them if it wasn’t for the activities in the Forest Therapy session.

Baby St Andrews Cross Spider with Zig Zag web

I have continued with the lessons learned during the session and have been giving myself permisison to take a break and spend more time outside. I have been going on more walks, listening to the sounds of the birds and recording frog calls for Frog ID. It is great to discover some of the wildlife that we share our environment with. Spending more time outside and slowing down has allowed my to connect with nature and capture some amazing images of these animals.

Exploring my backyard and local area have been a wonderful chance to slow down and connect with nature.

April 8, 2021April 29, 2021

Get your garden growing

Autumn is a great time to start planting your garden. The soil is still warm enough to encourage root growth and weather is mild reducing water stress. Young plants have a better chance to settle in and become established before summer heat arrives. I’ve been working on the garden below for a while and took the opportunity during the cooler weather to add new plants, mulch and do some landscaping.

I helped write some programs on Creating a Wildlife Habitat for the Junior Landcare Learning Centre. This 5 part program can help you plan and plant a wildlife habitat at your school, home or local area.

Rainbow Lorikeets in flowering gum — Rainbow Lorekeet

Creating a native wildlife habitat is a great way to ensure the protection of native wildlife, from the smallest insects to birds, reptiles, mammals and frogs.

Projects and Grants

NSW Schools are now invited to apply for a grant of up to $600 to purchase native trees and shrubs. The Tree Levy is an annual grants scheme funded by Federation to offset the environmental impact of the union’s activities.

Apply Now

If you are in Sydney you can register for the Cooling the Schools project through Greening Australia.

Cooling the Schools: Creating cooler and greener schools where children and nature thrive

We are working with students to add thousands of plants to community spaces and schools across Greater Sydney.

Incorporate existing features into your wildlife habitat design, including established trees, rainwater tanks and ponds. Make sustainable choices by using what you’ve already got.

Don’t forget to include plenty of spaces for animals to hide.

Insect hotel in terracotta pot — Insect Hotel

Attracting wildlife to you backyard

Attracting birds to your backyard

Attract birds to your backyard by creating a garden that will provide food, shelter and nesting materials and sites. Local flowering plants and fruit trees provide birds with nectar and seeds. To provide birds with some protein rich food, use mulch to encourage worms, insects and grubs to thrive. Plant dense prickly native shrubs for shelter, hang up nesting boxes and install a bird bath.

Create a frogs friendly backyard

Encourage frogs to come to live and breed in your backyard. Create a small shallow pond in an area that is partly shaded. Include thick ground hugging plants around part of the pond to provide areas of warmer and cooler water. Your pond will need some sunlight to encourage algae and other plants that provide food for tadpoles. Make sure the banks slope gently so that the frogs can get out. Add some rocks and logs to provide shelter for adult frogs.

Minibeasts in your backyard

Not all bugs are pests. Good bugs pollinate plants, break down dead flora and fauna, aerate the soil and provide for other wildlife. They can even help keep harmful pests away. Create an inviting environment for good bugs by planting plenty of native plants, wildflowers and herbs and use chemical-free pest control when the pests do creep in.

January 14, 2021January 25, 2021

My Spider Garden

I have been working in the garden to create a habitat for local wildlife. So far it’s the spiders that have found a safe home. I saw St Andrews Cross Spiders, Leaf-curling Spiders and Net-casting Spiders. I’ve had these species in my garden before and it is exciting to see so many again this year.

The new fence didn’t impact the spiders at all. There were several different spider egg sac, some freshly hatched spiderlings (the fuzzy mass in the middle) at least 2 Net-casting Spiders, 4 Leaf-curling Spiders and 5 St Andrews Cross Spiders just is this section of my backyard. I’ve highlighted some below in case you missed them.

I got some close up images too so you can see more detail. I especially love the Leaf-curling Spider shots.

It has been wonderful to see so many spiders and other invertebrates making a happy home in my garden. Surrounded by so many spiders and their webs I was surprised to find a newly hatched praying mantis. It was about 1cm in size and almost transparent, unfortunately it disappeared not long after this photo. I’ll keep an eye out, but I think this one has become someones lunch!

I have more spider images mostly from my backyard in the Spider Image Gallery. Find out more about spiders

January 1, 2021February 2, 2021

The year that was: 2020

I don’t think 2020 turned out the way anyone expected. In the first 2 months of the year Sydney experienced bushfires, droughts, heatwaves and then record rains and floods. Just when we thought the worst of 2020 was behind us, COVID-19 changed our lives for ever.

2020 was going to be My year of Sustainability and I was able to achieve some of my sustainability goals, however many were put on hold. During 2021 I will be able finish the journey I started.

Planting natives and building a frog pond

In 2020 my focus had to change and I began creating more education resources and activities and delivering online education programs. I created over 50 resources pages and activities focusing on earth and environmental science over the last 12 months.

Education resources

Activities

I have also been writing resources for the Junior Landcare Learning Centre. You can find the following resources on their website. Create a Wildlife Habitat with this series of 5 resources including: Research, Vision, Design, Planting and Monitoring.

Other activities I have written for the Junior Landcare Learning Centre explore the importance of water with Every Drop Counts. This activity also looks at water usage and water saving ideas. Investigate the journey of water through the environment, from the mountains to the sea, with the Exploring the Story of Water program designed for younger kids.

I have a series on catchments and water and a series on a beach survey and clean up for high school students coming out soon, so keep an eye out on the Landcare Learning Centre in 2021. I was also excited to be able to contribute to this year’s Coastcare Week campaign and wrote a following booklet on Marine Litter.

Like many other people in the education community I had to pivot to online delivery in 2020. I have been working with Virtual Excursions Australia for many years and was able to transition my programs for online audiences. I delivered programs for schools and individuals reaching thousands of students from across the world.

Another focus has been photographing some of the amazing wildlife I’ve come across during the year. Below is a selection of image taken at Sydney Zoo, central west NSW, central coast and my backyard. You can check out some of my favourite Macro images too.

Let’s see what 2021 brings!

December 9, 2020December 9, 2020

Reduce your use: plastics

Over 75% of the rubbish removed from our beaches is made of plastic. Plastics don’t biodegrade, they breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics.

Microplastics collected on the beach ©David Pereiras VillagrÃ¡

Microplastics are small pieces of plastic less than 5mm in size and are the most abundant form of solid-waste pollution. It has been found in all the worlds oceans and even in the deep sea. Microplastics include microbeads, plastic pellets and plastic fibres and form from broken down parts of larger plastics.

Floating plastics absorb toxins dissolved in the water and when ingested these toxins enter the food chain. Over time plastics and toxins accumulate in the foodchain.

Another major issue for marine species is entanglement in fishing line and other marine debris.

Dead turtle entangled in fishing nets on the ocean ©Maxim Blinkov

Estimated decomposition rates of waste in our oceans ©elenabsl

Tips to reduce plastic waste and to prevent ocean pollution infographic ©elenabsl

December 7, 2020December 8, 2020

Coastcare Week

I’ve been working on education resources for the Junior Landcare Learning Centre and was excited to be able to contribute to this years Coastcare Week campaign.

Coastcare Week is on between 7 – 13 December and Summer up with Coastcare is the 2020 campaign. The campaign aims to raise public awareness of the effects of litter on our waterways, encouraging all Australians to get connected to their local environment with Coastcare, and support groups to continue their invaluable work.

To recognise Coastcare Week find out ways you can help clean up your local marine environment.

Find out more about the impacts of marine debris

At the beach, keep on the walking tracks. This protects the vegetation that provides habitat for local native birds and other animals, and prevents erosion.
Ensure your dogs are kept on a lead in areas where dune vegetation is vulnerable.
Landcare and Coastcare groups work on these sites to enhance the habitat for native animals to protect them.
Avoid and Reduce – by reducing your plastic footprint, you are helping to protect our rivers and waterways that will keep our beaches and oceans clean and protect marine animals from the impact of rubbish including plastics.
Reuse – if you need to use plastic products, make sure you reuse items over and over again before disposing of them thoughtfully at the end of their useful life.
Recycle – if you can’t reuse an item or if it is at the end of it’s useful life, recycle it or compost it.
Make sure you take a bag with you to the beach to collect rubbish on your next walk.
Every piece of plastic removed from the marine environment can save an animal’s life, and reduce the amount of microplastic created.

November 9, 2020November 12, 2020

Australian Pollinator Week

Plants can’t move around to look for a mate to reproduce. Plants need pollinators to transfer the pollen, the male sex cells to the female reproductive parts of flowers. This process is called pollination, which leads to fertilisation. Good fertilisation helps plants develop seeds and fruit. The seeds and fruits that feed the countless animals in the world, including us.

Pollinators drive biodiversity, and over 75% of the world’s flowering plants rely on insect pollinators to reproduce. Most people are aware that bees are important pollinators and other insect pollinators include flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, wasps, ants. Birds and bats are some of the vertebrate animals that also pollinators. Pollinators provide these important ecosystem services in the natural landscapes as well as within agricultural/horticultural and urban environments.

Australian Pollinator Week acknowledges the important and unique insect pollinators found across Australia. It is a designated week in November during our southern spring when community, business and organisations can come together to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and support their needs. The world is suffering from major pollinator declines, but you can also help make a difference by encouraging theses animals into your backyard and local area.

Use this great resource ‘Pollinator Insects Identification Tips’ by Wild Pollinator Count to help you identify pollinators around your home.

Download the Pollinator Insects Identification Tips

Make an insect hotel to attract more pollinators to your garden. Plant flowering plants and natives to attract more birds into your garden.

October 16, 2020October 26, 2020

National Water Week 2020

The theme for National Water Week 2020 is Reimagining our Water Future. How can you reimagine the way you use and reuse water to ensure there’s enough of it in the future? Use these resources from Australian Environmental Education and beyond to rethink your current water practices. Remember what you do as an individual and as a communities can make a difference; every drop counts.

Even though water is the most common substance found on earth, less than 1% is available as freshwater. We need to conserve and protect freshwater resources, consider your use of Water.

Education resources

Every drop counts, being water wise

The Every Drop Counts learning activity explores the many ways that water is used, how you can reduce your water usage and reuse water.

How to Be Waterwise

You can be part of the solution by looking at your water usage and exploring way that you can be more Waterwise.

The Urban Water Cycle

Why is Water Important

Australian Water Association

The AWA has extensive list of educational resources that explore all the different aspects of water including the water cycle, the sustainability goals, Indigenous water knowledge, how to save water, caring for our catchments, and general water education.