This year is the 40th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St Helens. I feel like it is one of my earliest memories, but I was only 4 years old at the time and in Australia. More likely I’m just remembering the grainy images of the eruption seen at school and in textbooks This event permanently shaped the landscape but also shaped me as a person. I went on to study geology and landforms and focused my life on sharing my passion for the natural world.
40 years ago Mount St. Helens famously erupted, creating a 25 km high ash and gas cloud that flattening 350 square kms of forest. The eruption killed 57 people in the Americas deadliest eruption.
Mount St Helens is still considered one of the most dangerous in the United States, and the most active of the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest.
Mount St Helens is in the Cascades mountain range and are part of the Ring of Fire. The volcanoes are the result of the dense oceanic crust of the Pacific plate sliding beneath North America.
The Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire occurs where the Pacific Plate meets many surrounding tectonic plates and is the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world. The Ring of Fire is made up of a series of oceanic trenches and volcanic arcs caused by plate movements. It has 452 volcanoes, more than 75% of the world’s active and dormant volcanoes.
I have spent the last 20 years teaching children and adults about plate tectonics and the power within the earth. 40 years on and Mount St Helens is still an awesome example of the dynamic earth we live on.
Earth Day is on April 22 and this year is the 50th anniversary. The theme for Earth Day for 2020 is climate action. This is an enormous challenge and also provides an opportunities to be a part of Earth Challenge 2020, the world’s largest citizen science effort.
Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable.
The world’s largest civic event is going digital for the first time in its history. We’ll demand that leaders take science seriously, listen to their people and push for action at every level of society to stop the rising tide of climate change.
We can make a better world for everyone. Pass it on, tell everyone you know about April 22 and join in at earthday.org. Help flood the world with messages of hope, optimism and, above all — action.
What can you do to help?
Join in with Earth Day events if you can. There are always some time zone issues but plenty of options available. You can also look in your own backyard about how you can take action.
Fight today for a better tomorrow
Find out how you can take action in your own backyard
Video Conferencing can be used to create unique learning experiences for students of all ages. Sydney Science Education now offers a range of video conferences called Science Made Easy. Specialising in Earth and Environmental Science, Science Made Easy are hands on, interactive workshops designed to inspire your students about the natural world.
Since 2001, I have designed and delivered innovative programs for schools across New South Wales and Australia. Over the last 20 years I have become a leading expert on using digital technologies especially video conferencing to deliver quality learning experiences in schools.
https://youtu.be/CiDtyDzekw0
Through these programs your students will gain insight into the importance of science and help them discover more about the natural world. Workshops are designed to empower your students and provide them with the knowledge and skills to continue their learning. Content will help increase your students scientific literacy and critical thinking skills by participating in experiments, fieldwork and asking questions.
Due to the current health crisis Video Conferencing becomes more important as a way to deliver programs to students in the classroom and at home.
Find out how you can participate in live, interactive video conference sessions. This enables your students to ask questions and really be involved in their online learning.
There are a range of packages available to suit your digital science education needs. Enquires and bookings
With all the recent rain there has been some great fungi appearing. I was very excited today to finally find an Anemone Fungus. They were emerging from the mulch next to a car park in Sydney. I saw dozens of the fascinating fungus poking out of the bark.
Aseroe rubra, commonly known as the Anemone Stinkhorn, Sea Anemone and Starfish fungus is considered common. It is recognisable by it’s colour, shape and foul odour when mature. The plant’s odour attracts flies, which ingest and trample the spores, distributing them starting new fungi colonies.
An article on ABC Open reported on the interesting history of the Aseroe rubra It reads: “Jacques Labillardière, a French botanist, visited Tasmania on an exploration voyage and discovered Aseroe rubra growing in the appropriately named Recherche Bay in southern Tasmania.” Collected on May 1, 1792 it became the first Australian fungi collected and scientifically documented.
Fascinating fungus
A fungus is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes yeasts, molds and mushrooms. They are classified in their own Kingdom, Fungi. This Kingdom is separate from the other eukaryotic life kingdoms of plants and animals. This means they are not animals, plants, or bacteria. Fungus breaks down dead organic matter around it, and uses it as food.
I started 2020 with the claim that this year is going to be My Year of Sustainability. Since then Sydney has experienced continued bushfires, droughts, heatwaves through to record rains and floods all in the last 2 months. So as Summer comes to an end what have I done on My Journey to Sustainability?
Illustration of a Sustainable House with Solar and Vegetable Garden copyright @ BNP Design Studio
My Journey to Sustainability started with water. My husband and I went to find a water pump. We live in an older house with the shower over the bath. This made it easier for us to start collecting shower water to use on the garden. After a few weeks the 3 flights of stairs became a challenge. We brought a pump from Bunnings, ran a hose out the window down onto the carport roof so the water would flow into the rainwater tank. We have another pump and hose off the rainwater tank so we can water the garden and fill up the watering cans.
This change enabled us to save over a 100L of water a day that we can store and use in the garden. We fixed the leaking cistern in the toilet, that was wasting a staggering 360L of water a day. If you want to find out some simpler ways of being Water Wise check out these tips.
Water was also a big issue for local wildlife. Many animals were being impacted by the heat and lack of available water. These Magpies were trying to get drops out of the bubbler and tap.
I made sure there were suitable water dishes available in the park and at home.
In the Garden
I’ve really enjoyed being able to spend extra time in the garden. I have planted more natives especially flowering shrubs and grasses to provide food and shelter for smaller birds. The pond is providing water for animals and a habitat for frogs. there are some small fish that keep the numbers of mosquito down.
Native garden
I’ve pruned, weeded and planted in the vege garden. I’m growing some of the herbs I love to use in the kitchen like Lemon Thyme, Basil, Shallots and Chives. Continental Parsley and Tomatoes have sprouted everywhere from last seasons seeds. I’m growing mint from my Mums garden and my Strawberries have come back to life. I’ve picked over a dozen Limes with plenty more fruit growing on both the Lime and Lemon trees. I’m trying to grow Eggplants again and so far have been having more success. I’m growing Brussels Sprouts for the first time so fingers crossed the caterpillars don’t get them.
I have been weeding and controlling pest by hand at the moment and will see how that goes. The advantage is that I can spend more time on garden maintenance at the moment so I’m hoping the attention now will pay off later.
Vegie Garden
Do you enjoy gardening, but don’t have the space to build you own garden? Would you like to eating produce that you have helped grow, but don’t have enough time? How about joining your local Community Garden.
Community gardening can give you the opportunity to grow and harvest your own produce. Creating more green patches of vegetables, plants and flowers across urban environments. Community Gardens also:
help reduce household waste through composting.
offer the chance to get your hands dirty in a communal plot of land.
create opportunities where people can learn about gardening methods.
Over the last year I have brought Bees Wax wraps, silicon lids and recently silicone ziplock bags. These products have been great and I like having the variety to suit different needs. This year I have started using the Hercules® Sustain ™ Compostable Paper food bags for dry lunch box items. I’m buying larger products size for the kids and portioning into small reusable containers or compostable bags.
With these products I have been able to reduce our amount of waste at home and school. The kids have noticed and doing a great job remembering to bring their containers home for reuse.
The main difference is being mindful when I am doing the shopping and making sustainable choices. Reducing my waste by ensuring I don’t buy products with unnecessary packaging.
What to do with unwanted clothes especially with growing kids is always a challenge. These are a few of the strategies I have used.
Embrace the hand me downs: I get a constant stream of clothes and shoes from my sisters neighbour. They are usually great quality and as they are older kids the sizes are right for the next year. Most of my sons clothes go to his cousin if they are still in a good condition.
If you want to help those in need with your donations make sure you choose your Charity Bin wisely. The National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations (NACRO) ensures that all the collected goods and proceeds are used exclusively for their welfare programs. The Recycle Near You website has a list of NACRO charities
Some retailers, including H&M and Zara offer textile recycling bins in their stores where people can deposit any textiles, not just clothing from that brand, to be sent for recycling offshore.
If it can’t be handed down to family and friends or donated to charity cut them up for cleaning rags.
Contact you local animal hospitals and shelters to see if they need old sheets and towels.
Now that I’m not working in the city I went through my wardrobe to find clothes and outfits for Dressed for Success. They are a registered charity that improves the employability of women in need in NSW. They provide professional clothing, support network and the career development tools to help women achieve self-sufficiency.
I just found this initiative recycling socks. Starts With Socks is taking your old socks and gives them new life. Any pairs that can be up-cycled will be donated to people in need. Socks that can’t be saved will be recycled and turned into new textiles, saving them from landfill.
The Simple Things
There are also plenty of things that we continued to do at home like:
Taking Shorter Showers
Turning of lights when not in the room
Setting the air conditioner on 23’C
Composting
Recycling
Batteries
E-waste
Soft plastics
Discover more about becoming sustainable and how you can make a difference.
What you need to know about the Urban Heat Island effect? Cities create their own micro climates by affecting the surrounding atmosphere and interacting with climate processes. The result is that urban areas are becoming significantly warmer than the surrounding areas. Especially when there is less green cover and more hard surfaces which absorb, store and radiate heat.
The impacts of the Urban Heat Island effect include:
Increased daytime temperatures
Reduced night time cooling
Higher air pollution levels
These impacts affect human health by causing:
Respiratory difficulties
Heat cramps
Exhaustion
Heat stroke
Heat-related mortality
The 2017 Cooling Western Sydney report shows the most effective urban heat mitigation technologies incorporate a combination of urban greening, water-based technologies and cool materials. Increased green spaces with water features and fountains, combined with cool material technologies including cool roofs and pavements are all ways to reduce temperatures across Sydney making a more liveable and climate resilient city.
With the increase in urbanisation across Sydney incorporating theses strategies in urban design will become even more important.
What can you do?
Increase shade around your home: planting trees and other vegetation lowers surface and air temperatures by providing shade and cooling through evapotranspiration. Trees and vegetation can also reduce stormwater runoff and protect against erosion.
Install Green Roofs: growing plants, shrubs, grasses and trees on a rooftop reduces temperatures of the roof surface and the surrounding air and improves stormwater management. Also called “rooftop gardens” or “eco-roofs,” green roofs achieve these benefits by providing shade and removing heat from the air through evapotranspiration.
Install Cool Roofs: a cool roof is made of materials or coatings that significantly reflect sunlight and heat away from a building. This reduces roof temperatures, increases the comfort and lowers energy demand.
Install Cool Pavements: Using paving materials on sidewalks, parking lots, and streets that remain cooler than conventional pavements by reflecting solar energy and enhancing water evaporation. This cools the pavement surface and surrounding air and can also reduce stormwater runoff and improve night time visibility.
Diving in Sydney is a great experience, there is literally a secret garden hidden beneath the surface. Sandstone rock formations, incredible sponge gardens and a huge diversity of marine life is waiting for you to explore.
Watch this video to get a taste of what is hidden beneath the surface.
I know not everyone is interested in scuba diving so I thought I would share some of the amazing species I saw on my last dive at Long Reef and Old Mans Hat in Sydney with you. You can experience what I saw without leaving your house.
Giant Cuttlefish
The Giant Cuttlefish Sepia apama are one of my favourite animals to find on a dive. They are inquisitive and playful and amazing to see. They can change the colour and texture of their skin so quickly that it almost looks like they are flashing. One of my favourite moments was when I found a Giant Cuttlefish under a ledge, I offered it my occy (secondary air hose) that has a fluro yellow end. The Cuttle was fascinated with the colour and movement, it came in very close, extended a tentacle and tried to take the occy. It was unforgettable to have a personal interaction and be so close to these highly intelligent animals. You can find out more about the Giant Cuttlefish on the Australian Museum website.
Sydney Octopus
My sister spotted a Common Sydney Octopus Octopus tetricus trying to hide in the rock wall. Their camouflage is truly incredible and are very hard to find. One tip is to look for a a pile of discarded shells from their last meal. You can find out more on the Australian Museum website
Blue Groper
The Eastern Blue Groper Achoerodus viridis is a familiar sight for Sydney Divers. The friendly Blue Groper often follows you around while you are on a dive. I have been surprised more than once to turn around and be face to face with one of these guys. You can find out more about the Blue Groper on the Australian Museum website
Weedy Sea Dragon
I was very lucky to see 5 Weedy Seadragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus at Old Mans Hat yesterday. They camouflage by hiding in the kelp and you need to look carefully to find them. People will often find their dried bodies washed up on the shore after storms. You can find out more about the Weedy Seadragon on the Australian Museum website.
Spotted Wobbegong
It is not unusual to find a Spotted Wobbegong Orectolobus maculatus hiding under a rock ledge or spotting a tail through a gap in the rocks. My sister pointed the Wobby hiding under a ledge at Long Reef. You can find out more about the Spotted Woobegong on the Australian Museum website.
Grey Nurse Shark
I was excited to see so many Grey Nurse Sharks Carcharias taurus yesterday. At one point I was swimming along the top of the rock wall will a adult swam in time below, it must have been almost 3 metres long. I was mesmerised watching this majestic animal and wondered why these sharks create a panic with so many people.
Nudibranchs
Nudibranchs are sea slugs, they are small, colourful and slow moving. Approximately 382 species have been found along the NSW coastline. I saw several of the Nudibranch Polycera hedgpethipictured below on my dive yesterday. I usually see a couple of different species on each Sydney dive. You can find out more about the variety of Sydney Nudibranch on the Sydney Dive website
Sponge Gardens are hidden gardens beneath the sea. The Sea Tulips and sponges move in the current to create a surreal environment. It feels like you are in another world.
What can you do to help preserve this amazing environment?
Remove any rubbish that you find in the water or on the beach
Remove any bits of fishing line and nets that you see
Be aware that what you do on land impacts our marine systems downstream
I just finished an amazing Scuba dive at Long Reef Sydney. The boat dive was booked specifically to see the Grey Nurse Sharks (Carcharias taurus) and we weren’t disappointed. The current was strong and as I peered over the edge of the rock wall into the gutter I saw at least 7 Grey Nurse Sharks.
As my eyes adjusted I began to see more detail as the sharks swam back and forth along the gutter. I was mesmerised watching this critically endangered species and wondered why these sharks create a panic with so many people. Is it their size, teeth or eyes that make people I speak to uneasy? The Grey Nurse Shark may be large and have a lot of sharp pointy teeth, but are not considered harmful to humans. The Grey Nurse Shark actually feeds on range of fish, other sharks, squids, crabs and lobsters which are pierced with these sharp teeth.
Watch this video to experience what it is like to be in the water with these beautiful animals.
I am always surprised when I tell people I dive, that one of the first responses is aren’t you worried about sharks? I find this strange because finding sharks on a dive is a highlight. Some trips are specifically planned to find sharks.
In the 25 years that I have been diving I have never felt afraid in the water. I show respect to all the marine life and dive to the conditions. I feel privileged to be part of this underwater world, especially when I find a shark.
Sharks I have seen in Sydney Waters
Grey Nurse Sharks Carcharias taurus
The east coast population is listed as critically endangered
Current threats are believed to include: incidental catch from commercial fisheries, recreational fishing and the bather protection programs
Ornate Wobbegong Orectolobusornatus
Vulnerable
The main threat to the wobbegong continues to be overfishing.
Spotted Wobbegong Orectolobus maculatus
Vulnerable
The main threat to the wobbegong continues to be overfishing.
Port Jackson Heterodontus portusjacksoni
Listed as Least Concern on the World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List, the egg cases have very high mortality rates (estimated at 89.1%).
Vulnerable to being caught as bycatch.
Dusky Whaler Carcharhinus obscurus
Vulnerable
Extremely susceptible to overfishing.
Did you know
Male Grey Nurse Sharks bite females during the courtship process. In the breeding season it is common to see small scars on the females
Sharks are able to swallow air at the surface of the water in order to give them buoyancy control
They have large, sharp teeth, but they are not very strong and break easily
The Grey Nurse Shark was the first protected shark in the world when it was protected under New South Wales legislation in 1984.
How you can help
Remove any rubbish or fishing gear that you see in the water or on the beach
What is the impact of heavy rain after the recent fires and continued drought? The lack of rain and the fires create a situation where water doesn’t soak into the soil resulting in an increase in runoff. This is because the soil has become hydrophobic and repels the water instead. Vast amounts of vegetation has been lost during the fires exposing the ground to erosion. This combined with all the debris, ash and increased runoff create the risk of landslides, flash flooding and contaminated water flowing into our waterways.
BOM forecaster Abrar Shabren said “Flash flooding is generally a concern with thunderstorms and ponding of water on roads. Depending on how much vegetation is left, how much bushfire the ground has gone through, that can also add to the impact of flash flooding as well,” He said bushfire areas were also “vulnerable” to landslides and toppling trees during thunderstorms because fires would have weakened the vegetation.
The Macleay River in northern NSW has already seen the impact of runoff from bushfire affected areas where locals have reported thousands of fish have been killed after ash was washed into the river system.
According to Tony Weber from WaterNSW the amount of rainfall is unlikely to replenish dams or break the drought in any regions. Warragamba Dam, which supplies water to more than 5 million people living in Sydney and the lower Blue Mountains, is only at 43.7 per cent capacity. Mr Weber said that “The modelling tells us that given the size of the catchment and the prolonged dry period that’s been experienced, we’ll need rain well in excess of that to really generate any inflows,” .
In the recent fires over 320,000 hectares in the Warragamba Dam catchment has been burnt. “So the volume of ash and debris that’s flowing around the catchment is extensive,” Mr Weber said. “The advice we’ve had from the Bureau of Meteorology is that this rain probably won’t be sufficient to generate that sort of run-off. However Mr Weber continued stating ” the risk of ash contamination for the storage will remain a reality for some six to 12 months to come.”
The NSW State Government has recently installed curtains and booms to trap silt and ash due to the concerns raised about the risk to Sydney’s drinking water. The ABC reported the State Government was installing curtains and booms to prevent silt and ash from contaminating the water at Warragamba Dam.
Professor Stuart Khan a water expert from from the University of NSW told the ABC that “Once you have a fire go through a drinking-water catchment, the ash that’s left on the ground and the ground itself becomes more repelling of water,” Professor Khan said the water coming out of the tap would still be clean and drinkable, but the silt and ash would create a challenge for the Prospect Water Filtration Plant.
“The immediate problems really are problems for the water treatment processes,” he said. “Water treatment plants are designed to remove contaminants like that from the water, but when we have very large quantities of sediment they will really struggle.”
It is great to jump into the the new year with a goal and a plan. I like to think about what I can realistically achieve, what I can do differently to make a better future. 2020 is going to be My Year of Sustainability. I want to step up and do more and show my children that we can all make a difference.
As we begin a new decade it is important to reflect on the year that has pasted. Australia has experienced heatwaves, bushfire, droughts and floods. According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) 2019 was the hottest and driest year on record.
In 2019 my family made 2 big road trips crossing 5 states. I saw first hand the impact of the droughts across regional New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. In July we saw the receding floodwaters in Queensland where the town of Birdsville was recovering after being cut off by floods twice. The devastation of the bushfires on the NSW South Coast was incredible as we drove down the Princes Highway in late December. Even more so because the worst was yet to come. We stayed at Lakes Entrance and drove through East Gippsland as the fire crisis was beginning. I’ve had an overwhelming sense of doom after being engulfed by bushfire smoke for so long and watching these natural disasters.
Everything I have seen throughout 2019 has motivated me to make 2020 My Year of Sustainability. So where will I start?
What can I do to make a difference?
I am going to start with the things I can control. I’m avoiding single use items and making sure I always have a spare reusable bag with me. Sydney tap water is some of the best in the world, so we should all say no to buying water in plastic bottles. Just refill your own water bottle, save the environment and save money too.
I will spend more time in the garden; build a haven for local wildlife, grow more fresh food and create a space to enjoy and relax. I miss my chickens and will fix up their hutch and get a couple of hens. Chickens are great for fresh eggs, reduce your amount of waste and keep the garden healthy. I’m also keen to get a native bee hive this year.
Native bee house
I will avoid using chemical in the garden to control pests and try some of these ideas:
Apply soapy water directly Bugs (sap sucking insects).
Place a saucers of beer in the garden to discourage snails or sprinkle sawdust some near the base of plants.
Sprinkle half eggshells throughout your veggie garden to deter cabbage moths.
Pour boiling water directly onto weeds to kill them.
Spray milk directly onto affected leaves to get rid of powdery mildew or mix 4 litres of water, 4 teaspoons of baking soda and half a cup of white oil as a spray.
The drought is continuing and we all need to be Waterwise. In 2019 we installed a pump to use the grey water from our showers and baths in the garden, we fixed our leaking toilet and got a pump and hose for our rainwater tank.
We can all reduce our water footprint with the following tips:
Take shorter showers.
Check for dripping taps and leaking
Only run the dishwasher and washing machine went it is full
Don’t put rubbish or chemicals down the drain.
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean paths and driveways
I will continue to reduce, reuse and recycle and go beyond
Think about what changes you can make to the way you live and work to become more sustainable? What changes are we prepared to make as a community and nation that will help us achieve this goal?
I came across these World Wildlife Fund infographics on Sustainable Shopping and Food Waste that I wanted to share. They both provide simple and tangible actions that I can achieve.
