Biodynamic treechange (homesteading)

Fighting Fire With ...... Fire?

Recently you would have seen the terrible catastrophe that wild bushfires have caused across the south eastern parts of Australia, with 200 people killed, thousands homeless, and whole communities shattered and destroyed.

Now the blame game has started so we can identify how we could have let this happen, and then, how we ensure it doesn't happen again. And international readers need to know that major bushfires are a way of life for most Australians, so 'ensuring that it doesn't happen again' is a furphy. Just like earthquakes, tsunamis and tornadoes, bushfires are natural occurrences and despite our best efforts, will continue to occur.

The initial reaction from most uninformed media commentators and the like is to blame greenies, incompetent Governments or public authorities, or all three.

Today I've read two articles that go to the heart of the matter, and arrive at a similar answer from differing points.

Look. Up In The Sky. A Flying Fox. A Fruit Bat. A Possum With Wings.

One of the many joys that come from living in the country is the close contact you get to have with the surrounding wildlife.

And from time to time we get to 'share' the efforts of our labour with alot of them - birds eating seed and fruit, wallabies and hares eating grasses and vegetables, and these guys, flying foxes, eating fruit from the plum and peach trees.

As you can see, this guy got caught in the barb-wire fence right next to the orchard, which only goes to prove that unlike true bats, 'fruit bats' don't have radar / sonor to direct them away from such things.

We helped him out of his predicament, and he spent the rest of the day hanging in the tree recuperating.

Further information on these creatures can be found here at Wikipedia, here at Living Harbour and here at Flying Foxes in Australia.

And I still think they should be called possums with wings.

The Return of the Organic Maven!

Hi.

I stopped blogging for a month or so. And it wasn't intentional to be for any specific length of time. I just got that I was posting each day because I said that's what I would do, and the quality of the posts were suffering. So I stopped for a bit.

But now I'm back!

What's been happening in the meantime?

Well, ABC refused to air the Al Gore 'Repower America' advert (so much for freedom of speech!) and we've chosen to commence taking our produce to families and homes in Sydney!

And I spent a week or so 'under canvas' in the World Heritage listed Werrikimbe National Park, walking through some awesome cool temperate Antarctic Beech rainforests. Very inspiring and humbling stuff.

Over the next few months you'll see the posts on this site start to lean more towards food and nutrition, with a little less about the environment and climate change (well maybe not that much less!)

Anyway, for those of you who enquired where I'd gone or what had happened or how much you enjoy reading my writings, a BIG THANKS.

And as always your comments are more than welcome.

The images are from the rainforests of Werrikimbe.

We've Got Platypus! Plat-ee-what?

This is so good.

About six months ago down by the creek that forms the northern boundary of our property 'Near River', I thought I saw a Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in the shallows. They are very timid creatures, usually more active at night, and given that I didn't get a clear view, I didn't think too much more about it.

That is until yesterday.

Whilst undertaking some natural area restoration work on an adjoining property, I watched two of these wonderful mammals swimming along the banks of our creek.

Are You In Need Of Some Social Change? Follow These Simple Steps

Being truly honest, the prime driving force behind what we are doing here at 'Near River', with this blog, and indeed with most, if not all of our actions, is the burning desire to contribute to the transformation of the way we exist as a (Western) society here on this planet. And I'll admit that occasionally, it all seems too much, particularly when our 'leaders' make what appear to be totally inappropriate and ill-informed decisions.

And I'm realising that it can be difficult being a leader in a climate of change.

Then I remember ...

The planet is not a gift from our parents, rather a loan from our children

and off I go again, empowered to do what it takes to have this turn out.

 

So what are the simple steps to causing social change?

Need Inspiration to Propagate Australian Plants? Try These.

For many years I have yearned to grow plants from seed, but for one reason or another, haven't been willing to do what it would take to have that happen. I need to let you know though that it doesn't take much.

Now that we are at 'Near River' with space, a ready built shade house, and a few acres of natural bushland at our doorstep, there has been little stopping me.

Having studied Natural Area Restoration before leaving Sydney, and then spending six months with Bolwarra Bushland Services regenerating the Thone River around the Comboyne township, getting our own propagation area going has been relatively easy and enjoyable.

National Tree Day

A quick post today, after all it is the weekend.

 

Tomorrow, Sunday July 27, is National Tree Day.

This provides you with an opportunity to go and get involved in a community activity in the local park or bush reserve, and plant a tree.

Do your bit for the environment.

 

Stewardship and community caring for the land

stewardship - the responsibility for taking good care of resources entrusted to one.

I'm a keen proponent of us collectively taking care of this planet, believing that one of the reasons that we are placed on this Earth is to leave it in better condition than when we arrived. Some of you might say that that's a very tall order, and there are times when an air of despondency and despair can begin to prevail, but that's not what this is about.

Landholders the world over, in particular farmers, have a huge responsibility to society as a whole, and in turn society owes those farmers and landholders a debt of gratitude. By default, we are charged with caring for this land; working with it to produce food for all, and at the same time, improving it so that future generations can do the same, all the while minimising our impact on the surrounding environment so that the native flora and fauna can continue to flourish. Hmmm .... you're right, that is a tall order!

Taking that on singularly is not really going to work that well, and thankfully the spirit of community is most certainly alive and well in rural and regional areas.

The Return of Our Diamond Dave

When we first inspected 'Near River', our property here in the Hastings Valley, the owner and agent were sure to advise us of the local carpet snake that resided in the chook house. At the time we had far more important matters to consider rather than wayward wildlife that was choosing to reside in one of the outhouses.

When we finally did move in, there was minimal disappointment when we discovered that the Diamond Python had moved on. Given that the previous owners (and their chooks) moved out some six weeks prior to us settling, we guessed the snake went elsewhere for a feed.

..of droughts and FLOODING rains

'I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of rugged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains.'