The Memory Stick

What's the fascination of sticks? I think it has something to do with their infinite potential.  A simple piece of wood lying on the ground can be a sword, magic wand, musical instrument or even a place to hold precious memories.  

Early childhood is such an exciting stage of development and our experiences during the first few years are the foundation of life's journey.   It's disappointing that so many expensive toys, computer games and TV shows allow little or no room for creativity or personal growth... compared to a stick, which costs nothing but can be painted, decorated, whittled, smoothed or just left in its natural state to be anything a child wants it to be.

Parents are understandably reluctant to let their children play with sharp objects out of fear that they will hurt themselves or another child. Although it's right to supervise very young children, allowing them to play with sticks teaches valuable lessons about showing respect for other people and walking away from situations where they don't feel safe.

This weekend, our children worked together to create a 'memory stick' of our recent visit to family and friends in England.  The idea was borrowed from the journey sticks made by indigenous people around the world when they travelled.  Starting at one end and working along it during the journey, they would tie special objects to the stick to help them remember events and experiences and to tell stories about their adventures.

Describing the experience, Noah (age 9) said, "Making the memory stick was so fun. When it was finished, we danced around and performed a special ceremony to celebrate our time in England." 

Green School Holiday Activities

Looking to give the kids a break from the school routine... but not from learning? Then check out these fun and educational holiday activities, that encourage children to explore their creativity and connect with the environment.

Eco-Art School Holiday Workshops@ Reverse Garbage - this Spring, Brisbane based sustainability co-operative Reverse Garbage are running their most popular children's workshops: Robots, Spaceships and Aliens, Wearable Art and Furry Friends. The workshops are designed to give kids aged 6-12 the opportunity to create wonderful works of art, sculptures and toys out of discarded materials, whilst learning about the value of resource conservation.

Where: Reverse Garbage, 20 Burke Street, Woolloongabba, Brisbane
When: workshops run from 23rd September to 3rd October (bookings essential)
Cost: $20 per child (includes tuition form experienced artists, tools and materials)
Contact: info@reversegarbage.com.au or call Nadine Schmoll on (07) 3891 9744

Art on the Wildside@Maroochy Bushland Botanic Garden - there's a fantastic program of activities for children aged 5 to 14 at the Arts and Ecology Centre, Tanawha over the holidays.  Workshops for younger children include Build-a-Bug, with entomologist Michelle Gleeson ('the Bug Lady') and Mini-Drama about the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly, with author Jill Morris and artist Heather Gall.  Community Film-making Fun gives older children the chance to be part of the crew making a short film about an endangered orchid that lives in the Garden.

Where: Maroochy Bushland Botanic Garden, Palm Creek Road, Tanawha, Sunshine Coast

When: workshops run from 24th September to 3 October (bookings essential)

Cost: registration fee of $5 per participant at the time of booking

Contact: Suzanne Aspland at: Suzanne.Aspland@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

Gordon Hookey Kangaroo Crew@GOMA - this large scale, multimedia exhibition has been designed for children of all ages by Indigenous artist Gordon Hookey, from the Waanyi people.  Kangaroo Crew is based on the artist's story, The Sacred Hill, which introduces children to the issue of indigenous land rights through the experiences of a group of kangaroos who lived peacefully together... until the arrival of a flock of myna birds.  Children are able to engage with the story through hands-on and multimedia activities, which include making a kangaroo mask, designing a poster and playing arcade games.  

Where: Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), South Bank, Brisbane

When: until 27th January 2014

Cost: Free

Contact: gallery@qagoma.qld.gov.au or call (07) 3840 7303

Habitat gardening - welcoming wildlife into your backyard

Imagine you're a native animal - bird, mammal, frog, reptile or invertebrate - searching for a place to live.  Where would you choose to make a home?

All animals have the same basic requirements:

• regular food supply;
• reliable source of water;
• places of refuge;
• opportunity to raise their young; and
• safety from threats.

How to meet these needs will differ between species, so an important first step when planning a habitat garden is to decide which animals you want to attract and to learn about their habits.

It's also a good idea to visit their natural environment and observe its structure, so that you can create similar conditions in your garden.  In forests, which support many of the small mammals, birds and frogs that have been most affected by human habitation, there's a complex layering of soil, leaf litter, ground cover plants, understorey shrubs, small trees and large canopy trees.

When walking through the forest, take notice of the rocks, fallen trees, pools and gullies, which also form a vital part of the ecosystem that native animals need in order to survive and thrive. 

So, having completed your research, what are the basic principles of habitat gardening?

1. Plant and preserve local native plant species  - the animals in your area will have evolved alongside local native plants, which they may use for food, shelter, refuge or raising young. To use an example from our own backyard, we live in a forest that provides habitat for the rare and threatened Glossy Black Cockatoo.  This bird has been particularly affected by land clearing because it feeds only on the seeds of certain types of Casuarina and Allocasuarina trees. It also nests in tree hollows, which are mainly found in old or dead trees.  The survival of this species therefore depends on preservation of the trees they require for feeding and nesting.  
2. Avoid the use of poisons in your garden  - small birds and frogs are both important indicators of the health of our environment.  In Queensland, as in many other parts of the World, they are in serious decline.  Some species, such as the once common Southern Dayfrog, are now considered to be extinct and several others are close to extinction.  
   
   
   
   
   
   One of the reasons for this decline is the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides.  Frogs have moist, permeable skin which makes them particularly susceptible to the toxic effects of pollution. Pesticides and other chemicals also affect insectivorous birds by limiting and poisoning their food supply; it really is best not to use them in the garden unless absolutely necessary. 
3. Provide a pond or other permanent water source - a permanent supply of fresh water will encourage animals to live in, rather than just visit, your garden. This can be as simple as making a depression in the ground, covering it with a waterproof lining and surrounding it with rocks and plants.  For information about providing water in your garden for wildlife, go to: Queensland Frog Society and Birds in Backyards.
4. Remove pest species - most people don't like to harm animals but some introduced pest species are so damaging to the ecosystem that they should not be allowed to exist in your backyard.  The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the Common Myna, Red Fox and Cane Toad as among 100 of the world’s worst invasive alien species. 
5. Keep pets under control - unrestrained domestic dogs and cats are responsible for killing millions of native animals every year.  According to the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, dogs are one of the main causes of koala death and each pet cat, if allowed to roam, will kill an average of 16 mammals, 8 birds and 8 reptiles every year. 
   
   
   
   

   
   

   If you have dogs or cats, thoughtful and responsible ownership involves keeping your animals under curfew, particularly at night.  Cats should be desexed to limit their tendency to wander and prevent them from reproducing.  They should also be fitted with bells or an electronic sonar collar, which will alert birds to their presence.

The Cost of Fashion - how to reduce your clothing footprint

It’s hard to know which came first: consumer demand for cheap fashion or the garment industry’s pursuit of profit.  Either way, disposable attitudes towards clothing are costing the Earth. 

According to research by the UK’s Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the average household’s annual clothing footprints are:

• Carbon - 1.5 tonnes of CO2e emissions, equivalent to driving an average modern car over 9,600 km;
• Waste - 70kg, equivalent to the weight of 100 pairs of jeans; and
• Water -  more than 200,000 litres, equivalent to filling over 1,000 bathtubs to capacity.

The processes from production of raw material to garment supply account for three quarters of the carbon impact, one third of the waste and almost all of the water footprint of clothing.  As consumers, we have little or no control over these processes.

But we do have control over what we buy and how we wear our clothes.

WRAP’s 'Valuing our Clothes' report concluded that the most sustainable fashion statement we can make is to wear the clothes in our wardrobes for longer: 

“Extending the life of clothing by an extra nine months of active use would reduce carbon, waste and water footprints by around 20-30% each and cut resource costs by around 20%; this is the single most significant intervention.”

What this means is that by making a few changes to our habits, we can all make a massive difference to the environment.  Here are some ideas...

1. Be creative - it’s surprising what you can achieve by being imaginative with your wardrobe.  Apps such as Stylebook and My Fashion Assistant can help you mix and match your clothes and accessories to create an interesting new look.
   
   
   
   
2. Love your clothes - by following a few simple rules, you can make your precious clothes look good for longer:
   • Hang them up in your wardrobe or fold them neatly in a drawer instead of dropping them on the floor; 
   • Wash them only when they’re dirty, wait until you have a full load, separate colours and avoid the use of very hot water and chemical bleaches (use bicarbonate of soda instead);
   • Try not to use a drying machine at all. Open air and sunlight are much healthier for your clothes and the environment.
3. Think of your clothes as an investment - when you go shopping, adopt the attitude that clothes are valuable.  Only buy items that you can commit to wearing at least 30 times.   Choose durable fabrics and classic styles that will last beyond this season’s fashion. 
4. One woman's trash is another woman's treasure - clothes swapping, or 'swishing' is a popular way to update your wardrobe. It works best when you exchange clothes that are in good condition, in season and which you like but never wear.  To find out how to organise a clothes swap event, read Planet Ark’s guide to Hosting Your Own Swap Party.
5. Second hand isn’t always second best -if you love shopping for clothes, there are treasures to be found at vintage and retro markets, second-hand clothing stores and charity shops.
6. Keep clothes out of landfill - there's always value in clothes, whatever state they’re in.  All unwanted garments can be given to charities, local authorities and other clothes collection organisations.  Even if they can’t be worn again, they’ll be sold to waste management companies for recycling into new fabrics, cleaning wipes, felts and other non-clothing uses. 
7. Talk to your children about the issues - WRAP's research found that 58% of 16 to 24 year olds owned clothes that they no longer wore because they were 'no longer my style'.  It's never too early to start talking about sustainability issues with your children and modelling responsible behaviour.
8. And finally - start or join a conversation about ways to reduce our clothing footprint on Facebook, Twitter or your own favourite social media.

My Overgrown Garden, by Ruby Jay

In my overgrown garden,

There are bugs and slugs,

There are worms that squirm,

Beetles that speetle

And birds that have heard

The coming of Autumn

In the tangled garden,

There are chives that thrive,

There are vines that twine,

Beans that lean

And flowers that shower

As Summer ends.

             

Home Thoughts from Abroad

Everyone who migrates to Australia from the UK has a different story. People often say they made the move for 'lifestyle' reasons but, when you think about it, what does that really mean?  What makes life in one of these politically stable, affluent countries, with access to free healthcare, education and social security, better or more meaningful than another? 

We've just returned from a wonderful trip back to England, which caused me to reflect on this question. We really enjoyed spending time with family and old friends, travelling around the lovely countryside and visiting truly amazing museums and historical places.  Do I feel homesick? Not really, as we've made a new home here in Australia. But there are things about England, its people and culture that I miss. I also feel guilty about denying our children the opportunity to grow up with their cousins.

Our reasons for moving to Australia in 2007 are complex and individual.  After many years of hard work, my husband had completed advanced training as an emergency doctor and was ready to apply for his first consultant post in a UK hospital.  We'd spent our 20's and 30's studying, working, travelling and generally not thinking about the future.  With two very young children and without even a toehold on the property ladder, our most sensible option was to move close to my family in North West England.  In many ways, that would have been a good choice and was something we seriously considered... but I think we wanted one more adventure before finally entering the grown up world of mortgages and school runs.

We'd spent a working holiday in Melbourne ten years previously and had loved everything about it. The glorious feeling of independence; living among the birds and towering gum trees in Dandenong Ranges National Park; weekends spent bushwalking and camping in Wilsons Promontory National Park and other spectacular wilderness areas around Victoria; the Great Ocean Road;  metropolitan Melbourne's museums, cafes and independent cinemas. 

We couldn't have stayed at that time, as Australia wasn't recruiting doctors.  Fast forward ten years, however, the situation had changed. Health workers, along with plumbers and hairdressers, were in demand. We decided to move to Brisbane, where it was possible to live in a city but still work in an area of need.  After three years, a job opportunity arose to work alongside the brilliant emergency team at Gold Coast Hospital. The time had come for us to decide between making a life for ourselves in Australia and returning to the UK.

 

On reflection, our time in Brisbane had been quite difficult.  When you have young children, it's good to be surrounded by family and close friends.  Independence can start to feel like isolation and adventures - particularly those involving camping - can quickly turn into nightmares. If our families, particularly my parents, hadn't made the effort to visit us in Australia for extended periods, it probably would have been too hard to stay. 

Once you've decided to call a place home, however, I think your attitude towards it changes. We now live on a one acre bushland property in the Gold Coast Hinterland, where we enjoy the wildlife and subtropical climate. In our free time, we love spending time at the beach, walking in the rainforest and visiting the Museum and art galleries in Brisbane.  The children are happily settled into school and we've all made solid, lasting friendships. 

Making a new life in another country can be hard going, though, and we still spend a lot of time doing things on our own.  I think it's made our nuclear family very close but it does sometimes feel lonely.  Visits from family members and trips back to England are always significant events for our children; times to reconnect, have adventures together and, unfortunately, experience the pain of separation.

So, how do you decide whether Australia or England offers the better lifestyle? The answer is that it all depends on individual preferences and personal circumstances.  They're both wonderful countries - but so different.  If you have the choice, just make a decision and appreciate how incredibly lucky you are.

England - still green and pleasant...

The 'green and pleasant land' of William Blake's poem describes an England 200 years ago, before industrialisation transformed a predominantly rural, agricultural economy into the urbanised, global marketplace of today. With over 53 million people and a population density of almost 400 per sq km, much of the landscape, especially in towns and cities, is no longer green. And the seismic social and economic upheavals of the last two centuries have resulted in aspects of contemporary society that are not particularly pleasant.

Almost everything you read about British wildlife confirms that it's in trouble.  Changing weather patterns, habitat destruction, persecution of native mammals, introduction of exotic species, air pollution and contamination of the waterways have all disrupted the ecological balance and contributed to the decline in bees, frogs, newts and many bird species.  During a three week visit to my home country, however, I found wonderful and inspiring things that gave me reason to hope for the future.

Important work is being done all around the country to preserve and restore habitats for wildlife. The once biologically dead River Thames is now one of the cleanest metropolitan waterways in the world, home to around 120 species of fish and, with them, waterbirds.  At Canary Wharf, for example, we saw a family of Great Crested Grebes, a species that was once hunted almost to extinction for its elaborate head plumage.

At Brockholes, in Lancashire, a disused sand and gravel quarry is being transformed into wetlands that will provide an important sanctuary for resident and migratory birds.  One of the priorities is to recreate some of the area's old landscapes, in particular reedbeds.  The hope is that these will provide habitat for spectacular - but threatened - plants and animals, including marsh orchids, Reed and Sedge Warblers, Bittern, Bearded Tits, Marsh Harriers and Water Voles.

I spent my childhood and adolescence in Preston, in North West England, where the decline of the textile industry from the mid-20th century brought hardship and the dilapidation of housing and commercial buildings. As the city struggled to reassert itself in the post-industrial era, large areas of rural land were used to replace the high density Victorian terraced housing and crumbling concrete housing blocks that once dominated the city centre.  The good news is that with sensitive city planning, involving preservation of ancient woodlands and extensive tree planting, wildlife continues to thrive, even in this most urban of environments. 

Adjacent to our family home, for example, there's an ecologically significant ancient woodland, that's now protected as a Biological Heritage Site. In the past, much of England was covered with these 'wildwoods' which, according to legend, provided refuge for Robin Hood and his band of merry outlaws. With urbanisation and population growth, however, they now only account for around 1.5% of the country's land surface.

Because of their long, continuous history, ancient woodlands support many native plants and animals, some of which are only found in these habitats.  I went walking in the woods many times during my visit and was struck by the variety of mature trees - oak, sycamore, beech, wych elm, ash, wild cherry and lime - that provide a dense, complex canopy for the understorey and groundcover species.  On the dark, damp forest floor, it feels like you're in the rainforest.  And there were so many birds - nuthatches, robins, woodpeckers, blue-tits, jays, blackbirds - busily occupied in the race to give their families the stamina to survive the bitterly cold, hard winter months.

In response to a challenge by the Independent Panel on Forestry, the UK Government recently asserted that: "Protection of our trees, woods and forests, especially our ancient woodland, is our top priority."  Considering how rare and precious these forests are, and their ecological importance, let's hope the Government fulfils its promise.