Birds, bandicoots, beaches and more
Alight: A Story of Fire and Nature
written by Sam Lloyd & illustrated by Samantha Metcalfe
Reviewed by Rose (age 10)
I like this book because it tells people what happens in the wild. The pictures are inspiring and I love the detail. It has great descriptions and I like how it talks about life.
Humans erode the Earth by stepping on the soil and lush untouched grass, looking for a place to set on fire for new growth for plants. “Crackle crackle”, sings the fire, while dancing high in the wind. The old Banksias have been saving seeds ready to fall and make new growth. Animals are safe and the Eucalpytus trees are ready for friends … new friends from new plant growth.
Beaches are for sharing!
Next time you’re at a beach, remember that your place of leisure might be another animal’s home.
The hooded plover is an endangered native shorebird found on the NSW South Coast (and also in parts of WA, SA, Victoria and Tasmania). It loves open sandy beaches, and nests in sand dunes.
In NSW, it’s estimated there are only 65 of the birds left. Recently one was found a long way out of its range, on the NSW North Coast, 850km north of its usual habitat!
Find out more about this special bird: https://birdlife.org.au/bird-profiles/hooded-plover/
Animal acoustics
Is it just me or is nature noisier in summer? Many of us are familiar with magpie song — recently voted Australia’s favourite animal sound — and the sound of the world’s loudest insects … cicadas, calling for mates. But have you ever heard the sounds of a koala, bat or lyrebird?
Listen here and find out how some land and aquatic animals make their sounds: https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-08-13/weird-animal-sounds-science-acoustics-fish-koala-lyrebird-frog-/102697402
Wild Deserts
Australia has one of the worst rates of mammal extinction in the world, but in northwest NSW’s Sturt National Park, the Wild Deserts project is trying to change that. The project is reintroducing locally extinct mammals, including bilbies and bandicoots, into a predator-free zone where they can breed without interference from feral foxes and cats. In 2022, 27 golden bandicoots were released and there are now thought to be about 120!
Later, these mammals will be exposed to some of their predators in a training zone so they can improve their survival skills. Technology such as drones, camera traps and AI will help scientists see what’s happening!
Find out more about the Wild Deserts project: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-06/threatened-mammals-thrive-in-nsw-fenced-in-zone-experiment/102685304
Did you know?
In early October this year, a penguin chick born at Eden on the NSW South Coast in Eden became the first penguin in 30 years born on mainland NSW outside of Manly in Sydney! Keep your fingers crossed for the chick and that this might be the start of a new penguin colony. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-10/little-penguin-chick-born-in-eden-for-the-first-time-in-30-years/102955158
Hope for the Mukarrthippi grasswren
The Mukarrthippi grasswren is a critically endangered species found only in the Yathong Nature Reserve in central western NSW. Its name (pronounced moo-kwah-tippy) is from the Ngiyampaa language and means “little bird of the spinifex”. The birds build dome-shaped nests at ground level among spinifex grass. But there are not many of them … in 2020 it was estimated there were fewer than 20. However, in fresh hope for the species survival, six birds have recently been seen in new locations within the reserve.
Find out more: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8395228/hope-of-survival-for-one-of-australias-rarest-birds/