Australia

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South Pacific Geography | Tsunamis

The reports of a tsunami impacting Lord Howe Island last night … A tsunami warning for New Zealand and Australia’s Lord Howe Island ( 700 km off New South Wales ) , sparked by a 7.7 magnitude undersea earthquake near New Caledonia, causing small tsunami waves to hit Norfolk Island and prompting prompted marine warnings for Lord Howe Island, 700km off the coast of New South Wales – beg the question… What is a tsunami?  Earthquakes Information has been posted showing...

Flying animals – foxes, bats flying into trouble!

Today is ‘kite flying day’ … so , as a twist, here is something about ‘flying ‘ creatures –  flying foxes / bats. Australia Flying foxes are….. “intelligent and remarkable. These unique animals help regenerate our forests and keep ecosystems healthy through pollination and seed dispersal. They are a migratory and nomadic ‘keystone’ species; meaning a species that many other species of plants and animals rely upon for their survival and wellbeing. Flying foxes, like bees, help drive biodiversity, and...

Celebrating 50 years of RAMSAR

The year 2021 commemorates the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. In 1974 we also designated the world’s first Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar wetland) – the Cobourg Peninsula, in the Northern Territory.     More information at https://www.ramsar.org/resources    ...

Water, Wetlands, life!

“Wetlands are the star of the ( habitats ) show“ …. Some of the benefits of wetlands include: * providing food and habitat for fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species * providing water quality improvement * key mechanism in flood storage * shoreline erosion control * economically beneficial natural products for human use * many opportunities for recreation, education, and research       Less than 1% of water on Earth is usable freshwater and it is mostly stored...

Snakes

Snakes – they are amazing, beautiful animals – they can also bring out the ‘fear and loathing’ in some people, as they have the potential to do real damage, but only of course if confronted or threatened. This sign I photographed recently – the classic ‘S’ movement – made my heart skip a beat, also as I was with a suitcase (strange I know, but ‘travel’ ). The late Steve Irwin ( above with Terri his wife), one of my...

All about… platypus

A Question Hidden in the Platypus Genome: Are We the Weird Ones? From The New York Times When the British zoologist George Shaw first encountered a platypus specimen in 1799, he was so befuddled that he checked for stitches, thinking someone might be trying to trick him with a Frankencreature. It’s hard to blame him: What other animal has a rubbery bill, ankle spikes full of venom, luxurious fur that glows under black light and a tendency to lay eggs? Centuries later, we’re still...

Glum future! The platypus

The platypus – Scientists say the risk of local extinctions is rising due to damaged waterways, land clearing and climate change – the Guardian reports It is dusk beside a creek and we are instructed to look for a trail of bubbles, under which could be one of the world’s weirdest mammals. When you’re desperate to see a platypus in the fading light, everything looks like one. Floating logs from bank-side paperbark trees, gyrating leaves caught in a dance with...

Volcanoes in Australia : lava tubes

Volcanoes in Australia Active volcanoes generally occur close to the major tectonic plate boundaries. They are rare in Australia because there are no plate boundaries on this continent. However, there are two active volcanoes located 4000 kilometres south west of Perth in the Australian Antarctic Territory: Heard Island and the nearby McDonald Islands. The other active volcanoes nearest Australia are in Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Gas-rich sticky magmas dominate the Asia Pacific, making composite volcanoes...

Counting frogs

From 6-15 November 2020, you’re invited to take part in FrogID Week, Australia’s biggest frog count! Our frogs are under threat from habitat loss, disease and climate change. Taking part in FrogID Week will help provide our scientists with valuable data for the protection and conservation of frogs.Download the free app and register now. Remember, every call counts! To learn more about frogs of Australia- https://frogs.org.au/frogs/ More information and to download the app – visit https://www.frogid.net.au...

Outdoor classroom day

WE’RE ON A MISSION …TO CHANGE THE WORLD AND TO GIVE CHILDREN BACK THEIR CHILDHOOD! We want to make people understand that spending time outdoors is as important for children’s development as learning to read and write. We want to show how learning outside of the classroom engages and excites children in spectacular ways. We want everyone to understand that outdoor play is the key to improving children’s health, wellbeing and happiness. We want to make it clear that outdoor...

Parrot without night vision?

New Zealand Geographic reports that AUSTRALIA’S CRITICALLY ENDANGERED night parrot may not be very good at seeing in the dark, according to new research from Flinders University. An international group of researchers CT-scanned a night parrot skull, as well as skulls of related bird species, and found that the night parrot had smaller optic nerves and lobes than the others, suggesting it had limited visual processing ability. The parrot’s vision appears to be sensitive but low-resolution, meaning that it struggles to...

Koalas face extinction?

Koalas will be extinct in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) by 2050 unless there is urgent action, an inquiry has found. The once-thriving marsupial has been ravaged by habitat loss, disease and climatic events in recent years. About 5,000 koalas are thought to have died in devastating recent bushfires, the report to state parliament said. It urged lawmakers to ensure that remaining populations did not perish in rapidly diminishing habitats. IFAW – International Fund for Animal Welfare...