arbilp3

There's so much that can be done that will support our waterways and also provide employment in rural areas.

Be your own conservationist. A great project to do with kids. If you have a backyard, whether you're a home owner or renter, a lizard lounge 🦎 is easy to set up and requires little to no maintenance depending how basic or elaborate you want it to be. There's lots of videos online but here's two:

BASIC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcoLRdVGnLg&t=1s

DELUXE: https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/how-to/lizard-lounge/10930978

"The federal government has struck a ‘deal’ with Alcoa that allows the mining giant to continue clearing the Northern Jarrah Forest, despite findings that it illegally destroyed habitat for nationally protected species between 2019 and 2025.

Under the agreement, Alcoa will pay $55 million through ‘enforceable undertakings’—an outcome the federal government is claiming as “the largest conservation-focused commitment of its kind.”

In reality, by not prosecuting Alcoa, the government has essentially handed the US-mining giant a “Get Out of Jail Free” card—transforming what should have been a massive regulatory breach into a strategic endeavour."

https://wilderness.org.au/news-events/regulatory-hall-pass-55-million-payment-lets-alcoa-continue-clearing-endangered-northern-jarrah-forest

Anyone surprised?

Considering we need 100% of nature to live (just start with air), one per cent doesn't seem a lot to ask.

Seeing as the number of threatened species keeps ramping up, let's get to know who they are and do what we can to protect them and their habitats. For example, Greater Gliders need tree hollows for shelter and procreation (in fact, many Australian marsupials, birds and some reptiles require hollows). Hollows take over one hundred years to form in older growth trees but we're still logging native forests and cutting down large, mature trees for cattle grazing and also mining, urbanisation and other development. Wherever you are, encourage your relatives, neighbours, councils, etc, to save large trees because of the important habitat the provide AND because they cool the local ambience which is what WE also need as the climate warms up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6g48VFPqqU

If you're from Victoria, have or know children or teenagers who are (or could become) interested in taking part in biodiversity projects, have a look at this resource. Also pass it on to family, friends, teachers, schools, youth groups, etc. Young people's involvement in nature-related projects is great for their physical and mental health, for future interest and even career choices and of course helps to develop their relationship to the earth.

I've noticed that folks on this page seem to enjoy topics more focused on environment-related technology and the related political state of play, both of which are really important. This appeals intellectually but there's not enough practical info, imo, on what we can do as individuals and communities to protect native habitats, plants and animals in cities and in regional areas and on keeping a can-do and hopeful state of mind.

What do the admins think? What do others think?

"Australia's government was required to identify spending that could be harmful to biodiversity by the end of 2025 — but still has not made any figures public.

In the meantime, a team of researchers has found that more than $26 billion of federal government incentives [mostly related to mining and fossil fuels] could be harmful to Australia's animals, plants, fungi and other living organisms.

A federal government report detailing progress on meeting biodiversity targets is due by February 28."

However, "less than $1 billion is being spent a year on biodiversity.

"So we're spending 25 times more on undermining nature than protecting and serving it."

Looks like our governments want to destroy what makes Australia, Australia, and help instead to make it a denuded quarry. 😡

**See comments for an action you can take. **

Trees "pull carbon dioxide out of the air, release the oxygen we breathe, and help combat climate change."

But wait, there's more

"Now, for the first time... research has uncovered [that] the hidden world of the tiny organisms living in the bark of trees... are quietly helping to purify the air we breathe and remove greenhouse gases.

These microbes “eat”, or use, gases like methane and carbon monoxide for energy and survival. Most significantly, they also remove hydrogen, which has a role in super-charging climate change.

All the more reason for planting trees wherever needed.