By Patrick Regnault
Governments, NGOs (non-government organisations), media scientists, and politicians of all persuasions are thinking about climate change mitigation; good on them! Carbon offset using tree planting is like dressing a deep wound with a small plaster. It takes 10 to 20 years for a tree to become carbon neutral – are the offsets counted after that time?… Continue reading
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This caterpillar has three pairs of true legs and four pairs of abdominal prolegs (Supplied by Denis Crawford of Graphic Science)
Many insects are instantly recognisable but what do you do when you find an insect you’ve never seen before?
If I described an insect as having a triangular head with large eyes, spindly hind legs and grasping raptorial forelegs, I reckon most of you would have an image of a praying mantis in mind.… Continue reading
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The trunks of the same forest have a diameter ranging from 200mm to 400mm depending on the species (Image: Patrick Regnault)
By Patrick Regnault
On social media, radio and television programs, the Miyawaki afforestation method is lauded as a solution to the environmental crisis and land degradation. Akira Miyawaki was a botanist and expert in plant ecology who developed a method of rapid reafforestation using native endemic species.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
Many ants are beneficial, but some ant species can be pests in some situations. When is that?
This Pest Files is inspired by some recent encounters I had with ants. In late January 2023 I noticed several species of ants climbing the trunk of a young roadside gumtree (Eucalyptus obliqua).… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Patrick Regnault
Humans and nature are a paradox. On one hand we talk of a need to find our place in nature but on the other we separate ourselves from it. Can we be of nature and distinct at the same time?… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
Biological control may not be an instant pest solution, but it is a pest control option well worth pursuing.
Large parts of eastern Australia have just been through a very wet spring and early summer. That period of warm wet weather meant a boom time for mosquitoes, they were everywhere in huge numbers.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Bruce Thompson
It’s all about supply and demand. With an oversupply of soft plastics collected and not enough of recycled products being purchased, we need to look at what is required to ensure the recycling program continues.
In late 2022, many Australians who had been diligently collecting their soft plastics and taking them to Woolworths, Coles and Aldi supermarkets to place into REDCycle bins, woke to the news that REDCycle had temporarily ceased their collection service.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
The arrival of an exotic herbivorous insect in an environment dominated by only a few plant species can be a recipe for disaster.
When an insect is introduced into an area with few natural pathogens, parasites and predators, that insect may become a severe pest.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
Given the recent debate in the media about the future of pesticides in some parts of the world, it’s time to look at the alternatives to pesticides.
A recent series of articles in The Guardian“Toxic nation: Australia’s pesticide problem” highlighted several issues with pesticide use in Australia.… Continue reading
Read MoreCultural heritage in the form of historical buildings and their contents are heavily threatened by air pollution. Buildings surrounded by heavy traffic flows need constant monitoring to minimise the impact of exhaust gases and particulate matter on exposed surfaces.… Continue reading
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