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Grow Natives to Encourage Australian Birdlife
November 29, 2018As the seasons change and the Summer heats up, many of us are heading back out into the garden to give it a new lease on life after the winter chill. Instead of planting Pink Periwinkle or Cadaghi this season, why not go for an Eremophila or Bottle Brush? Native gardens maintain the local biodiversity,… Read more »
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Life is Never Boring – Betty the Bettong
November 15, 2018I’m trying to think back to what has happened over the last couple of months as it all rolls into one big blur….does this ever happen to you? I never quite know whether that means we have too much on the go or if I’m starting to lose the plot as I get a bit… Read more »
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Feral Birds We Don’t Care For
November 1, 2018Springtime sees an increase in the numbers of birds brought to the Maranoa Wildlife group (Maranoa Wildlife Caring & Education Centre or MWCEC), and our great supporters BOOBOOK. It’s peak breeding season for many species. In all the excitement adult birds have mishaps like hitting windows or getting caught by cats, while youngsters can be… Read more »
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Breathtaking Barn Owls
October 25, 2018Barn Owls are one of the most beautiful of all Australian owls; their ghostly white underparts contrast with the various shades of brown and grey on their back and wings. They are one of the most commonly encountered owls in the Outback, especially as they hunt rodents close to roads at night. They’ll often be… Read more »
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Bloomin’ Bottle Trees
October 11, 2018October is a wonderful time of year. The temperatures are perfect to head outdoors, there’s plenty of wildlife activity and lots of flowers about. You don’t need to go far before you see some of the flowers we’re talking about. Take a wander along some Roma’s streets and you will see carpets of flowers on… Read more »
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Outback Queensland’s Dr Dolittle
September 27, 2018Richard Johnson (BOOBOOK Senior Ecologist) loves conversing with animals. He has been face to face with a roaring silverback Mountain Gorilla in the Congo and a less-intimidating, though equally rare, leaf-tailed gecko in a tiny patch of vine forest near Kilkivan, NW of Gympie, Queensland. On ecological surveys around Roma in Outback Queensland he has… Read more »
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Botanist Spotlight: Orchids
September 20, 2018What do orchids look like? They are technically a perennial herb because they lack woody stems – instead most grow from a structure called a pseudobulb. You may already be familiar with them as popular plants with colourful and often fragrant flowers, used in floral arrangements and highly sought after by collectors. Where do they come… Read more »
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Life’s Never Boring – Outback Travel
September 13, 2018A quote found on Facebook recently: “Europeans….I drove 20 minutes and now I’m in France. Australians….I drove 20 minutes and now I’m at the end of my drive way”. So True. There are some spectacular places in Outback Australia, however you do need to be prepared to travel to get there. The last two weeks… Read more »
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Christmas Surprise
September 6, 2018When I was twelve, not unlike any other Christmas morning, we jumped out of bed and raced to open presents from under the tree. Unbeknownst to us, while the door had been left open the previous day, a goanna had moseyed inside looking for a cool spot to escape the summer heat. After a few presents… Read more »
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Life is Never Boring – Swans
August 30, 2018I had an early morning start in the crispy cool air to run some molasses out to cattle on the farm. With three dogs on board and the 1000 litre molasses tank full, away we go in the dark, watching as the sun rises to expose what the new day will bring. We run molasses… Read more »