Educators/Researchers

Maligned through the ages for their association with witchcraft, disease, drug use and poisonings, the fungus kingdom is gaining due credit thanks to ecologists, photographers and foragers.

From cats to cars, barbed wire to fruit nets, native wildlife face daily dangers, many of them human-related. In a Wildlife Emergency Assistance Workshop presented by Tracy Burgess from the Blue Mountains Branch of WIRES participants learnt about measures we can take to prevent injuries to wildlife, and what to do if we encounter an injured or sick native animal.

The garden is the first line of defence in a bushfire, but that doesn’t mean sacrificing liveable spaces for the rest of the year. Landscape architect Sue Bell explains how we can balance good garden design with sound bushfire principles.

Liz Durnan spoke to artists Ro Murray and Mandy Burgess, and Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute CEO Jane Powles, about a heartbreaking story of near-extinction and how we can help save the lost song of the Regent Honeyeater.

“Wherever I go, bookstores are still the closest thing to a town square.” – Gloria Steinem. Founder of Good Earth Bookshop Mary Coin talks about the importance of community connection and the enduring power of books.

Kindlehill School has launched its new senior school program with a thought-provoking documentary exploring ideas of home and healing that reflect Australia’s past and future.

While Blue Mountains residents are all too familiar with the more visible impacts of climate change such as floods, droughts and fires, another lesser known impact of extreme weather is urban forest decline and tree death.