Katoomba Area Local NewsStrengthening community, healing Country, and restoring the health of our planet.
Future Doctors Learn About Planetary Health
Professor Lynne Madden from The University of Notre Dame presenting on the connection between human health and a healthy environment.
Last week around 160 first year medical students were introduced to Planetary Health and Dharug culture at the Planetary Health Centre, with presentations by Professor Lynne Madden from The University of Notre Dame Australia, Lis Bastian from the Planetary Health Centre and Dharug man Chris Tobin.
Key Points:
The Rural Clinical School of The University of Notre Dame in Lithgow and the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre have been introducing first year medical students to rural medicine, Aboriginal Health and Planetary Health for three years.
In Australia, heatwaves kill more people than all other natural disasters combined, and we need a whole-of-community response to reduce the impact of heat on public health and biodiversity.
A healthy biodiverse environment supports human health.
Increasingly, medical practitioners are recognising the impact of the environment on human health and that we need to protect the health of our planet to safeguard human health.
For the last three years, The University of Notre Dame Australia has been bringing first year medical students to the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre and Notre Dame’s Rural Clinical School in Lithgow, to deliver its Rural Indigenous Immersion Program.
The focus is on rural medicine, Aboriginal Health and Planetary Health.
Chris Tobin discussing Dharug culture with medical students in the Planetary Health Centre Gallery
Last week around 160 students were introduced to Planetary Health and Dharug culture at the Planetary Health Centre, with presentations by Dharug man Chris Tobin, Professor Lynne Madden from Notre Dame, and Lis Bastian from the Planetary Health Centre.
A slide from Professor Madden’s presentation
With 2024 being the hottest year on record, within the hottest decade on record, assisting future doctors prepare for heatwaves has become an important focus area of these programs. Heat waves kill more people than all other natural disasters combined. For example, in 2024 the WHO estimated that 175,000 people die annually from heat stress in the European region.
“They are all preventable deaths,” stressed Professor Madden. “You can prevent unnecessary morbidity and mortality if you’re aware. Some drugs you are going to prescribe,” she explained to the students, “are going to make people more heat sensitive. You’re going to have to be factoring this into your care.”
Professor Lynne Madden highlighted that a large section of the population, that includes babies, pregnant women, people on certain medications (including some anti-hypertensives), and people over 65, are more vulnerable to the effects of heatwaves because of a reduced capacity to thermoregulate.
“We actually know a lot more now about the physiology of thermoregulation. And some of that work has been done at Sydney University by Professor Ollie Jay, Professor of Heat and Health. Anything that Ollie writes is worth reading,” said Lynne.
Professor Madden shared these simple evidence-informed solutions to help people cope with heatwaves:
Jay O, Capon A, Berry P, et al. Reducing the health effects of hot weather and heat extremes: from personal cooling strategies to green cities. The Lancet 2021.
You can watch Professor Madden’s full presentation here:
Through Lis Bastian’s presentation, and group exercises using thermal imaging cameras, the students learnt how surface temperatures can be dramatically higher than air temperatures (think about when you try walking barefoot on an asphalt road on a hot day!) and that a strategy to reduce impacts of heatwaves, and the ‘heat island effect’, is to ensure we use more natural surfaces which contain water.
Water cools areas in summer and warms them in winter. Grass, for example, is much cooler than pavers and woodchip or artificial surfaces. Colour is also important: light roofs and surfaces are cooler than dark surfaces.
Saskia Everingham demonstrating how to use a thermal imaging camera.
Students experimenting with thermal imaging cameras (NB. Blue Mountains Library has thermal imaging cameras available for loan and they can also be used to identify where cold air is entering your house in winter.)
Lis highlighted how children’s playgrounds, built with artificial surfaces, become dangerously hot in heatwaves, as this thermal photograph indicates: with hot artificial surfaces red and yellow, and grass and shade much cooler as indicated by blue.
The students broke into groups to address strategies to moderate temperatures both inside and outside the building.
Designing ‘Cooler’ Bus Stops
Six groups of students over the two days were given the task of designing a bus shelter for the Planetary Health Centre that would be accessible and provide a safe cool place to wait for public transport during heatwaves.
Discussing the bus stop outside the Planetary Health Centre
The students took this further and considered all weather conditions, coming up with a range of suggestions the Planetary Health Centre now hopes to use to apply for funding to build a bus shelter.
Together they addressed many aspects of what should be considered in designing better bus stops: providing shelter by adding a roof (and even roof garden), with surrounding trees for natural cooling shade, seating, water fountains, walls for protection from wind and rain, solar panels for electronic timetables and lighting to provide security for people waiting at night, emergency call services, information in braille, garbage bins, grassed areas and water for guide dogs, and ramps to improve accessibility.
‘The Shak’ could be the ultimate bus stop, a destination in itself!
At the end of the day one group took the concept of ‘cooler’ literally and amused everyone with their design for ‘The Shak’. Made out of recycled timber it included seating using recycled movie theatre seats and recycled sofa beds from Event Cinemas, as well as a Netflix screen to entertain people while waiting. The shelter was covered in solar panels to power the Netflix screen and fairy lights, and a dual electronic bus timetable that would indicate to bus drivers if people were waiting. The shelter also included an accessibility ramp, a water fountain, a bathroom, and a coffee shop!
As an increasing number of people are being affected by winter viruses, we’re offering a free session of Tai Chi and Qigong on Saturday 5 July in the warmth of our beautiful Frogs of the Blue Mountains exhibition. Places are limited so book in early here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/40fnGW2 Learn more about these Chinese medicine movement practices in the video interview with Virginia Field on our YouTube channel (link in profile) and read about how Chinese medicine helped her overcome illness as a young woman in our story: Healing Body, Mind and Spirit with Tai Chi and Qigong here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/tai-chi-and-qigong/
If you’re interested in learning how to propagate native plants and are keen to help our bush regenerate, the Bushcare Seed Collectors meet on the second Tuesday of the month. Check out how they cook Banksias to release their seed and learn more about the group, and native seed collecting, in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/bushcare-seed-collectors/
If you’d like to join the group, contact the Bushcare officer Tracy Abbas on 4780 5623 or email [email protected]
Littlejohni, the Rare and Endangered Northern Heath Frog, photographed in Woodford!
When the Frogs of the Blue Mountains exhibition opened at the Planetary Health Centre in March it featured photos of 20 different local frogs. We were thrilled, however, when Andy Klotz and other members of the Hawkesbury Herpetological Society recently managed to photograph another frog in Woodford: the rarely seen and endangered Litoria littlejohni, also known as the Northern Heath Frog or Orange-bellied Tree Frog. We’ve added a photo of that frog to the exhibition and created a new Frogs of the Blue Mountains video in which you can listen to its call on our YouTube channel. We interviewed Andy to learn more about the Littlejohni and how they managed to find its small local population. You can read this story in Mid Mountains Local News (link in profile). #biodiversity #bluemountainsfrogs #northernheathfrog #litorialittlejohni #bluemountains #woodford #planetaryhealth #hawkesburyherpetologicalsociety...
Our newsletter is now out! Read about how you can contribute to @bluemountainscitycouncil`s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy; watch our video on Falling in Love with Glossy Black Cockatoos; see the new photos of the rare Northern Heath Frog; watch how the Bushcare Seed Collectors cook banksias to release their seeds; learn more about Tai Chi and Qigong, the Chinese medicine movement practices; and take part in our next workshop on Designing Your Future Home with Passive House Designer Karina Rafailov from @earthy_haus
Read it here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/40e4GHr
Our video on Falling In Love With Glossy Black Cockatoos is now up on our Planetary Health YouTube channel (sorry, it`s too big to share here but there`s a link in our profile).
Jayden Gunn finishes his presentation by saying:
"Care is like a snowball. The more people you tell the bigger the snowball gets, and the further it goes. And the more we know, the more we care. And the more we know, the more we`re able to help."
The video is of our fabulous Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo, and includes presentations by Jayden Gunn, BirdLife Australia, Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, and STEM teacher Samantha Bowden from Glenbrook Public School. There`s a link with the video on how to register for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong on 5 July (and it`s also in our profile). Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCERdF21Ud0&t=13s
Today we`re enjoying eating ripe medlars! Medlars are attractive cold climate fruit trees that were popular in Medieval gardens. They`re one of the few fruits that can be harvested in late Autumn and eaten in early Winter when they`re fully ripe. This is a great time of year to plant them for a future harvest. Check out our short video on how to eat them! #coldclimategardens #ediblegardens #medlars #growyourown #planetaryhealth #bluemountains...
We`re thrilled to share that last night @BlueMountainsCityCouncil`s Planetary Health Centre won the Innovative Leadership Award (Population Under 150K) in the 2025 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. What a great end to World Environment Day! 🌏 This award celebrates how local government can lead transformative change for a more sustainable future. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard with us to make our vision a reality. You can read more about what we`re doing at our website (link in profile): http://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/ @ph_alliance #planetaryhealth #worldenvironmentday #localgovernmentleadership #nswlocalgovernmentexcellenceawards...
Blocking out a couple of hours a week to step off the treadmill and give ourselves time to nurture our relationship with the earth and ourselves, is one way to keep our creative spirit and ‘lust for life’ alive. If you haven’t done so yet, one opportunity over the next week is to spend some ‘slow’ time in the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre before it closes on 15 June. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/the-2024-wynne-prize/ @bluemountainsculturalcentre @artgalleryofnsw #wynneprize #landscapes #bluemountains #katoomba #artexhibition #planetaryhealth...
Recognising how violence and war impact the health of the planet, the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative has become a member of the Blue Mountains Peace Collective. On Sunday 25th May, we attended a presentation by Dr Keith Suter on Making Peace in the World Today at the Leura Uniting Church. In this powerful presentation Dr Suter questions why we learn about war rather than successful peace negotiations! View the video of his presentation below and read our full story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/3Fl4WgQ (link in profile)
With an extra day up your sleeve this long weekend, it`s a great opportunity to give nature a hand to regenerate and provide more habitat for our fellow species! Join our fabulous all ages Planetary Health Bushcare Group from 1.30pm and then participate in the Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm, followed by drinks and nibblies! You can also start the day with a fabulous Tai Chi session at 8am. Visit our Planetary Health Pluriversity website to book in and learn more (link in profile): https://bmpluriversity.org/program/
Or ring 0407 437 553 for more information. #planetaryhealth #bushcare #katoomba #bluemountains #glossyblackcockatoos #landcare #biodiversity #habitat #wearenature #togetherwecan...
In this inspiring interview with Medlow Bath resident Amanda Foxon-Hill she talks about her work with Mid Lachlan Landcare, why Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo is so important, and why she loves her work so much! Read the full story in Blackheath Area Local News here: https://blackheathnews.com/connecting-landscapes-for-glossy-black-cockatoos/
Book in for the Growing Connected Landscapes Forum at 4pm this Saturday 7 June here: https://events.humanitix.com/growing-connected-landscapes-for-the-glossy-black-cockatoo Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong here: https://events.humanitix.com/glossy-black-cockatoo-community-tree-planting-5
In a world that increasingly feels out of balance, we’re thrilled to be offering Saturday morning Tai Chi and Qigong at 8am this Saturday 7 June (and the first Saturday of every month on our Skill Share Saturdays). Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art and moving meditation for body, mind and spirit. It is ideal for learning to keep calm amidst chaos but also has health benefits to increase longevity. Harvard Medical School has reported that this gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life. It`s particularly popular in Hong Kong, where residents have one of the highest life expectancies in the world! T`ai-Chi has also been found to improve brain function (like memory and mental flexibility) faster than other exercise and, in a recent study, comparing T`aiChi to brisk walking, the martial art was found to be significantly better at reducing blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease, like blood sugar levels and cholesterol. If you’d like to try it out, you can reserve your spot here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3FxWPgR
Blocking out a couple of hours a week to step off the treadmill and give ourselves time to nurture our relationship with the earth and ourselves, is one way to keep our creative spirit and ‘lust for life’ alive. If you haven’t done so yet, one opportunity over the next two weeks is to spend some ‘slow’ time in the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre.
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