Environmental Action and Activism - a simple perspective

Goanna (no, he isn't threatened, but his habitat is changing rapidly) Mt Warning Caldera Region, Australia
Australian Government listings for THREATENED FAUNA Species
&
Environmental Advocacy blogs - the Art of Public Engagement (with links to Melissa Merry's "“Blogging and Environmental Advocacy: A New Way to Engage the Public?”)

In the scheme of things, action (Environmental Action and Activism) to change the world can come in three forms:-

* Identifying the critical issue, passively supporting change for the better in your heart, but recognising that beyond that, you can do little else, except heal your own inbalances and heart.

* Identifying the critical issues, actively supporting the change for the better and recognising that balance, focus and the "heart" and "energy" behind those actions are to be considered as foundations to those actions.

* Identifying the critical issue, understanding the passive and the active response, then going beyond. Going to and working with, the underlying issue that has caused the initial problem is in this category. Going to the spirit of things, addressing them in a way that can help cause a massive shift in mass consciousness awareneness, thus facilitating change without really becoming involved in the individual issue.

Native Black Bee, Australia

Tolerance, love, forgiveness, redemption and compassion are powerful tools when dealing with poor land management, inappropriate land custodianship and ignorant land stewardship. These things can open up doors that anger, misdirected ego and intolerance have previously held shut.

and now a poem......

Phantom Koala and the Goanna

"Dearest PK" asked Goanna wise
"why don't the Trees now reach to the Skies-
why is the Rain so late to fall?
I know many things but with these, I stall."

PK slowly shifted to see
who questioned him so from beneath his tree
"Why Goanna, you smarty, didn't you know
The government let them clear the trees, so....
The rain doesn't come, the wind blows hard
and everyone's mowing down their back yard
They've channelled the water away from the streams
and ruined the chance of our childrens' dreams."

This disturbed the Goanna who said, "But PK, surely not everyone acts in this way?"
Well, PK just laughed and pulled at some leaves
"It's what's in ones heart - that's what to believe
Does it make sense to kill? does it make sense to steal?
Does it make sense to eat much much more than your meal?"
"Well, that is what they do - the clearers of land, they kill all the trees and they make out they're grand. Then they take all the water and pump it away
and they tell us that industries show us the way.
They hop on their jet stream and swan round the world
praising themselves with their grand flags unfurled
saying 'We have the answer - we are the best'
(though to you and me both - we know they're the pest)."
Goanna thought deeply on PK's last words and dreamily saw that it was quite absurd
"So why do they panic and call each day drought, why do the leaders still hold so much clout?"
"Oh Goanna! Dear friend, you wise brave old soul
because they can't see from their justified hole. They've dug down so deeply, their egos as spades - that the only thing left between them and the hades-

is redemption and love. We must give them a hand, to clamber back up and to save our sweet land"

************************************

The above article is taken from a lengthier one that I have written on the bluecray.org website. For more about the plight of Australian Koalas in this region, you can try bluecray's environmental search engine .

Koala Populations and their Habitats are falling sharply along the central east coast of Australia, where Urbanisation and unsustainable development practices have been the norm for many decades. Habitat clearing is one of the biggest threats currently facing Koalas. Despite the dedicated work by Koala carers and Koala advocates, the Koala is not listed as a threatened species by the Australian Government for this Region, although the NSW & QLD Governments have the Koala listed as a threatened species in these bioregions.

Water

WATER Links and Searches at bluecray search engines

Underground Catchments (ground water, aquifers, water tables) of the Mt Warning Caldera Region and above ground Catchments - Rivers, Streams, Creeks, Estuaries, Lakes, Dams .. A starting point for understanding the Catchments and WATER of the Mt Warning Caldera Region, NE NSW & SE QLD, Australia

Benoit Mandelbrot, the baby Crow, at home in Burringbar

Benoit at home in Burringbar, Mt Warning Caldera Region, NE NSW, Australia

On the left is Benoit's Father waiting under the full moon before Benoit took his first flight.
In the middle is Benoit, on 20th January 2009 and the smaller pic of Benoit is when he had just left his nest - late Oct/earlyNov 2008. The other photos are of some of his favourite trees in his Burringbar home (NE NSW Australia)

Benoit Mandelbrot - a very Smart Crow

Benoit Mandelbrot - a very smart crow

Benoit Mandelbrot has been flying since late October, 2008. He is the middle sibling of three children born to two Crows that live next door to me in Burringbar, in the Mt Warning Caldera Region of NE NSW, Australia. The family is a tight knit unit. The Father Crow has done much hard work to raise his children, with his Wife, and soon the children will be independent. 

All three children of the Crows still have their baby voices, although sometimes Benoit and the older sibling Baba O'Riley can make some pretty convincing adult sounds. 

Over the December and January months, the children have vastly expanded their vocals, and eating skills. All three children have counted coup with the children of other birds in the neighbourhood - Kookaburras,Currawongs and Hawks. They do not fight with Magpies, although I notice that, when very young, the Crow children would "stalk" the adult Magpies. This was tolerated very kindly, by the "stalked" adult.

As told earlier in this blog, Baba was the first of the babys to fly up very high with a Sea Eagle.

At other times, the Crow children have flown, with their parents (particularly their Father) to chase adult Wedge Tail Eagles, Sparrow Hawks, Grey and Brown Goshawks and Kookaburras, but usually it is the Father Crow that continues the chase, and the Crow children retreat to safe arbours while he fights, chases and counts coup.

When the children first flew from their nest in the Crows Ash Tree, I couldn't distinguish between them easily. However, even when they were in their nest, I felt that there was often a little pair of eyes watching me, and had an intuitive feeling that one of the Crow children would become my friend.

From almost their first flight, there was always one little Crow that would give me an extra long gaze, focus into my eyes, and try to talk with me. Now, as I have learnt to distinguish the Crow children more, I can see Benoit, even in the air, or high up in a tree, by mannerisms and voice. Benoit even comes when I call.

 "Benoit! Benoit" I call, and Benoit comes flying down to me, and has a little talk. Swooping over my head landing only inches from me, but will not land on my hand. I have fed these babies, and their parents, after the Father Crow had a serious wing injury,and so, I guess that it is not unusual for them to come to me. Their parents, however, are quite distrustful of closeness to people, and prefer to stay at a distance. I put out clean water for them daily, which they love to drink, bathe and soak their food in.

Benoit's Father has sometimes come to me, asking if I will help chase a goanna. He was prone to do this when the Children were still in the nest. But that is another story.....

Meanwhile, back to Benoit, the smart little Crow.  Although second to leave the nest, Benoit has shown much intelligence, and is often the first to respond to the parent Crows' calls, a situation or opportunity. Benoit will often come down to me and just sit and talk with me. Looking into Benoit's eyes is like discovering another universe. The beauty, wildness, intelligence and sensitivity astound and amaze me. My respect for Crows has increased a thousandfold, since getting to know this family. It is funny, even as I write this article, Benoit is up in the "birth" tree practicing the "alarm" call, and play fighting with the elder Crow, Baba.  About a week ago, when Benoit came up to me, talking many different crow words, I repeatedly said "hello, hello". Then, to my astonishment, Benoit said "hello" back to me. TWICE!!!! What a smart little fellow Benoit Mandelbrot is.

One of my favourite pastimes is to sit in the evening warmth, and watch the first stars appear, with the children of the Crows all sitting nearby. This is a peaceful event, quite often.... but not when the Hawks arrive with their children, to inspect the old crow's nest in the birthing tree and attack the children of the Crows! No, on those evenings, everyone is alert, and when it becomes too much, the father Crow will take the children and his wife off to the nearby family of Crows that live a kilometre or so away, and spend the evening there! I don't blame him. The Hawks are fierce, relentless and can severely injure a baby Crow. But, somehow, I feel that Benoit will survive Crow childhood and grow into a very wise old Crow.

Benoit Mandelbrot is indeed a very smart and brave Crow. 

Photo: Benoit Mandelbrot having one of his first flights in early November 2008

ME

I am the crow that calls out the law

I am the eagle whose wings ever soar

I am the earthworm, humble unseen

I am a miracle in god’s greatest dream.

Totem based Education for Biodiversity in Darling River (Murray Darling System)

The current Issue of the Darling River has it's roots in ignorance, lack of continuity of focus and understanding plus run amok ego and greed. The Darling River is one of the main arteries of the Australian continental BODY. All along and within the River System lives an amazingly complex interconnected section of the Australian BIOSPHERE. There are also key components of that Biosphere that are helpful indicators to the health of the system.

I have my own ideas as to how to fix this main artery:

1. Continuity of understanding and respect by creating a comprehensive long term vision of education. Base this education on a)teaching within every single school (and associated community network) within the Catchment System and b) teaching via mass media.

2. Use the concept of "totems" to carry this understanding and respect into future generations' life styles. Create a comprehensive "TOTEM" based educational framework, that is fully coordinated and on equal footing with economic educational components of current mainstream educational policies.

3. Find the "TOTEMS" (eg Koala, dragonfly, ant, goanna, crayfish, habitat, river red gum, wallaby etc- the list could be refined by proper consultation with the traditional land owners also ). Pool current ecological wisdom to isolate key indicator species. Imprint these "TOTEM" qualities and understandings onto every future student generation - Thus safeguarding their survival in their HABITATS via full integration of the "TOTEMS" system within the environmental and economic educational frameworks of the Australian Schooling network.

A simple start here:-

• Create the school "house" system as the "TOTEM" base for a particular location/section of Catchment.
  
• Fully integrate the learning of that TOTEM within each individual school.
  
• Involve the local knowledge, science community, businesses and core catchment authorities to mentor the knowledge.
  
• Ensure that each student leaving the education system has a deep and thorough understanding and care for at least ONE TOTEM.
  
• Make this a hundred year plan.
  

4. Implement a wide scale revegetation program of monumental proportion.

Creating industry in organic nurseries, provincial species seed distribution, habitat restoration networks and other industry incentives based around the current and future utilities & transport corridors and other public & crown land. This RESOURCE MANAGEMENT approach, that caters for seed stock plants, education, sustainability and habitat "demonstration" can fill a massive niche, that is missing in Australia - that of sustainable "organic" nursery and revegetation networks, seed networks and local habitat restoration industries.

5. Ensure that CARBON TRADING and CARBON OFFSET PROGRAMS are based on only the soundest of biodiversity principles - instead of the quick fix approach taken by many of industry and the market place opportunists, when initiatives such as these are let loose in the public market place and supported by government sectors and funding support.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Creation Story told by Auntie Beryl Carmichael

(creation story for Ngyiaampaa country as well as land belonging to Eagle Hawk and Crow)

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability

Some Darling River (Murray Darling Catchment Links) on bluecray blog

Aboriginal Economy and Society - Educational link & Sociological Remarks from Australian National University - Darling River

Platypus by Ann Moyal - a preview page

Pauline McLeod - Aboriginal Storyteller - an interview

Aboriginal Principal for Sustainable Development as told in tradition law stories by Karl Eric Sveiby (google HTML version) by sveiby knowledge associates

Murray Lower Darling Indigenous Nations

Report to the Murray Darling Basin Commission (2003) - Indigenous response to the Living Murray Initiative (google HTML version)

The Salt that Ate Australia - note on BBC Costing the Earth program 1/04/04 BBC Radio 4 (google HTML version)

Aboriginal Studies Press, Library, Research, Audiovisual Library, Weblinks, News at Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)

Bluecray EDUCATION LINKS

Bluecray Darling River (Murray Darling Catchment) Links

Benoit  - the young Crow  (Burringbar,NSW)

The Darling River is a long way from the Mt Warning Caldera Region. If you look at this catchments MAP for the Catchments of NSW and this Qld catchments MAP, you will see that the catchments of the Darling River do not conveniently fit within state borders  of  NSW  and  QLD  .  Eventually, these catchments flow intoVictoria and South Australia. This is the Murray-Darling System spanning 4 Australian States and finally flowing into the ocean in South Australia . To further compound the complexity, governments continually change the historical reference points for understanding this vaste system of waterways.

Money, Scientific Research , Reform processes , Government Initiatives and Community effort  : the LIST is endless when it comes to the response to the management of the Darling River Catchment System. It is decades since the  problems of water loss and farmland sustainability were identified by the Australian Government.

 The history of these initiatives have all but been forgotten as the various personalities of politics and powerplay continually introduce new reforms, create new public agendas and frameworks, find another cause or cure to the issue, waste valuable community effort, time and resources in changing benchmarks and project support and sell off public assets to "fix" the issues.

Oh, now you might say - well what about Carbon Credits and Carbon Trading ?  LANDCARE?  Caring for Country?   Catchment Management Programs?  Greening Australia? Australian Conservation Volunteers?Rotary? Scouts?  There is a huge list of already participating community volunteers and paid environmental advisors out there.

And I might say back to you - well it has been years since the National Landcare and Catchment Management grew from the need to address vital LAND and WATER issues within the Murray-Darling System, and other prominent Catchment Systems in Western Australia, Qld and Victoria. The previous Government sold chunks of government telecommunications to FIX this issue. YET still, the precious WATER of the Murray- Darling undergoes "stream stealing" by channel altering, land reshaping and other catchment interference such as Dams, developments, clearing, innapropriate land use and  waste by monoculture industries that are fully supported by other government incentives and the PUBLIC.

Australian Commonwealth Water Act 2007  - at ComLaw, Attorney-General's Department, Australian Government 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Below is a not conclusive all encompassing list of Catchment links to the Darling and the Murray-Darling system. It is more a list to encourage a starting point to understanding the depth and breadth of this great system that once supported a fantastic number of living flora and fauna, while the original land Custodians of Australia lived and walked the land, ( before the European invasion of Australia in the 18th century and subsequent decline in water quality, species, habitats and adequate land stewardship)

• Beyond Native title: The Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations  
• Recognition of Aboriginal rights, interests and values in river research and management: Perspectives from northern Australia - with implications for Catchment Management throughout Australia
  
• Aboriginal Law Bulletin  
• Caught in the Act - ongoing research blog byKathy Stavrou - brief history of Australia since European occupation of NSW, Australia
• Indigenous Law Bulletin - Indigenous Law Centre, University of NSW, Australia
• Australian Human Rights Commission - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
• NSW Dept. Environment and Climate Change - Indigenous People of NSW - this is extremely brief considering how long the indigenous Nations have lived throughout Australia and cared so well for its biodiversity and habitats
• The Murray Darling Basin - an overview  
• Current Australian Government Position for Murray Darling System (2009)
• 1. What's in the catchment and where does the water flow_
• ACF - Murray Darling
• Australian Government National Water Commission
• River condition in the Murray-Darling Basin
• Queensland WaterShed - Drainage Divisions & Stream Flow Sites - select a Qld Catchment
• Australian Natural Resources Atlas home page
• Catchment Classification Project
• Catchment Classification_ regional maps- South Australia
• Catchment Mapping - Connected Water Website
• CatCon mapping facility
• map australian catchments - Google Search
• University of Melbourne Integrated Catchment Management Education  

• Darling River - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Darling River Action Group
• Data Library
• Department of Natural Resources and Water Queensland home page
• Develop and implement management options - Connected Water Website
• Dryland Rivers policy document
• Geoscience Australia - Fab Facts, Landforms, Australian Rivers
• Investigate and Assess - Connected Water Website
• Land Use - Australia
• Link to Atlas on-line mapping
• Maps - protected wetlands, rivers and river catchments
• National Mapping - Fab Facts, Landforms from Space
• Rivers - Assessment of River Condition - Queensland
• Set Management Targets - Connected Water Website
• Statwide map
• Australian Government understating Perth catchment rain
• WaterShed
• Australian Government Land and Water  programs
• Water Regulations 2008 - Australian Bureau of Meteorology :  Water Act 2007 & Water Information 
• Australian Water Association  
• Ganesha on the Murray  
• Natural Sequence Farming  
• Natural Sequence Association 
• Biodiversity Assessment Darling Riverine Plains ANRA (Australian Natural Resourse Atlas) i am not sure when this was done
• ENIAR (European Network for Indigenous Australian Rights) 
• Bluecray.org WATER and Darling River LINKS pages

Bluecray Frog Links Mt Warning Caldera Region NE NSW SE QLD Australia

Information about Frogs, Frog Educational Links and Resources can be found in this article. The Mt Warning Caldera Region of NE NSW and SE QLD is home to many different species of FROGS. Frogs and their Habitats in the Mt Warning Caldera Region can be understood more by reading "Declines and Disappearances of Australian Frogs" (ISBN 0 642 54656 8) edited by Alastair Campbell, Environment Australia 1999.

• Frog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• David Suzuki Foundation - Science Matters - Solving Global Warming, Protecting Human Health, Conserving Our Oceans, Promoting Global Conservation, Building a Sustainable Economy

Australian Frog Links

• The Action Plan for Australian Frogs - Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts
• Australian Museum Information Disc - Australian Frogs -
• Australian Museum online - Resources - Herpetology Frog Links -
• Frogs Australia Network - sponsored by Zoos Victoria, this site will inform and delight. FROG EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES for everyone.
• The Frogs of NSW Wetlands currently at NSW Government Natural Resources -
• Water for the Environment Wetlands - NSW Government Natural Resources
• Useful Links & Frog Resources - NSW Government Department of Environment & Climate Change (DECC)
• Endangered Frogs - Queensland Environmental Protection Agency & Qld Parks & Wildlife Service
• National Recovery Plan for Stream Frogs of South East Queensland 2001-2005 -An important RESOURCE to help people in SE Queensland & NE New South Wales help the following FROGS:-

• Fleay's barred-frog (Mixophyes fleayi)
• Giant barred-frog (Mixophyes iteratus)
• Southern gastric-brooding frog (Rheobatrachus silius)
• Southern dayfrog (Taudactylus diumus)
• Kroombit tinkerfrog (Taudactylus pleione)
• Cascade treefrog (Litoria pearsoniana)
• New England treefrog (Litoria subglandulosa)

These FROGS have been given listed either nationally (under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) or by the Qld Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 1994. The listings range from vulnerable, endangered to very near extinction, in either SE Queensland or NE NSW or both Australian States. READ the National Recovery Plan and learn how you can help! The Queensland Environmental Protection Agency Publications or the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts Threatened Species Publications has the National Recovery Plan for download.

Currently (May 2008), if you look at the Australian National Threatened Species Listings for FROGS, there are 4 extinct frogs, 2 critically endangered, 14 endangered, and 12 vulnerable Frogs listed. The following Frog links will help you take action locally and regionally.

• Queensland Frog Society Inc. SE Qld
• Native frogs - Froggy facts and Disappearing Frogs at the Queensland Conservation website
• Frog Ponds - Queensland Government Environmental Protection Agency & Qld Parks & Wildlife Service
• Backyard Buddies NSW Department of Environment & Climate Change (Nature Conservation)
• Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group - Newsletter Page on Frogs & Cane Toads(2005) by John Pumpurs (amateur herpetologist)
• The Frog and Tadpole Study Group of NSW - FATS - based in Sydney, NSW
• Queensland Museum - Frogs feature -Amphibian Fact Sheets .
• Frogs in the School Grounds - Museum Magnet Schools
• Building Frog Ponds - Earth Beat - ABC Radio National
• Teachers' Toolkit -
• NSW Early Childhood Environmental Education Network -
• Endangered Animals preschool activities & craft including frogs
• Consideration for Frog Pond in the Tropics -

• Frogs - Abundance & Distribution in Australia (State of Environment Indicator IW-32)
• Change in Threatened Frog Species 1993-2004 (State of Environment Indicator BD-02)
• AUSTRALIAN FROGS - Lifecycles, key threats and more at theAustralian Government Department of the Environment ,Water, Heritage & the Arts
• AUSTRALIAN FROGS - an OVERVIEW by the Australian Government Department of the Environment ,Water, Heritage & the Arts
• Australian Threatened Species of Frogs - under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) - listings under Threatened Species and Ecological Communities -
• Threatened Species Publications -Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts - Books, Reports, Facts Sheets, Threatened Ecological Communities, Nationally Threatened Species and Key Threatening Processes FACTSHEETS

• Australian Museum online - research & collections
• Frogs of Australia - Amphibian Research Centre online
• Frog Community Forum Index - via Amphibian Research Centre

Some examples of endangered FROGS in Australia, their status and Conservation Strategies

• Fleay's Frog - Mixophyes fleayi - Endangered - Description, Distribution, Threats, Life Cycle
• Green and Golden Bell Frog - Litoria aurea - Endangered - conservation status in NSW ( Department of Environment & Climate Change NSW ) -
• Booroolong frog - Litoria booroolongensis - Endangered - conservation status in NSW

Global Frog Links

• GLOBAL Amphibian Assessment - Search for Frogs by species, name, taxonomy, country, region, threat, habitat, IUCN status
• AmphibiaWeb - an online database allowing free access to amphibian information. photos, sounds, worldwide.
• Conservation International - Fun Frog Facts for Leap Year 2008 with frog gallery
• Amphibian Ark - International Zoo, Botanic Gardens and Aquariums co-ordinated Public Awareness Campaign

CANE TOADS

• Feral.org.au - has Cane Toad information -
• Invasive Animals CRC has Cane Toad information -
• The Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts hasCane Toad Information -
• Australian Museum Fact Sheet - Cane Toads -

Wisdom in the Land

Hi, and WELCOME to the bluecray blog !

Bluecray's are a wonderful Crayfish that live in a variety of environments about the planet. There are quite a few different species of Crayfish in the Mt Warning Caldera Region, NE New South Wales, Australia. 

Bluecrays love clean water and a healthy, biodiverse habitat to live in (although the Yabby Cherax destructor  tolerates poor water conditions to compliment it's drought survival capacities).  Scientists are still learning about Bluecrays - where and how they live, and what they do in their lives. 

To me, bluecrays stand for being little protectors of the beautiful environment of the Mt Warning Caldera streams and Catchments. To me, they are a TOTEM, to be cared for. To others, they are food. To some people, they are pets and for others, they are an inspiration for art.

This bluecray blog is primarily about protection of habitats. I would like to use this blog as a platform to inspire others to  work and live together as individuals and/or groups,  to regain respect for the earth, and rediscover the true meaning of land custodianship and stewardship.

I call this approach "Wisdom in the Land".