Warrawong Sanctuary
Dr John Wamsley is renowned for his strong feelings about feral animals and their effect on Australia's wildlife. One of the sad things about Australia, he says, is that it has become an alien place for the native wildlife. National parks have ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Gymea Lily
Gymea lilies are spectacular Australian native plants with large, compact heads of nectar filled red flowers atop tall, thick stems. Most Australian natives resent being transplanted, but Gymea lilies can be dug up, moved and planted bare rooted. ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Re-Planting Local Environments
Don visited a remnant cabbage tree palm forest on Sydney's northern beaches and gave local residents some tips on preserving these beautiful native palms. The mature cabbage palms looked healthy, but they were growing in a lawn. Although they set ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Native Lichen
One of the things that you'd very easily miss when you walk through the Australian bush is some of the very beautiful lichens. At a glance it looks like a bit like snow on the ground and it grows in more or less full sun. Lichens are a symbiotic ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Kangaroos in Drought
Dr Chris Brown looked at the way kangaroos cope with drought. Chris explained that most members of the kangaroo family (Macropodoidea) have an adaptation called Embryonic Diapause. This enables them to recover from drought and make use of ideal ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Australian Insect Farm
For the past 10 years Jack and Sue Hasenpusch have been developing the Australian Insect Farm in Far North Queensland near Innisfail. It is an insect educational and breeding centre set on their 30 hectare (around 80 acre) rainforest ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Bats in Your Backyard
The bat is a fascinating creature that has appeared in the belief systems, art, literature, film and even recipes of people for centuries. You might not realise it, but bats will probably have visited your backyard at some stage this year. There ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Orb Weaving Spider
Although spiders are unpopular with lots of people, they play a very important role in the garden. They assist in the pollination of plants, recycle dead plant and animal matter, and help to keep insect populations under control. John Dengate ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Galaxias (Galaxias brevipinnis)
Around 90 million years ago a group of tiny fish called Galaxias lived almost side by side with the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs are long gone now, but amazingly those little fish are still with us, in fact a population can be found less than 10 ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Snake Warning
Veterinary Surgeon, Dr Rob Zammit, warned that it is now snake season. Even though the worst months (November and March) are still to come, vets around the country are already reporting cases of snakebite. Rob suggested taking these precautions ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Saving Power Saving Money
Modern appliances are very convenient, but as John Dengate explained, they come with a hidden cost for both home owners and the environment. Twenty to thirty years ago appliances were either 'on' or 'off'. Today, they can be 'on', 'off' or in ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
Nasturtium - Plant of the week
This wonderful plant is often taken for granted. As well as producing brightly coloured, cheerful flowers, it is the ideal plant for a child's first garden. The seeds are large and easily handled by little fingers, and the plants are easy to ... [... more]
Burke's Backyard |
