Veronika Wild

  Want to help save wildlife after the fires? You can do it in your own backyard Holly Kirk , RMIT University ; Brendan Wintle , University of Melbourne ; Casey Visintin , University of Melbourne ; Freya Thomas , RMIT University ; Georgia Garrard , RMIT University ; Kirsten Parris , University of Melbourne ; Kylie Soanes , University of Melbourne ; Pia Lentini , University of Melbourne , and Sarah Bekessy , RMIT University People living in cities far from the unprecedented bushfires this summer may feel they can do little more to help beyond donating to organisations that support affected wildlife. But this is not necessarily the case: ten of the 113 top-priority threatened animal species most affected by the fires have populations in and around Australian cities and towns. Conserving these populations is now even more critical for the survival of these species. Here we provide various practical tips on things people can do in their own backyards and neighbourhoods to hel...

This young Bare -Nosed or Common Wombat ( Ursinus vulgaris ) is about four years old. They take a long time to reach maturity and are no longer so common in Tasmania     World Wombat Day is or was on Thursday 22 nd October, depending on which time zone you are in.   Wombats are another unique Australian animal at risk of disappearing not unlike its nearest relative, the Koala. Wombats are the endearing furry, ‘ round boys ’ of the Australian bush, weighing in at 20 -30 Kgs and are about a metre in length. Being marsupials they keep their joeys in a pouch and come out at dusk to graze on grasses, shrubs and roots. Their pouches face backwards so that their young don’t get covered in dirt when the adult wombat digs – something they do exceptionally well. They sleep 16 hours a day and can live up to 26 years. If I had to pick my spiritual animal, a wombat would be it. Read more about wombats here .  There are three species of wombat in Australia. The Northe...

  The very top of Mc Gowan's Falls - apologies for the dull pics. The sun hadn't come up yet!   As the crow flies and according to Google maps, Mc Gowan’s Falls are only about 23Km away from Preolenna, but both neglect to mention that this is via an unmade Forestry Road, all of which vary greatly in quality. Most are unsigned and usually single lane with nowhere to pass or turn around. They can also be very treacherous. At this time of year after so much rain, you are likely to encounter wash -outs, enormous potholes, weakened bridges and possibly fallen timber across the road. Since these are private roads, you travel at your own risk and can’t complain or sue if you break an axle or write yourself or your car off. I think it's very difficult for people coming from more densely populated regions to imagine how wild and rugged Tasmania is beyond our towns and cities which cling like embroidery to its fringes.  I always enter such roads with great trepidation and carr...

So long Table Cape I don’t get to Table Cape very often, so before I left I thought I would do a bit of exploring. My first stop was at Fossil Bluff which proved to be a pleasant surprise, living up to its name and giving some insight into a prehistoric world of glaciers and volcanoes. Then I turned inland.   Fossil Bluff lives up to its name and takes you back about 22 million years. It also has picnic tables and a nice little walk to a lookout As well as spring being tulip season, it is also a great time to see our waterfalls in action, even the seasonal ones. I’m pretty sure that after all the rain we’ve had, even the elusive Victoria Valley Falls would be flowing.   If you are in the Table Cape area, I can thoroughly recommend a visit to Delaney’s Falls, right near the road on the way to Gunn’s Plains or to Dip Falls to the south, which not only has a sealed road running right up to it, but viewing platforms and stairs going all the way down.   Having seen these...