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Happy landings, Maggie
June 18, 2026 - How a plucky little bird brought unexpected delight to Etsuko Yasunaga.

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Up for the count
June 4, 2026 - Hundreds of drone images and thousands of seals … now Nature Parks needs volunteers to help count them

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Clear as mud
At last – Neil Daly finds an ally in his quest for an audit of mangrove projects in Western Port.   
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New hope for curlew comeback
July 2 2026 - After the first signs of breeding in the wild, 14 more bush stone-curlews have been released to join Phillip Island’s growing population.
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Humpback Highway
June 18, 2026 - Each winter, humpback whales begin one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom, right along the Bass Coast. By Mika Peters
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The bird next door
June 3, 2026 - They’re so common we barely notice them but Gayle Marien has a soft spot for the humble house sparrow.
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They also serve who only sit and wait
June 4, 2026 - An open letter from Basil, who grew old waiting for his nibs to finish that damned orchid book.
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Up for the count
June 4, 2026 - Hundreds of drone images and thousands of seals … now Nature Parks needs volunteers to help count them

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The final journey
May 1, 2026 - At the Mouth of the Powlett, a secret migration unfolds each autumn.
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The world in miniature
April 2, 2026 - Dick Wettenhall’s monumental study of orchids in the Gurdies uncovers a complex web of life.
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Special spiders
March 18 2026 - The clever leaf curling spider has plenty of fans, including Matt Stone.
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Welcome, stranger
Feb 16, 2026 - Spotted on Reef Island, the Eastern Yellow Wagtail is a long way from home, writes Dave Newman.
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A touch of home
Jan 15, 2026 - The Victorian Acclimatisation Society worked hard to introduce a host of plants and animals that would be useful to new settlers. By Anne Paul
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Beetle vs spider
April 16, 2026 - Gayle Marien scores a ringside view of an epic drama in our local wetlands. 

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Autumn nature notes
April 3, 2026 - As the nights draw in, Lisa Gilbert tells us what to watch for on Phillip Island.  
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My hoodie season
March 18, 2026 – Every volunteer has a special story. This is Paula Street’s.
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Bruce, Scabby and Bob
April 2, 2026 - Matt Stone observes an unfolding family drama from his front deck. 
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A nose for trouble
Dec 4, 2025 - Dogs and humans alike are being trained to keep Phillip Island fox-free.

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Two parts science, one part magic
Nov 8, 2025 - With a scientist’s mind and a gardener’s heart, Miriam Ford is turning a modest Wonthaggi block into a showpiece of Australian plants.​
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Penguin secrets of success
Nov 10, 2025 - Just like humans, penguin chicks that get a good start tend to prosper in later life.​
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Kelp and the Sentient Sea
Oct 9, 2025 - Two artists dive deep into the beauty, mystery and power of the Southern Ocean.
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Reef Island and the shifting line
July 22. 2025 - After years of watching this shift-shaper from afar, Linda Cuttriss sets out for a closer look.
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The Birdman of Cape Paterson
July 23, 2025 - With his camera and a talent for storytelling, David Hartney captures the daily dramas of birds, beasts and humans.
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Welcome home
May 15, 2025 - As the Gurdies forest begins to recover from fire, the animals are returning
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The birds are back
May 12, 2025 - As our migratory shorebirds depart for their Arctic breeding grounds, the Flyways exhibition opens to celebrate their extraordinary journey.
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Don’t go into the woods without it!
Oct 16, 2025 - When the pandemic clipped their wings, Jackie and Dave Newman turned their lenses closer to home. The result is on show in Birds of the Western Port Woodlands.
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Nature Notes
Sept 18, 2025 - Cockatoo lovers, possum squatters and mysterious flies … it must be spring.
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Calling citizen scientists
Aug 20, 2025 - If you go down to the woods today … take your phone because you never know what you’ll see.
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Close encounters
Feb 2, 2025 – When Julie Paterson first heard about Wonthaggi’s emus she suspected it was a tall tale.
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Shrooms, booms and a touch of magic
June 25, 2025 - The hipsters appear each winter, like migratory birds from north of the Yarra. By Catherine Watson
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Crays, muttonfish and gars with tails like pick-axes
June 7, 2025 - Fishing yarns from the Bunurong Coast by Rees Quilford

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Eye to eye
Dec 5, 2025 - Andrew Keir's birds look straight down the barrel of the lens as if they’re letting him into their world.
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The gardener’s friend
Dec 12, 2025 - Gayle Marien welcomes the return of the not-so-humble hover fly.
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The grevillea whisperer
Oct 14, 2025 - In a sea of concrete, lawn and yucca trees, David Binch has created a sanctuary for birds, bees and humans.
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The mystery remains
Oct 16, 2025 - In 1917, a huge skeleton found in sand dunes near Tarwin Lower caused great astonishment among the locals.   
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A photo journal
Aug 17, 2025 - The Mouth of the Powlett teems with layers of life, visual textures, a multitude of species and a restorative force. By Julie Paterson
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Roadkill Island
July 17, 2025 - Stop the slaughter! By Wallaby Wal, as told to Ron Day.
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A photo journal
June 27, 2025 - Julie Paterson continues her voyage of discovery across Bass Coast.  
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Frequent flyers and vagrants
May 17, 2025 - Dave Newman pays tribute to our migratory wader birds and their epic flights, including some that don’t go to plan.
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The miracle chick
April 14, 2025 - It’s been a long and difficult summer for our hooded plovers and their minders, but a fairytale finish to the breeding season has local volunteers celebrating.
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Endangered Species
Feb 26, 2025 - On the morning they disappeared, the day was born into a thick sea mist. A short story by Aneta Marovich.
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The koel, part II
Feb 3, 2025 - Remember the eastern koel with the infuriating mating call? Well it clearly worked because koel babies are popping up everywhere. 
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After the Fires:
​a photostory

Jan 7, 2025 - Wildfire swept through the Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserve on December 19-20, threatening properties adjoining the reserve and further afield.
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Nature notes
March 25, 2025 - Phillip Island Nature Parks is celebrating the fledging of 65 Critically Endangered fairy tern chicks on the island.
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Beetle vs spider
April 16, 2026 - Gayle Marien scores a ringside view of an epic drama in our local wetlands. 

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Bruce, Scabby and Bob
April 2, 2026 - Matt Stone observes an unfolding family drama from his front deck. 
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The secret life of figs
April 30, 2026 - Matt Stone will never look at a ripe fig in quite the same way
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Special spiders
March 18 2026 - The clever leaf curling spider has plenty of fans, including Matt Stone.
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A touch of home
Jan 15, 2026 - The Victorian Acclimatisation Society worked hard to introduce a host of plants and animals that would be useful to new settlers. By Anne Paul
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The final journey
May 1, 2026 - At the Mouth of the Powlett, a secret migration unfolds each autumn.
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Autumn nature notes
April 3, 2026 - As the nights draw in, Lisa Gilbert tells us what to watch for on Phillip Island.  
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My hoodie season
March 18, 2026 – Every volunteer has a special story. This is Paula Street’s.
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Welcome, stranger
Feb 16, 2026 - Spotted on Reef Island, the Eastern Yellow Wagtail is a long way from home, writes Dave Newman.
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Call of the wild
Nov 13, 2025 – Long days, sleepless nights and endless dedication … Julie Paterson meets the team behind Bunurong Wildlife Care. 
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The happy snapper
Nov 9, 2025 - Dyonn Dimmock photographs the natural beauty of Bass Coast and the passionate, dedicated, resilient and committed people who live here.
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Tricks of the trade
Sept 16, 2025 - How a charming visitor with a sweet song cons the guileless locals. By Gayle Marien
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Calling citizen scientists
Aug 20, 2025 - If you go down to the woods today … take your phone because you never know what you’ll see.
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Slogans won’t save our beach
July 2025 - Trevor Forge makes the case for listening to the experts on Inverloch beach.
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Summerland: the next chapter
July 23, 2025 - Nature Parks wants our help to shape ‘bold new vision’ for iconic Summerland Peninsula
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Lights off for shearwater chicks
April 10, 2025 - Shearwater chicks about to embark on their first annual 15,000km migration north.
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Signs of life
Feb 3, 2025 - Four weeks after the Gurdies fire, Dr Sera Blair began documenting the survival and return of wildlife to the fire zone.
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Close encounters
Feb 2, 2025 – When Julie Paterson first heard about Wonthaggi’s emus she suspected it was a tall tale.
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Don’t go into the woods without it!
Oct 16, 2025 - When the pandemic clipped their wings, Jackie and Dave Newman turned their lenses closer to home. The result is on show in Birds of the Western Port Woodlands.
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Nature Notes
Sept 18, 2025 - Cockatoo lovers, possum squatters and mysterious flies … it must be spring.
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A photo journal
Aug 17, 2025 - The Mouth of the Powlett teems with layers of life, visual textures, a multitude of species and a restorative force. By Julie Paterson
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Reef Island and the shifting line
July 22. 2025 - After years of watching this shift-shaper from afar, Linda Cuttriss sets out for a closer look.
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The Birdman of Cape Paterson
July 23, 2025 - With his camera and a talent for storytelling, David Hartney captures the daily dramas of birds, beasts and humans.
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Roadkill Island
July 17, 2025 - Stop the slaughter! By Wallaby Wal, as told to Ron Day.
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Frequent flyers and vagrants
May 17, 2025 - Dave Newman pays tribute to our migratory wader birds and their epic flights, including some that don’t go to plan.
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The koel, part II
Feb 3, 2025 - Remember the eastern koel with the infuriating mating call? Well it clearly worked because koel babies are popping up everywhere. 
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Nature notes
March 25, 2025 - Phillip Island Nature Parks is celebrating the fledging of 65 Critically Endangered fairy tern chicks on the island.
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Sounds like trouble
Dec 12, 2024 - Catherine Watson goes hunting for Australia’s most annoying bird.
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Walking Screw Creek Trail
Dec 9, 2024 – It was destined to be cleared for housing, but after a massive community effort it's now a wildlife refuge and Bass Coast’s newest walking trail. Linda Cuttriss reports.  
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The koala crew
Nov 15, 2024 - The once common koala appears to be hurtling towards extinction in the wild. Kelly Smith and helpers are working to stop that happening. 
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Nature notes
Oct 16, 2024 – An encounter with a sick fox raises troubling questions for Catherine Watson. 
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Nature notes
Aug 15, 2024 - Strange times indeed, with wombats and pardalotes joining forces, and an influx of aliens. Catherine Watson reports.
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Our war on pitto
July 11, 2024 - This enemy overpowers everything in its way, but Jon Temby is equally pitiless. And the tide is turning. 
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Autumn idyll
June 11, 2024 – What an autumn. You could see the smiles, writes Linda Cuttriss. But it didn’t start off that way, 
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Don’t mess with my miniature creatures
May 10, 2024 - Tiny insects, bacteria and fungi keep our forests functioning, writes Dick Wettenhall in an extract from his guide book to the hidden world of the Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserve.
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The inspiration of birds
Dec 9, 2024 - “Every fledgling is like gold …” Bass Coast’s chief hoodie Stephen Johnson explains what keeps him going.
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In memoriam
Nov 12, 2024 - Scattered in our bushland are tributes to our hard working naturalists and volunteers. Terry Allen reports.
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Nature notes
Sept 11, 2024 - Happy times when the yellow tailed black cockatoos call in for a visit.  
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The little creatures
Aug 15, 2024 - Next time you see a bug or a spider, don’t squash or spray it, writes Dave Newman. Admire it first and let it go on its way.
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A little thing called Tryssglobulus
July 9, 2024 - Only two specimens have ever been collected and one of them was found in the Western Port Woodlands. Ian Pascoe tells the tale of his favourite fungus. 
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What remains
May 16, 2024 - The eroded vegetated dunes of Inverloch hold more than most of us could imagine, writes Ed Thexton
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The thin green line
March 22, 2024 - Ed Thexton visits the Corinella Foreshore and finds the locals have achieved something remarkable. 
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Not a murder, just an unkindness
Jan 25, 2024 - A mass gathering of ravens at The Oaks intrigues Ed Thexton.  
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Shootout at the RK Homestead
Jan 22, 2024 - You might think they’re cute. Ron Kousal begs to differ. 
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Tales from the campground
Jan 9, 2024 - How do you make friends with a blue tongue lizard? Maxine Cummings has the answer. 
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When worlds collide
Nov 13, 2023 - For the first time, the Swamp Skinks of Inverloch are experiencing humans in their habitat. Brendan Casey fears it won’t end well. 
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Plain sailing
Dec 14, 2023 - Some people dream of cruising the Pacific; others of cruising the Rhine; for Catherine Watson it was a cruise through the Tooradin mangroves.
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Roaming cats not welcome here
Aug 16, 2023 - The juxtaposition of Picasso’s high art and cat crap got Ed Thexton thinking about the Jekyll and Hyde nature of Felis catus.
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On a wing and a prayer
April 19, 2023 - After 10 anxious weeks of looking after eggs and chicks, the adult hooded plovers are exhausted, writes David Hartney. And the hoodie volunteers aren’t far behind. 
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Lucky Laribee
Oct 17, 2023 - The story starts in July with a very sick wombat. That’s when a dedicated team stepped in. 
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Bandicoots’ wild anniversary
Oct 20, 2022 - Duncan Sutherland still has vivid memories of the night he and a team of rangers released 67 eastern barred bandicoots on Phillip Island. 
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Bird bonanza
Oct 16, 2023 - The shearwaters are home from Alaska and Phillip Island is alive with birds. Lisa Gilbert rounds up all the action.
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Frog find puts woodlands on map
April 22, 2023 - Discovery of endangered southern toadlets at multiple sites reinforces calls for protection of Western Port Woodlands. 
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Call of the wild
Dec 14, 2022 - Linda Cuttriss visits Scenic Estate Reserve and finds Nature has reclaimed it despite the best efforts of developers, boy racers, vandals and even conservationists.  
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The Mighty Ayr
Sept 22, 2022 - “Don’t sweat the small stuff” or “From small things big things grow”? Waist deep in his local creek, Ed Thexton ponders the contradiction as he does battle with a demon weed. 
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My precious piece of Australia
Aug 17, 2022 - Richard Kemp is privileged to share his patch of paradise with creatures great and small. 
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Crunch time
March 9, 2022 - The old Mazda has served Michael Nugent well but he’s ready for the EV revolution. He invites us to join him on the journey. 
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Summer of strangeness
March 23, 2022 - Feral tomatoes, transgender nuts and ravenous birds … summer was full of surprises for local gardeners, reports John Coldebella 
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Jonathon Livingston Seagull: a diary
Feb 11, 2022 - When Harry Freeman rescued a seagull, he had no idea the bird was taking notes. 
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Treasures in the woodlands
March 9, 2022 - Tim Herring's  close encounter with a mighty monitor lizard in the Western Port Woodlands.
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The Prom
Nov 28, 2022 - Lucinda Bain's prize winning essay celebrates the beauty of our world and our diminishing hope for the future. It ends on a hopeful, simple, profound fact. 
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Paperbark town
Oct 20, 2022 - When the swamp paperbark is in bloom, the snapper are on the bite, writes Terri Allen. 
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My spider and I
May 19, 2022 -Catherine Watson tries to remember the good times. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak
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A Day in the Life of the Wonthaggi Wetlands
March 7, 2022 - Photostory by Gayle Marien
 
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A different kind of summer visitor
March 7, 2022 - Gayle Marien is lucky enough to observes a leaf-curling spider at work.  
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Jonathon Livingston Seagull: the final chapter
Feb 25, 2022 - If you see a seagull at Cape Paterson, say hello from Harry Freeman.
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Where we belong
Feb 11, 2022 - Walking on the Corinella foreshore, Alison Normanton vows to do her bit to preserve it for future generations. 
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A star turn
Feb 11, 2022 - John Coldebella finds himself mesmerised by the evening primrose show.
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The joy of birds
Oct 7, 2021 - For Sue Woolley it started with a beginners’ birdwatching outing several years ago. This time round, she’s keen to introduce newcomers to a hobby that has brought her so much pleasure.
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Of magic, mystery and monsters
Oct 7, 2021 - Linda Cuttriss joins a woodlands walk and finds a new kind of magic in the hills above Grantville and The Gurdies.
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The lake with no name
August 27, 2021 - The naming of Coronet Bay’s little lake by Bunurong Elders acknowledges its historic importance. 
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My war on pittosporum
Don’t be fooled by the beautiful foliage and sweetly scented flowers, writes Richard Kemp. This plant is a monster. 
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Tom and the bunnies
July 28, 2021 - Ian Burns turns on the fireworks when his brother-in-law visits Phillip Island. 
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Living with creeks
July 2, 2021 - Rivers and waterways are serious, writes Ed Thexton, but creeks are a different matter. 
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Hail the whales!
​June 18, 2021 - 
Our whales are back, earlier and in greater numbers than usual on their annual migration north to breed. Photo: Lisa Schonberg
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The joy of gardens
May 21, 2021 - For young children, gardens are part adventure playground, part moving feast, writes John Coldebella.
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Songs of praise
May 7, 2021 - In Toe Pecker, Liz Low has found a friend who knows how to greet and farewell.
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Here be dragons – and cows
March 23, 2021 - Picasso and Dali decide on a challenge: who can design the most outlandish and bizarre fish. The wondrous result is living in a bay near you, writes Mark Robertson. 
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The incredible journey
February 13, 2021 - A chance sighting prompted Gil Smith to learn more about the short-finned eel and its epic journey from Deep Creek to the Coral Sea.  Now he fears the impact of sand mining on the creatures that call this area home. 
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Dog versus snake
Feb 13, 2021 - Roy likes to push his luck, writes Geoff Ellis, but then he was born lucky.  ​
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Tiger, tiger, turning tight
Feb 13, 2021 - A sensor camera in a  garden shed catches a tiger snake doing battle with a mouse trap. Video by Gil Smith
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How to stay sane
Sept 24, 2021 - In these tense times, nature is our best friend, writes Terri Allen. 
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Season of twists and turns
Dec 15, 2021 - John Coldebella observes a succession of mysterious happenings in the garden this spring.
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Let a thousand flowers bloom
Nov 5, 2021 - John Coldebella is awed by the spectacles of spring. 
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We have lift off!
Sept 10, 2021 – As an injured bird took to the air, human spirits soared too. By Etsuko Yasunaga. 
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The unintentional gardener
Sept 10, 2021 – There are two gardens at John Coldebella’s place; the one he cultivated and the one he didn’t.  
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Treasure island
July 29, 2021 - In June a team of naturalists headed for French Island in search of some small brown bumps on top of some brown bark. What they found there was beyond their wildest dreams, reports Catherine Watson 
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Out of season
July 28, 2021 - Gardening has always been a gamble.  Throw in climate change and anything can happen, writes John Coldebella.
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The secret life of orchids
July 16, 2021 - Dick Wettenhall delves into the underworld of this miraculous plant (including sexual deception) and reveals the threat posed by sand mining to some of Victoria’s rarest orchid communities.      
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Shelf life
June 18, 2021 - When you dip a camera into a rock pool and fire it off, there’s no telling what you’ll get. But every now and then it’s magic, writes Helen Keellings. 
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Full and plenty
June 18, 2021 - In Bass Coast, we are lucky enough to be able to plant and harvest all year round, writes John Coldebella.
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The scarlet pimpernel of  Wonthaggi
April 22, 2021 - An intrepid young fox doesn’t seem to play by the the rules, writes a half-admiring John Coldebella. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak
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Destination nearby
March 12, 2021 - Forget cheap air tickets and long queues. One of Miriam Strickland’s favourite destinations, Mt Worth State Park, is just down the road and over the hill.  
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Flying high
Nov 13, 2020 - Two close encounters with injured birds gave Etsuko Yasunaga a glimpse of another world. 
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Bird heaven
Oct 16, 2020 – Plant a garden and they will come … Liane Arno gives thanks for unexpected visitors, including pardalotes, king parrots and even a couple of amorous ducks.
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Birds are Singing Country
July 3, 2020 - The birds come in waves, writes Laura Brearley, each one connecting us to Bass Coast and the people who knew this land before us. 
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Flower power
March 6, 2020 - An old-fashioned garden favourite reminds Liz Low that gardening is often a mysterious art. 
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Down to earth
May 15, 2020 - Liz Low pays tribute to trees that succumb to the need for a good lie down.
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The charm of the humble blackbird
Dec 11, 2020 - John Coldebella has a love/hate relationship with the birds that share his garden. 
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Nature’s showtime
Oct 30, 2020 – As the natural world shakes off winter and the season of rebirth begins, Linda Cuttriss is entranced by the drama of spring
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Birdman of Cape Paterson
Sept 14, 2020 - David Hartney’s Cape Chatter is helping to build a community – of wildlife as well as humans.
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The places  we love
Sept 14, 2020 - When a call went out for descriptive writing and images of our favourite places in Bass Coast, the response was heart-felt. writes Laura Brearley
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Looking for Saunders
June 12, 2020 - Deep in lockdown, Vilya Congreave watched a miracle of Nature unfold in the backyard. 
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The solace of birds
March 20, 2020 – In troubled times, Patsy Hunt turns to the comfort of a garden alive with birds. 
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The solace of birds III
May 15, 2020 - The koalas are gone from Cowes, writes Patsy Hunt, but so far the birds are hanging in there, thanks to people who still treasure their gardens.
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The Solace of birds V
July 15, 2020 - Patsy Hunt celebrates occasional visitors to the garden: the silvereye, the brown goshawk, the yellow-tailed black cockatoo and the powerful owl.
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Solace of birds, II
April 17, 2020 - When the sound of a chainsaw jangles the nerves, Patsy Hunt returns to the comfort of her garden and the birds that call it home. 
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The solace of birds IV
June 19, 2020 - You don't have to be an expert to appreciate birds, writes Patsy Hunt. Enjoy their beauty, their tenacity and their ability to enjoy life despite all the threats they face.
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The Solace of Birds VI
Aug 13, 2020 - Look to the skies near Rhyll and you may spot a white-bellied sea- eagle, writes Patsy Hunt in the final part of her series on Phillip Island birds.
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The magic forest
Dec 13. 2019 - In February Grantville’s grass tree forest was ablaze. Today the grass trees are putting on a spectacular show. Words by Meryl Brown Tobin, photos by Hartley Tobin. 
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Margaret the Magpie
Nov 22 2019 - A story of love and loss unfolds before Liz Low. 
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A family affair
September 14, 2019 - First came Dad. Then the kids turned up. Finally Mum arrived. Miriam Strickland has been adopted by a family of magpies. Photos by Pauline Wilkinson
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Just dropped in
April 17, 2020 - Maddy Harford ponders the strange behaviour of some unwelcome visitors.
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The birdman
November 18, 2017 - John Clarke joked that most of his bird photographs had a tiny bird flying out of the top left-hand corner.  But a calendar of his bird photos, many taken around Phillip Island, attest to his skills and patience. ​
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Memories of Wally
August 19, 2015 - Memories of a proud and generous gardener abound in Ant Gent’s garden.
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Full and plenty
July 8, 2017 - While the periodic flooding of the Powlett estuary causes consternation to some local landholders, it's a time of full and plenty for water birds and freshwater fish.
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Up close and natural
September 23, 2017
- You don’t have to go far from home to observe the splendours of nature, writes Mark Robertson. 
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Bandicoot island
Phillip Island’s new fox-free status gives new hope for one of Victoria’s most endangered species, the eastern barred bandicoot. Roland Pick reports
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Flights of fancy
Sept 27, 2019 - For years Sue Woolley could only envy bird watchers.  At last she has time to join them, and her photos are part of an exhibition of birds and nests at Grantville.  
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A purler of a day
June 15, 2018 - Terri Allen gives thanks for a perfect winter’s day at the mouth of the Powlett
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Dance of the angels
December 16, 2017 - Observing his aquarium, Mark Robertson realises that love and lust are powerful emotions, no matter what the species. 
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The elusive scarlet honeyeater
November 4, 2017 - They seek him here, they seek him there … Nola Thorpe goes in search of a rare bird.
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Tunnellers and burrowers
February 17, 2017 - Mark Robertson goes underground for his series on the strange and special species that share our Bass Coast home.
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The joy of the hunt
April 2, 2016 – Foraging for mushrooms was one of the great autumn pleasures for a young Kit Sleeman, and a profitable pursuit. 
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Of sand and stone
July 30, 2016 - Massive hills of sand up to 30 metres high, the Woolamai dunes are in a constant state of change, writes Linda Cuttriss. 
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My sea change
June 4, 2016 - A marriage breakdown brought David Norton to Bass Coast. The healing power of nature and friendships helped him put his life together again.
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Whale tales and trails
August 13, 2016 - Bass Coast’s growing reputation for whale sightings is bringing hundreds of new visitors to the shire over winter, the traditional off-season.
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Out of the ashes
August 27, 2016 - A survey of the Tank Hill Conservation Reserve nine months after fire swept through it reveals some rich and unexpected botanical treasures, writes Catherine Watson
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When will it rain?
May 21, 2016 – Like all farmers, Anne Davie likes to talk about the droughts she has experienced over the years and how each compares with others.
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Watery wonderland
June 18, 2016 - Wonthaggi’s stormwater drains were a constant source of adventure for kids, writes Kit Sleeman
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Echidna encounters
June 18, 2016 - The first in a series by Mark Robertson about the strange and special species that share our Bass Coast home. 
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Time and tide
November 19, 2016 - Mark Robertson records the joys and tragedies of local beachcombing.
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Hooded Plovers doing it tough
November 5, 2016 - The hooded plover breeding season in Bass Coast is off to a bad start, with not a single chick surviving to fledging so far.
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Ocean delights
​​August 13, 2016 - Mark Robertson is awe-struck by an octopus that builds a home far more delicate and beautiful than the finest porcelain produced by humans.
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Man versus nature
Februrary 13, 2016 - Geoff Ellis’s tree change has thrown up surprising challenges, some of them with eight legs.
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​In the steps of our forebears
The appearance of an emu with 10 chicks is a fitting commemoration of the first 10 years of the Wonthaggi Rifle Range wetlands, writes Terri Allen.
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Alien orchid on the march
November 19, 2016 - Don’t be fooled by the African weed orchid, warns Terri Allen. It’s a menace. 

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Release the Kraken!
July 16, 2016 - Don't feel guilty about enjoying a feed of fresh calamari, writes Mark Robertson. If they grew bigger they would happily feast on us.
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The final flight
August 15, 2015 - Bob Middleton grieves for a gentle creature brought undone by an apparently never-ending landscape. 
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Bird’s eye view
October 24, 2015 - “We sit on the deck and the trees sway around us.” Liz Low describes the joy of living among the trees.
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April 18, 2015 - Liz Low was privileged to meet one of her fellow creatures in the Cape Paterson dunes. 
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What a performance!
November 29, 2014 - Linda Cuttriss is entranced by the magpie show on her back lawn. 
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The secret lives of shearwaters
September 28, 2014 - Cartoonist Natasha Williams-Novak speculates on what researchers will overhear when they film in the burrows of shearwaters.
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The mutton birds
September 20, 2014 - In 1909, the first editor of the Powlett Express noted "flocks of plover rising and circling over the solitary marshes”. By Carolyn Landon
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Thar they blow!
June 21, 2014 - Local interest in whales has skyrocketed since Watershed Victoria began keeping records of sightings of these annual visitors to our coast, writes Aileen Venning.
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Snake versus cat
February 1, 2014 - Watching an epic battle between a cat and a 
snake prompted Linda Cuttriss to think about her own encounters 
with snakes.
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Wallaby fight club
November 15, 2014 - It's just a game for now, practice for when the prize is the prettiest doe in the paddock. Story and photos by Linda Cuttriss.
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The gift of seeing
October 18, 2014 - As illness slowed her down, Heather Gardner gradually saw more. Catherine Watson meets a photographer who finds whole worlds in tiny things. 
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Outfoxing the fox
August 30, 2014 - By the 1970s, foxes had wiped out nine of the 10 little penguin colonies on Phillip Island and the world-famous Penguin Parade appeared doomed. Then researchers started doing the sums.
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A winter's tale
August 2, 2014 - When the gales blow from the Southern Oceans, watching nature is a sure cure for the winter blues, writes Linda Cuttriss.
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Just add water
February 22, 2014 - When the heat is on, a birdbath is a 
constant source of entertainment, for animals and humans, 
writes Linda Cuttriss
In defence of the pesky pine
October 19, 2013 - In Bird Week, Heather Murray Tobias argues that what we call weeds may also be home to many bird species.
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January 12, 2013 - After watching a pair of Cape Paterson hooded plovers fail to raise a single chick from four clutches of eggs last summer, Graeme Henry was delighted when two chicks hatched out in early December. He continues the story. 

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A welcome racket
December 5, 2013 - Early each morning Linda Cuttriss is woken by raucous cackling and shrieking.  It’s pandemonium, but a welcome one, because it means the shearwaters are back in the breeding business.