Nature Notes
Sept 18, 2025 - Cockatoo lovers, possum squatters and mysterious flies … it must be spring. 
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. 
Roadkill Island
July 17, 2025 - Stop the slaughter! By Wallaby Wal, as told to Ron Day. 
Close encounters
Feb 2, 2025 – When Julie Paterson first heard about Wonthaggi’s emus she suspected it was a tall tale. 
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. |
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 
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. 
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. 
Tales from the campground
Jan 9, 2024 - How do you make friends with a blue tongue lizard? Maxine Cummings has the answer. |
Sounds like trouble
Dec 12, 2024 - Catherine Watson goes hunting for Australia’s most annoying bird. 
Nature notes
Oct 16, 2024 – An encounter with a sick fox raises troubling questions for Catherine Watson. 
Nature notes
Aug 15, 2024 - Strange times indeed, with wombats and pardalotes joining forces, and an influx of aliens. Catherine Watson reports. 
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. 
Autumn idyll
June 11, 2024 – What an autumn. You could see the smiles, writes Linda Cuttriss. But it didn’t start off that way, 
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. 
Shootout at the RK Homestead
Jan 22, 2024 - You might think they’re cute. Ron Kousal begs to differ. |
The inspiration of birds
Dec 9, 2024 - “Every fledgling is like gold …” Bass Coast’s chief hoodie Stephen Johnson explains what keeps him going. 
Nature notes
Sept 11, 2024 - Happy times when the yellow tailed black cockatoos call in for a visit. 
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. 
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. 
What remains
May 16, 2024 - The eroded vegetated dunes of Inverloch hold more than most of us could imagine, writes Ed Thexton 
The thin green line
March 22, 2024 - Ed Thexton visits the Corinella Foreshore and finds the locals have achieved something remarkable. 
Not a murder, just an unkindness
Jan 25, 2024 - A mass gathering of ravens at The Oaks intrigues Ed Thexton. |
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. 
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. 
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. 
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. |
Lucky Laribee
Oct 17, 2023 - The story starts in July with a very sick wombat. That’s when a dedicated team stepped in. 
Who, me?
Oct 13, 2023 - “Some people call me adorable. Others call me a murderer.” Harry Hyper Highpurr purrs his heart out to Matt Stone 
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. |
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. 
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. 
My precious piece of Australia
Aug 17, 2022 - Richard Kemp is privileged to share his patch of paradise with creatures great and small. 
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. 
Summer of strangeness
March 23, 2022 - Feral tomatoes, transgender nuts and ravenous birds … summer was full of surprises for local gardeners, reports John Coldebella 
Jonathon Livingston Seagull: a diary
Feb 11, 2022 - When Harry Freeman rescued a seagull, he had no idea the bird was taking notes. 
Treasures in the woodlands
March 9, 2022 - Tim Herring's close encounter with a mighty monitor lizard in the Western Port Woodlands. |
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. 
Paperbark town
Oct 20, 2022 - When the swamp paperbark is in bloom, the snapper are on the bite, writes Terri Allen. 
My spider and I
May 19, 2022 -Catherine Watson tries to remember the good times. Cartoon by Natasha Williams-Novak 
A different kind of summer visitor
March 7, 2022 - Gayle Marien is lucky enough to observes a leaf-curling spider at work. 
Jonathon Livingston Seagull: the final chapter
Feb 25, 2022 - If you see a seagull at Cape Paterson, say hello from Harry Freeman. 
Where we belong
Feb 11, 2022 - Walking on the Corinella foreshore, Alison Normanton vows to do her bit to preserve it for future generations. 
|
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. 
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. 
The lake with no name
August 27, 2021 - The naming of Coronet Bay’s little lake by Bunurong Elders acknowledges its historic importance. 
My war on pittosporum
Don’t be fooled by the beautiful foliage and sweetly scented flowers, writes Richard Kemp. This plant is a monster. 
Tom and the bunnies
July 28, 2021 - Ian Burns turns on the fireworks when his brother-in-law visits Phillip Island. 
Living with creeks
July 2, 2021 - Rivers and waterways are serious, writes Ed Thexton, but creeks are a different matter. 
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 
The joy of gardens
May 21, 2021 - For young children, gardens are part adventure playground, part moving feast, writes John Coldebella. 
Songs of praise
May 7, 2021 - In Toe Pecker, Liz Low has found a friend who knows how to greet and farewell. 
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. 
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. 
Dog versus snake
Feb 13, 2021 - Roy likes to push his luck, writes Geoff Ellis, but then he was born lucky. |
How to stay sane
Sept 24, 2021 - In these tense times, nature is our best friend, writes Terri Allen. 
Season of twists and turns
Dec 15, 2021 - John Coldebella observes a succession of mysterious happenings in the garden this spring. 
Let a thousand flowers bloom
Nov 5, 2021 - John Coldebella is awed by the spectacles of spring. 
We have lift off!
Sept 10, 2021 – As an injured bird took to the air, human spirits soared too. By Etsuko Yasunaga. 
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. 
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 
Out of season
July 28, 2021 - Gardening has always been a gamble. Throw in climate change and anything can happen, writes John Coldebella. 
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. 
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. 
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. 
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 
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. 
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 |
|
|
|
Flying high
Nov 13, 2020 - Two close encounters with injured birds gave Etsuko Yasunaga a glimpse of another world. 
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. 
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. 
Flower power
March 6, 2020 - An old-fashioned garden favourite reminds Liz Low that gardening is often a mysterious art. 
Down to earth
May 15, 2020 - Liz Low pays tribute to trees that succumb to the need for a good lie down. |
The charm of the humble blackbird
Dec 11, 2020 - John Coldebella has a love/hate relationship with the birds that share his garden. 
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 
Birdman of Cape Paterson
Sept 14, 2020 - David Hartney’s Cape Chatter is helping to build a community – of wildlife as well as humans. 
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 
Looking for Saunders
June 12, 2020 - Deep in lockdown, Vilya Congreave watched a miracle of Nature unfold in the backyard. |
The solace of birds
March 20, 2020 – In troubled times, Patsy Hunt turns to the comfort of a garden alive with birds. 
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. 
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. |
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. 
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. 
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. |
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. 
Margaret the Magpie
Nov 22 2019 - A story of love and loss unfolds before Liz Low. |
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 
Just dropped in
April 17, 2020 - Maddy Harford ponders the strange behaviour of some unwelcome visitors. |
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. 
Memories of Wally
August 19, 2015 - Memories of a proud and generous gardener abound in Ant Gent’s garden. 
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. 
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. 
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 |
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. 
A purler of a day
June 15, 2018 - Terri Allen gives thanks for a perfect winter’s day at the mouth of the Powlett 
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. 
The elusive scarlet honeyeater
November 4, 2017 - They seek him here, they seek him there … Nola Thorpe goes in search of a rare bird. 
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. |
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. 
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. 
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. 
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. |
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 
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. 
Watery wonderland
June 18, 2016 - Wonthaggi’s stormwater drains were a constant source of adventure for kids, writes Kit Sleeman 
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. |
Time and tide
November 19, 2016 - Mark Robertson records the joys and tragedies of local beachcombing. 
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. 
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. 
Man versus nature
Februrary 13, 2016 - Geoff Ellis’s tree change has thrown up surprising challenges, some of them with eight legs. |
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. 
Alien orchid on the march
November 19, 2016 - Don’t be fooled by the African weed orchid, warns Terri Allen. It’s a menace. 
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. |
The final flight
August 15, 2015 - Bob Middleton grieves for a gentle creature brought undone by an apparently never-ending landscape. |
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. 
April 18, 2015 - Liz Low was privileged to meet one of her fellow creatures in the Cape Paterson dunes.
|
What a performance!
November 29, 2014 - Linda Cuttriss is entranced by the magpie show on her back lawn. 
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. 
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 
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. 
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. |
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. 
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. 
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. 
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. 
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. Hoodies update
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.
|
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. |
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. 
Tricks of the trade
Sept 16, 2025 - How a charming visitor with a sweet song cons the guileless locals. By Gayle Marien 
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. 
Slogans won’t save our beach
July 2025 - Trevor Forge makes the case for listening to the experts on Inverloch beach. 
Summerland: the next chapter
July 23, 2025 - Nature Parks wants our help to shape ‘bold new vision’ for iconic Summerland Peninsula 
Lights off for shearwater chicks
April 10, 2025 - Shearwater chicks about to embark on their first annual 15,000km migration north. 
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. 
Close encounters
Feb 2, 2025 – When Julie Paterson first heard about Wonthaggi’s emus she suspected it was a tall tale. 
Sounds like trouble
Dec 12, 2024 - Catherine Watson goes hunting for Australia’s most annoying bird. 
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. 
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. 
Nature notes
Aug 15, 2024 - Strange times indeed, with wombats and pardalotes joining forces, and an influx of aliens. Catherine Watson reports. |
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. 
Nature Notes
Sept 18, 2025 - Cockatoo lovers, possum squatters and mysterious flies … it must be spring. 
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 
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. 
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. 
Roadkill Island
July 17, 2025 - Stop the slaughter! By Wallaby Wal, as told to Ron Day. 
Nature notes
March 25, 2025 - Phillip Island Nature Parks is celebrating the fledging of 65 Critically Endangered fairy tern chicks on the island. 
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. 
Tales from the campground
Jan 9, 2024 - How do you make friends with a blue tongue lizard? Maxine Cummings has the answer. 
The inspiration of birds
Dec 9, 2024 - “Every fledgling is like gold …” Bass Coast’s chief hoodie Stephen Johnson explains what keeps him going. 
In memoriam
Nov 12, 2024 - Scattered in our bushland are tributes to our hard working naturalists and volunteers. Terry Allen reports. 
Nature notes
Sept 11, 2024 - Happy times when the yellow tailed black cockatoos call in for a visit. |
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. 
Our little battler
June 15, 2024 - The survival of the koala in Gippsland is a modern-day miracle but now, more than ever, they need our help, writes Ed Thexton 
Penguin chicks come through
June 3, 2024 - Phillip Island’s little penguin population has survived a strong El Nino event, with a higher than expected number of fledgling chicks this breeding season. 
What remains
May 16, 2024 - The eroded vegetated dunes of Inverloch hold more than most of us could imagine, writes Ed Thexton 
Back from the brink
March 22, 2024 - The astounding recovery of Eastern Barred Bandicoots highlights the potential of the former Holden Proving Ground as a predator-proof sanctuary for threatened species. 
The thin green line
March 22, 2024 - Ed Thexton visits the Corinella Foreshore and finds the locals have achieved something remarkable. 
Not a murder, just an unkindness
Jan 25, 2024 - A mass gathering of ravens at The Oaks intrigues Ed Thexton. 
Shootout at the RK Homestead
Jan 22, 2024 - You might think they’re cute. Ron Kousal begs to differ. 
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. 
When worlds collide
Nov 13, 2023 - For the first time in their existence, the Swamp Skinks of Inverloch are experiencing humans in their habitat. Brendan Casey fears it won’t end well. 
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. 
Paul's patch
May 17, 2023 - “I can’t save the world … but I can make a difference locally,“ Paul Speirs told Gill Heal. 
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. 
Cycle of life
June 18, 2022 - A walk with Terri Allen is an education. The conversation roams from history to botany to bird watching but it might also cover drainage, swamps and local politics. 
A chance encounter of the seedling kind
April 19, 2023 - Neil Daly discovers scientists – citizen and otherwise – are working towards the same end on the Queensferry foreshore. 
Paperbark town
Oct 20, 2022 - When the swamp paperbark is in bloom, the snapper are on the bite, writes Terri Allen. 
On the koala trail
Nov 13, 2022 - Genetic analysis confirm koalas in the Western Port Woodlands are a rare remnant population. 
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. 
Forrest Caves and the passing of time
Sept 15, 2022 - Not even the rocks are permanent on this mysterious and constantly changing beach, writes Linda Cuttriss. 
Close to home
July 21, 2022 - Covid put a stop to Dave and Jackie Newman’s wildlife safaris around Australia and introduced them to the natural riches just down the road. 
In the mood for winter
July 20, 2022 - Winter has a bad reputation but Linda Cuttriss loves its many moods. 
Shearwaters are back on track
Oct 13, 2022 - Almost 1.5 million short-tailed shearwaters have arrived on Phillip island right on schedule. 
My precious piece of Australia
Aug 17, 2022 - Richard Kemp is privileged to share his patch of paradise with creatures great and small. 
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. 
Season of twists and turns
Dec 15, 2021 - John Coldebella observes a succession of mysterious happenings in the garden this spring. 
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. 
My war on pittosporum
Don’t be fooled by the beautiful foliage and sweetly scented flowers, writes Richard Kemp. This plant is a monster. 
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. 
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 
Will your feet be the end of me?
July 16, 2021 - When it comes to walking tracks, it's not all about us, writes Julie Thomas. 
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 
A labour of love
March 23, 2021 - Daryl Hook farewells the farm and wildlife haven he has created over 40 years. Story and photos by Geoff Ellis. 
What’s happening to our bush?
May 7, 2021 - Wonthaggi’s intrepid seed collectors brave the elements and a dwindling supply of seed to preserve our bush. Terri Allen reports 
The joy of gardens
May 21, 2021 - For young children, gardens are part adventure playground, part moving feast, writes John Coldebella. 
Songs of praise
May 7, 2021 - In Toe Pecker, Liz Low has found a friend who knows how to greet and farewell. 
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 |
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. 
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. 
Parrot puzzle
May 15, 2024 - The discovery of a rarely seen Eastern Ground Parrot in Inverloch has local birdwatchers wondering if there might be others around. Dallas Wyatt reports. 
Silver lining for little old penguin
April 3, 2024 - One of the oldest penguins ever seen at the Phillip Island mega-colony has returned to sea after five weeks of intensive rehab. 
Greg Johnson Q&A
April 18, 2024 - The newly elected president of the Phillip Island Conservation Society learned activism from some of the best. 
Nirvana Park
April 19, 2024 - Ivee Strazzabosco created a magnificent garden, but nature always wins in the end. By Catherine Watson 
Lucky Laribee
Oct 17, 2023 - The story starts in July with a very sick wombat. That’s when a dedicated team stepped in. 
The woman with the x-ray eyes
Feb 23, 2024 - Melissa Lowery sees things that no one else does. And she’s transformed our knowledge of the dinosaurs that once roamed Bass Coast. 
Who, me?
Oct 13, 2023 - “Some people call me adorable. Others call me a murderer.” Harry Hyper Highpurr purrs his heart out to Matt Stone 
The call of nature
Oct 20, 2023 - We call them nature strips but only a few of them deserve that title. Catherine Watson surveys the good, the bad and the ugly. 
Caring for Country, Inverloch style
Aug 15, 2023 - Smoke from Aunty Sonia Weston’s welcome fire swirled around those converging for the Caring for Country celebration, writes Sally McNiece. 
This one’s for Nature!
May 17, 2023 - Having worked in concrete for most of his career, artist Phil Henshall calls time on sand mining in woodlands. 
Operation Fairy Tern
Jan 27, 2023 - Three summers ago, 31 fairy tern pairs fledged 49 chicks on Churchill Island. Since then, not a single chick has survived. 
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. 
Tiny glider knocks ‘em for six
Sept 15, 2022 - Finding the world's smallest gliding mammal in The Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserve was a dream come true for Dave Newman. 
On the koala trail
June 3, 2022 - Once koalas were hunted to the point of extinction. Catherine Watson joined a hunt for their survivors. 
Time for a ceasefire
Feb 17, 2023 - Sally McNiece calls for a ceasefire from the chainsaw brigade while there’s still some remnant vegetation left to save. 
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. 
Man of the trees
Oct 17, 2022 - Sally McNiece goes bush with Ringo Gannon and learns that when it comes to significant trees size isn’t everything. 
Summer of strangeness
March 23, 2022 - Feral tomatoes, transgender nuts and ravenous birds … summer was full of surprises for local gardeners, reports John Coldebella 
Back to nature
June 4, 2022 - In the 1960s and 70s a dodgy developer sold 337 seaside blocks on Phillip Island, many to overseas buyers. The former housing estate is now a conservation success story. 
Big cat sighting adds to mystery
Feb 11, 2022 - The Grantville area has long been a hot spot for big cat sightings. Meryl Tobin reports 
The next small thing
March 9, 2022 - Ed Thexton reports on the latest in nest box technology, including new methods to deter Indian mynas and other raiders. 
Where we belong
Feb 11, 2022 - Walking on the Corinella foreshore, Alison Normanton vows to do her bit to preserve it for future generations. 
The wonder of the woodlands
Nov 5, 2021 - Ed Thexton marvels that this remnant of a lost world has survived against the odds. 
Island flock prospers
Sept 24, 2021 - While South Australia’s Cape Barren geese are doing it hard, our local geese are looking right at home. 
How to stay sane
Sept 24, 2021 - In these tense times, nature is our best friend, writes Terri Allen. 
The good life
August 27, 2021 - How our houses can make or break us, the first in a series on housing by Zoe Geyer. 
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. 
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. 
Saving the planet, a paddock at a time
June 4, 2021 - For 20 years Phillip Island carbon farmer Bob Davie has been a voice in the wilderness. Suddenly everyone is listening, writes Catherine Watson. 
Mystery Road
June 4, 2021 - Geoff Ellis and Neil Rankine made good use of their COVID daily exercise time to fill in one of the missing links on the proposed San Remo-Inverloch trail. 
Living with creeks
July 2, 2021 - Rivers and waterways are serious, writes Ed Thexton, but creeks are a different matter. 
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. 
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 |