What do tea, samurai clans, William McArthur, Benjamin Franklin, Vietnam and the Botanic Gardens at Mount Tomah have in common? Read on to explore the way camellias and cultures are woven together and why it’s important we think about conserving biodiversity as a global project implemented at a local level.

Take a tour of the community farms in Blackheath where you'll find alpacas, compost to die for, hundred-year-old ‘Shipley’ apple trees, native bees, friendly faces, wonky tomatoes, life philosophies and much, much more.

Mel Michael is the newish owner of the Blackheath Vegie Patch. We talk about making lemonade from local lemons, a philosophy of abundance, and how businesses can make communities more resilient.

Melinda Kerr, Blackheathen Jo Tibbitts and Greg Keightley are all passionate about kangaroos and other macropods. They share their intimate experiences with kangaroos and how they recognise and celebrate their uniqueness.

The community-driven post-fire recovery of Bell, Clarence and Dargan is extraordinary. Its success goes against what was believed to be possible. Find out how they did it here.

Marianne Bate is passionate about the bush, fascinated by people and ‘relentlessly positive’ about how we can better care for the land we live on. Meet Marianne, and discover the difference Bushcare and Landcare make to people and places in this piece by Hamish Dunlop.

Blackheathen Bianca Nogrady is an award-winning freelance science journalist, author and broadcaster. She reflects on conversations from this year’s Blue Mountains Writers’ Festival and shares what she and her family are doing towards planetary health.

Blackheath Soldiers Memorial Park has had a fabulous upgrade with a new water play feature, landscaping and improvements to the duck & turtle pond. Take a tour here.

The Lyrebird Festival in the Megalong Valley runs between the 23rd and 26th of November 2023. Immersive multimedia experiences, deep listening, conscious eating and art help to reimagine our place in the interconnected web of life.

On its 70th Anniversary the theme of the Blackheath Rhodo Festival this year is all about being FABULOUS!!!! And, with the first full parade since Covid hit in 2019, everyone is being asked to dress up, throw on some bling and step out with the rest of the town to look fabulous too!