Medlow Bath resident Amanda Foxon-Hill spends her time between the Blue Mountains and Central NSW where she’s a Mid Lachlan Landcare Coordinator. The Planetary Health Centre is working with her on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo, with a talk about this vulnerable species at the Centre in Katoomba on Saturday 7 June, and a Community Tree Planting Day in Central NSW on Saturday 5 July. She’s encouraging Blue Mountains residents to get involved in this extremely rewarding project.
Key Points:
The Glossy Black Cockatoo has been listed as vulnerable in NSW.
Join wildlife photographer, ecologist and environmental educator Jayden Gunn at the Planetary Health Centre to learn more about Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo on Saturday 7 June 4-6pm Bookings essential here
Join a Community Tree Planting Day for the Glossy Black Cockatoo in Goologong from 10am-1pm on Saturday 5 July. Register your interest here
Amanda Foxon-Hill is an Industrial Chemist who moved to the Blue Mountains from England 21 years ago.
Ten years ago, while bringing up their family, she and her husband bought a 50-acre property in Woodstock, near Cowra. It became her passion project!
“We’ve been developing it as a bush conservation site. From a scientist’s perspective, I can walk around and watch what’s growing, and put in different understorey plants. It is just so rewarding.”
Amanda at their property in Woodstock (photo supplied)
When she decided to have a career change / tree change a couple of years ago, she said it made sense to start working for Mid Lachlan Landcare to build on the work she and her husband had been doing on their own 50 acres. They now split their time between the Blue Mountains and Central NSW.
Inspired by the pond at the Planetary Health Centre, Amanda built a pond in their garden at Medlow Bath (photo supplied)
She has discovered great joy in putting her hands in the soil to grow things.
Connecting Landscapes for Glossy Black Cockatoos
“At the moment I’m working on a project with the Glossy Black Cockatoos to conserve and expand their habitat, and in particular, build habitat connectivity between the Kanimbla and Nangar National Park. So that’s an area that makes up part of the Western Woodland Way, which is an interior corridor similar to the Great Dividing Range, but it goes on the inside of NSW and expands from the Weddin Mountains which are just outside our area.”
Listen to Amanda talk about the project to connect landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo here:
Join us to learn more on Saturday 7th June, and help plant habitat in Central NSW on Saturday 5 July!
An afternoon with wildlife photographer, ecologist and environmental educator Jayden Gunn at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba
4-6pm Saturday 7 June, 2025
Habitat connectivity is essential if species are to adapt and overcome the challenges posed by our changing climate.
Join us as we imagine life as a Glossy Black Cockatoo. We’ll make our way through the temperate eucalypt forests of Dharug & Gundungurra land here in the Blue Mountains before leaving the Great Dividing Range for the Wheat & Sheep belt of the Central Tablelands. Our journey ends on Wiradjuri land, North West of Cowra in the dry scleropyhyll forests of the Conimbla & Nangar National Parks, the start of the Western Woodland Way.
Jayden Gunn is an adept wildlife photographer, ecologist, and environmental educator, with a deep passion for Australian birdlife. Through his lens, he captures Australia’s unique wildlife, using digital storytelling to connect people with nature in meaningful ways.
This event is being delivered by Mid Lachlan Landcare who have partnered with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre to grow connected landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo.
This project will improve habitat and connectivity for our beautiful Glossy Black Cockatoos – a species listed as vulnerable across NSW.
Together, we’ll improve the quality and quantity of habitat across the Western Woodland Way between Nangar and Conimbla National Parks, building connectivity and strengthening bird habitat in the Mid Lachlan Region.
This event is possible thanks to funding from the Bupa Landcare Grant. We’re part of the planting of over 80,000 trees, shrubs and grasses across the country, linking environmental health with community wellbeing.
Take Action:
Join wildlife photographer, ecologist and environmental educator Jayden Gunn at the Planetary Health Centre to learn more about growing connected landscapes for the endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo on Saturday 7 June 4-6pm Bookings essential here
Join a Community Tree Planting Day for the Glossy Black Cockatoo in Goologong from 10am-1pm on Saturday 5 July. Register your interest here
Consider planting habitat for the Glossy Black Cockatoo and other birds on your own property.
Early bird registrations and call for submissions are now open for our groundbreaking conference and community expo bringing together the Australian Bushfire Building Conference and the Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Management Conference from the 20-22 November. Visit the Full Cycle 2025 website to purchase your ticket, or register your interest in partnering, speaking, sharing research, exhibiting or running workshops (link in profile): https://www.fullcycleconference.com.au/
Katoomba`s Against the Grain compresses sawdust into briquettes. They`re heating homes across the Blue Mountains and dramatically reducing landfill waste. Read more in our Katoomba Area Local News (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/turning-sawdust-into-gold/
What a glorious Spring day! We spent most of it outside: enjoying Tai Chi in the sunshine; with an outdoor stall at the Sustainability Festival; and at Bushcare - where we welcomed new members to the group, and finally cleared our way through what once seemed like an impenetrable wall of weed.
We`re excited about tomorrow: Tai Chi at 8am Book here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/47WI2YO, the @bluemtns_sustainability_fest from 10am at the Cultural Centre and throughout Katoomba and Leura, and Bushcare from 1.30pm (link in profile): https://bit.ly/420ofE4 (NB. Lis will be heading straight to Planetary Health Bushcare after her talk!)
Check out how Blue Mountains City Council`s environment team worked with students from Kindlehill School at the Planetary Health Centre to demonstrate how to stop erosion on a slope using natural materials. This technique slows stormwater flows, builds soil and reduces water pollution downstream. Our `How to Do Cool Things` playlist on our YouTube channel has lots of other helpful videos too! (link in profile) #erosion #stormwater #repair #regeneration #erosioncontrol #planetaryhealth #watermanagement...
There is a little bit of magic happening on Wednesdays at the Planetary Health Centre as young volunteers from @kindlehill_high_school, and Council staff, work together to create a demonstration site for the wider community. This hands-on program is inspiring all involved, including teacher Sarah Daniel. In her reflection on their Bushcare session, reprinted here, she was reminded of Arundhati Roy’s words that ‘another world is not only possible, she is on her way.’
Read more in Katoomba Area Local News (Link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/another-world-is-possible/
If you`re feeling overwhelmed, this Saturday offers inspiring opportunities to `re-set` mind, body and spirit with morning Tai Chi, Qigong and breakfast at the Planetary Health Centre at 8am; the Sustainability Festival at the Cultural Centre from 10am; and Planetary Health Bushcare to fully reconnect with nature and help regenerate habitat for wildlife at 1.30pm. Reserve your spot for Tai Chi here: https://bit.ly/47WI2YO and Bushcare here: https://bit.ly/420ofE4
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in Australia but Community Defibrillators are easy to use and may help you save someone`s life. Learn how in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIdPTT4r0T4&t=60s
Our Planetary Health Bushcare Group had a ball today at the annual Bushcare Picnic and we were thrilled that our youngest member, Arthur van der Meer, was presented with the Junior Bushcare Award. Our inspiring Bushcare Officer Karen Hising, also leads the Narrowneck Bushcare Group which was recognised for 5 years of service to the Bushcare Program. We`re looking forward to our next Bushcare afternoon on Saturday 6 September from 1.30-4.3pm. All welcome.
You can now read the latest Planetary Health newsletter here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/41u8ftQ
Lots of great stories, events and videos! You can subscribe via the Planetary Health website (link in profile): https://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/
This year, the Australian Bushfire Building and Asbestos & Hazardous Materials Management conferences are joining forces with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative for Full Cycle 2025, to increase collaboration across sectors, from design to disposal. This vital conference and community expo will explore approaches to reducing risks in a changing climate: from multi-hazards like fire, flood, heatwave and extreme humidity, to hazardous materials like mould, microplastics, PFAS, asbestos and engineered stone. Registration will be live in the coming weeks. In the meantime, visit the Full Cycle 2025 website for more information and to sign up to the mailing list (link in profile) https://www.fullcycleconference.com.au/
Yesterday the community gathered to celebrate Sister Jacinta Shailer`s 98th Birthday! Earlier this year at the Planetary Health Centre she urged us all to join a revolution centred in the transformative power of love, by joining heroic communities that foster compassion, justice, care of the needy, creative imagining, ways of life-giving thinking, ways of contemplating the wonders of our world in the small and the large, the weird and the wonderful. Watch an excerpt of her speech here or read our full story published earlier this year in Katoomba Area Local News (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/create-heroic-communities/
The Murray crayfish disappeared from large parts of its range over the past 40 years. Now a community-driven reintroduction program is bringing the iconic species back.
