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.
Our video on Falling In Love With Glossy Black Cockatoos is now up on our Planetary Health YouTube channel (sorry, it`s too big to share here but there`s a link in our profile).
Jayden Gunn finishes his presentation by saying:
"Care is like a snowball. The more people you tell the bigger the snowball gets, and the further it goes. And the more we know, the more we care. And the more we know, the more we`re able to help."
The video is of our fabulous Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo, and includes presentations by Jayden Gunn, BirdLife Australia, Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, and STEM teacher Samantha Bowden from Glenbrook Public School. There`s a link with the video on how to register for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong on 5 July (and it`s also in our profile). Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCERdF21Ud0&t=13s
Today we`re enjoying eating ripe medlars! Medlars are attractive cold climate fruit trees that were popular in Medieval gardens. They`re one of the few fruits that can be harvested in late Autumn and eaten in early Winter when they`re fully ripe. This is a great time of year to plant them for a future harvest. Check out our short video on how to eat them! #coldclimategardens #ediblegardens #medlars #growyourown #planetaryhealth #bluemountains...
We`re thrilled to share that last night @BlueMountainsCityCouncil`s Planetary Health Centre won the Innovative Leadership Award (Population Under 150K) in the 2025 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. What a great end to World Environment Day! 🌏 This award celebrates how local government can lead transformative change for a more sustainable future. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard with us to make our vision a reality. You can read more about what we`re doing at our website (link in profile): http://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/ @ph_alliance #planetaryhealth #worldenvironmentday #localgovernmentleadership #nswlocalgovernmentexcellenceawards...
Blocking out a couple of hours a week to step off the treadmill and give ourselves time to nurture our relationship with the earth and ourselves, is one way to keep our creative spirit and ‘lust for life’ alive. If you haven’t done so yet, one opportunity over the next week is to spend some ‘slow’ time in the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre before it closes on 15 June. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/the-2024-wynne-prize/ @bluemountainsculturalcentre @artgalleryofnsw #wynneprize #landscapes #bluemountains #katoomba #artexhibition #planetaryhealth...
Recognising how violence and war impact the health of the planet, the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative has become a member of the Blue Mountains Peace Collective. On Sunday 25th May, we attended a presentation by Dr Keith Suter on Making Peace in the World Today at the Leura Uniting Church. In this powerful presentation Dr Suter questions why we learn about war rather than successful peace negotiations! View the video of his presentation below and read our full story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/3Fl4WgQ (link in profile)
With an extra day up your sleeve this long weekend, it`s a great opportunity to give nature a hand to regenerate and provide more habitat for our fellow species! Join our fabulous all ages Planetary Health Bushcare Group from 1.30pm and then participate in the Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm, followed by drinks and nibblies! You can also start the day with a fabulous Tai Chi session at 8am. Visit our Planetary Health Pluriversity website to book in and learn more (link in profile): https://bmpluriversity.org/program/
Or ring 0407 437 553 for more information. #planetaryhealth #bushcare #katoomba #bluemountains #glossyblackcockatoos #landcare #biodiversity #habitat #wearenature #togetherwecan...
In this inspiring interview with Medlow Bath resident Amanda Foxon-Hill she talks about her work with Mid Lachlan Landcare, why Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo is so important, and why she loves her work so much! Read the full story in Blackheath Area Local News here: https://blackheathnews.com/connecting-landscapes-for-glossy-black-cockatoos/
Book in for the Growing Connected Landscapes Forum at 4pm this Saturday 7 June here: https://events.humanitix.com/growing-connected-landscapes-for-the-glossy-black-cockatoo Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong here: https://events.humanitix.com/glossy-black-cockatoo-community-tree-planting-5
In a world that increasingly feels out of balance, we’re thrilled to be offering Saturday morning Tai Chi and Qigong at 8am this Saturday 7 June (and the first Saturday of every month on our Skill Share Saturdays). Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art and moving meditation for body, mind and spirit. It is ideal for learning to keep calm amidst chaos but also has health benefits to increase longevity. Harvard Medical School has reported that this gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life. It`s particularly popular in Hong Kong, where residents have one of the highest life expectancies in the world! T`ai-Chi has also been found to improve brain function (like memory and mental flexibility) faster than other exercise and, in a recent study, comparing T`aiChi to brisk walking, the martial art was found to be significantly better at reducing blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease, like blood sugar levels and cholesterol. If you’d like to try it out, you can reserve your spot here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3FxWPgR
Learn how to Grow Connected Landscapes for the magnificent Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm on Saturday 7th June. In our first Planetary Health Forum we’ll be hearing from Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, Jayden Gunn from Birdlife Australia and Samantha (Pongi) Bowden from Glenbrook Public School, to learn more about the Glossy and how we can all help improve its habit from the Lower Mountains to Central NSW. We’re also launching a Community Tree Planting Day on 5 July in Goologong (near Cowra) to which we’re hoping we’ll get a large group of volunteers to help make a difference for this beautiful bird (and lots of other species as well!)
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.
Links in profile to book in.
Book for the Forum here: https://bit.ly/43FzamP
Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day here: https://bit.ly/3HwYHa5
Watch an interview with Amanda here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77y2jrCzINo&t=52s
Read more about Glenbrook Public Schools work for the Glossy Black here: https://lowermtnslocalnews.com/glossy-black-cockatoos/
Our newsletter is now out! View our video of Dr Keith Suter on "Making Peace in the World Today” and read about Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo and the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Cultural Centre. You can also book in for our Mushroom Cultivation and Tai Chi workshops, and our Planetary Health Bushcare on Skill Share Saturday, 7 June. And PS. We’re a finalist in the NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. Read the newsletter here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4dEFL5u
Yesterday a delegation from the University of Sydney and the Razak School of Government in Malaysia visited the Planetary Health Centre to exchange experiences on the challenges all our local governments are facing, including adapting to climate change, managing ageing populations, and finding economic opportunities for small councils to support their community`s needs. @rsog_insta #localgovernment #planetaryhealth #disasterriskreduction #systemicchange #councils #malaysia #exchange...
As part of an international project to advance science communication for Planetary Health (SciCoPH), Indonesian science journalists, science communication experts and bioscientists visited the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre to learn more about what we`re doing last month. Read our story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/43MFUjM (link in profile)
Building science journalism is pivotal to tackling planetary health, and collaborating internationally is critical as we work together to protect the health of all species. In early April the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre took part in a project funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) entitled “Advancing Science Communication for Planetary Health”
