Stories From: Climate

As our climate changes, bringing unseasonable weather events, we're more likely to find wildlife, like snakes, in unlikely places, including our home. Many greet snakes with fear, repulsion and sometimes violence. Local professional snake removalist Troy Hovenden wants to change the way we view these magnificent creatures, to help protect both human and snake residents of the Blue Mountains.

As we face predictions of increasing natural disasters due to climate change, past events show that community-led recovery and preparedness is key to building resilience. Belle Butler talked with Kris Newton of Mountains Community Resource Network about how she prepares to reduce her own risk of disaster, and about MCRN's pilot project Resilient Villages, which aims to equip communities with the skills and tools they need to take control of their own destiny.

Eco anxiety, as a response to the environmental crisis, is an emerging area of study for psychologists, and art therapy is a potential salve for sufferers. Meet Mishy Rowan, and find out what happens when art meets science.

With predictions of hotter seasons ahead, it’s handy to have some go-to options to escape the heat. Our Cool Mountains guide provides a list of air-conditioned and naturally cooler spaces open to the public.

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.

In response to the global biodiversity crisis, which has seen around 69% of wildlife populations decline in 50 years, Lawson resident Ian Tanner has established an Ecological Funding Group which is raising funds to provide focussed donations to the Environmental Defenders Office and The Nature Conservancy.

During Summer 2022/23 Western Sydney University trained residents to use thermal imaging cameras to document surface temperatures in the local landscape as part of the Heat Detective project.  The images captured temperatures varying from 20°C to over 60°C, demonstrating both the urban heat island effect and simple solutions to reduce its impact.

As we rethink how to live in a warming world, building designers like Kirstie Wulf in Hazelbrook are exploring new fire-resistant building materials like hempcrete. In 2015 Kirstie received the National Building Designers Association Award for her first hempcrete home and she’s been designing them ever since.

Lithgow has changed dramatically since 1910 when the needs of a growing industrial City resulted in deforestation and pollution. We’ve taken drone footage to compare Lithgow in 1910 with Lithgow today and we discuss the encouraging progress we’ve made in regenerating our City.

The 2013 fires damaged much of Andy Stevenson's property on the Darling Causeway in Mount Victoria. Andy was determined to survive the next fire, while also creating a beautiful haven for family, guests and wildlife. Read his story here.