Stories From: Science

Springwood resident Phillip Birtles believes that there is an essential connection between people and water. Through his work at Sydney Water, he taps into that connection, strengthening it and contributing to healthier, happier communities while simultaneously improving waterway health.

The South Eastern Glossy Black Cockatoo is one of Australia's rarest native birds, with a population of just 8,000. Happily the staff and students at Glenbrook Public School were not willing to give up on the flocks who make their home in the Blue Mountains region, with the Glossy Black Cockatoo as the theme for their recent National Science Week program.

Ever wondered what the world looks like to a tiny insect? That question was the basis of a recent interactive community performance MAGNIFY, featuring environmental songstress Amelie Ecology and hosted by Wildground Creative Adventures.

Life is made up of complex systems in which everything is inter-connected. Over his decades-long teaching career, Stuart Hill, a retired Emeritus Professor, and Linden resident, has helped hundreds of students understand the critical relationships between human actions and the health of our planet.

Trent Forge from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and drone pilot Richard Delaney search for the critically endangered 'Fletcher's Drumsticks'. Using drones, the cliffs and hanging swamps of Blue Mountains National Park can be surveyed in a way previously impossible.

Shaun Watson is the NSW Chair of Doctors for the Environment Australia. At his home-away-from-home in the Kanimbla Valley, he talks about his motivation to fight for the planet, the health impacts of fossil fuels and simple things we can do to make a difference.

A cadetship with the Healthy Waterways Team at Blue Mountains City Council has helped 23-year-old Will Goodwin pursue a passion for helping wildlife and nature.

Bill Dixon has cultivated a rainforest garden on a ridge in South Springwood. He talks about how growing rainforest species can be an adaptive response to local climate conditions.

'Middle Earth' is a remarkable off-grid paradise in the Kanimbla Valley, created over many decades by Hans and Tillie Coster. What was once a degraded grazing property has been regenerated, with its underground 'Hobbit Hall' built to survive all weather extremes.

Pollinators are critical for life on earth. As we face a biodiversity crisis in which we’re losing plants and animals at an alarming rate, the Rotary Club of Blackheath and Planting Seeds have collaborated on the B&B Highway pollinator program.