Biodiversity

As recently reported in the New York Times, Australia’s flying foxes are very much underestimated and under-appreciated.  While local environmental experts have been singing their praises for decades, a new study published in Scientific Reports points to the fact that flying foxes, through the dispersal of seeds, are responsible for the creation of more than 91 million trees, a majority of them eucalypts.  For Australia’s economy, that means somewhere in the range of $195 million to $673 million per year contributed by the bats. This case study, conducted by Gonzalez, Possingham, Biggs, et al., is the first of its kind…

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Australia is known for its incredibly diverse flora and fauna. In fact, 85 per cent of Australia’s plant species are endemic, meaning that they cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Australia is also home to half of the world’s marsupial species, according to the 2021 Australia State of the Environment. It’s no surprise that visitors to this vast nation frequently look forward to seeing the ‘Aussie Big 5’. This list includes Australia’s five most iconic native wildlife: kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypuses, and freshwater crocodiles. Of course, travelers are unlikely to see these amazing species in one place –…

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Magnifying glasses, books and activity guides are just a few of the things you’ll see when you walk up to a Citizen’s Science Corner. These displays are dedicated spaces housed in public libraries that feature books on local flora and fauna, interactive kits, and step-by-step guides that facilitate contribution to real, ongoing research projects. These growing displays are a collaborative effort between the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA). The idea was developed by Dr Bridie Schultz, Vice Chair of the ACSA and co-founder of teachSTEM Ltd, in partnership with Dr Helen Weston,…

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The numbers are in. Recent biodiversity research by PlantingSeeds has found its  B&B Highway program creates positive changes in biodiversity richness and abundance at a number of Australian school sites.  Across all assessed sites, pollinator species richness increased on average by 25 to 33 per cent, demonstrating a consistent trend of ecological improvement. Studies were conducted from 2023 to 2025 at Carlton South Public School, Connells Point Public School,  Blakehurst High School and at Yowie Bay Public School in the Georges River area of Sydney, NSW.  Key findings Across all assessed sites with complete pre- and post- data, pollinator species…

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A new survey revealing the growing extent of synthetic turf in schools has exposed the heat in the debate of synthetic verses natural grass. As recently reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, a significant 58 per cent of NSW public schools (1600 out of 2200 schools surveyed by the Department of Education) have installed synthetic turf. The first survey of its kind examining the prevalence of synthetic turf in the schools heightens concerns about health and environmental impacts. Synthetic turf is becoming a highly contested issue in Australia, and is particularly controversial in regards to fields at primary and high…

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More of us are feeling the heat. Multiple 40 degree C + days in our major cities were unheard of a generation ago. Now it’s becoming a summer norm. Are we the frogs in the boiling water? Greening our cities takes on even greater importance with the urban heat trend. The research is in – we need to act. PlantingSeeds is working this year on an exciting urban canopy project that will help take off some of the heat. More to come there. Consider this hard data: We are literally banking on trees and green cover to dial down the…

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