Articles
Pollinators
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Pollinator private investigation 101
A bee or not a bee? That is the question!Identifying pollinators can be a challenging task when exploring your community garden, tending to your home garden, or while taking a stroll in the park. However, there are many resources available to help you identify the bees, hoverflies, butterflies and other important pollinators in your neighbourhood. A great first step is becoming aware and informed on common pollinators in your area – not all areas have the same pollinators! This can be done through a simple web search with a reputable source such as iNaturalist. iNaturalist is a species identification tool…
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The value of PlantingSeeds
At a time when ecological anxiety is high, and many are overwhelmed with an associated feeling of helplessness, the role of environmental organisations is imperative for restoring a sense of hope from the ground up. At PlantingSeeds, we see the necessity to consider all aspects of environmental revival, and the much-overlooked role of pollinators is our focus for restoring biodiversity and rebuilding hope for the future. Through our highly successful B&B Highway, we’ve truly made it possible for everyone in their communities to plant the seeds for a more ecologically sustainable life ahead. With over 220 locations across New South…
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Small Green Spaces, Big Impact: Rethinking Urban Biodiversity
Small green spaces making a big impact It’s time to elevate the value of small green spaces. Up until recently, the prevailing view was that a larger green urban area was superior to numerous small spaces of greenery in supporting biodiversity. But new research is turning that view on its head. While large parks and greenery are important and should always be valued, the studies are pointing to how small green urban spaces are making a big impact. As researchers from the University of Melbourne point out: ‘Small patches of green space can harbour significant biodiversity – even accounting for…
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Biodiversity & Climate: A Critical Connection
Biodiversity: A Climate for Change? Until recently, when people talked about environmental issues, they generally referred to climate change and its impacts. There is now growing recognition of the implications surrounding biodiversity loss. At PlantingSeeds, we are passionate about educating about both issues and the ways they overlap. Importantly, enhancements of biodiversity can help reduce the urban heat island effect that impacts urban and peri-urban environments across Australia. In recent years, governments and educational institutions have raised the agenda of both concerns, drawing attention to their overlapping impacts and concerns. The UN Convention on Biodiversity, the UN Framework on Climate…
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Invertebrates – our unsung biodiversity heroes – need help
Titled: ‘This is the way the world ends; not with a bang but a whimper’, an alarming new study published in December 2024 in the academic journal ‘Extinction’, points to the compelling nature of our work at PlantingSeeds which supports pollinators and particularly invertebrates. PlantingSeeds’ B&B Highway and its other vital programs strive to help many of our unsung biodiversity heroes at a time when very few organisations are banging the drum about the critical loss of invertebrates. Many are aware of bee loss but do not appreciate invertebrates’ and other pollinators’ roles in ecosystem health, soil and water vitality…
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For your library of life: The Bee Squad - Out Soon!
The Bee Squad: Boosting biodiversity in your neighbourhood Due for February 1st release and available for a 20% discount pre-order, Dr Judy Friedlander, PlantingSeeds' founder and CEO's new book gives children (and their parents) the tools and ideas they need to take charge. The Bee Squad is a fun, informative and practical guide to help kids boost biodiversity in their own backyards. Judy was recently interviewed on ABC Drive with Costa Georgiadis about The Bee Squad and you can listen below. Costa describes the book as a must for ‘your library of life’. Full of exciting adventures, tips and projects,…