Reconciliation Week is very important. Real reconciliation has never been achieved in Australia and this week there has been another incident of unjustified ill treatment of a young Aboriginal youth by Police in NSW. It is shocking that there have been over 400 deaths in custody since the Royal Commission into those deaths was completed in 1991. There is still much injustice and racism in our society.

Many people are working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to achieve equality and justice and to improve relationships. The Bush Heritage organization encourages this. Indigenous and non-indigenous people are working together listening to each other and sharing knowledge about the environment. Here is a message from the Bush Heritage website during Reconciliation Week.

More organizations should be working together especially our Government and our Justice system.

Tags: aboriginal, Country, culture, environment

The bushfires have been devastating in so many parts of Australia with loss of life, loss of homes and businesses, loss of schools and loss of animals.

Tags: animals, climate, environment, nature

Winter Woes

The weather has been very wintry this month, starting with snow over quite an area of the Northern Tablelands followed by icy winds and now frosts and the drought continues

Tags: animals, climate, health, winter

The autumn has been much warmer and longer than usual, but winter arrived with a rush of cold air and a bitter wind in the last week of May. The wind had taken most of the colourful leaves from the Armidale streets before I took pictures, but I was in time to take one of my favourite trees. It is at TAFE.

Because of the drought, the countryside is rather bleak and farmers have been selling stock as there is no feed in the paddocks and many dams are dry. It is a stressful time for all people on the land. The water situation in NSW was the main story on the ABC news last night and people in Sydney too are urged to save water and cut down on time spent in showers. Some towns are already out of water and everyone must be super careful to save every drop. Hopefully, rain will come soon. Even frost will bring moisture and do some good to gardens. Surely spring will bring good rain again and renew the land.

Tags: climate, nature, stress

It is Easter time and roadworks which will last for about 12 weeks, have begun on the road where I live. Safe roads are very necessary, but do roads have to be wide and straight to be safe? Must all the old trees beside the road have to be cut down?

Tags: nature, safety

This month thousands of farm animals as well as wildlife in Australia, have lost their lives because of drought, floods and fire.

Tags: climate, environment, stress

Literacy provides children with future choice. Choice around jobs, wellbeing and health. Our End of Year Financial Appeal is aiming to make a positive difference where it is needed the most:

Tags: aboriginal, education, language development, literacy

Tags: climate, education, environment

A recent report about dental health in Australia was quite alarming. In fact more than half of our children aged five and six have some decay in their baby teeth. Tooth decay is no fun and children with badly decayed teeth are having their teeth removed in hospital.

Tags: education, health

Do you know what a biome is? It is an area of the earth in which plants and animals share similar features such as the ecosystem...

Tags: climate, education, environment