Science & nature
Native Violets – we are many
Oct 19 2022
1 min read
Emma Rooksby

A Showy Violet at the Botanic Garden. Photo: Emma Rooksby

The Showy Violet has fewer leaves and flowers in the wild. Photo: Emma Rooksby

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Science & Nature

Above us, swamps

Swamps! Incredible places whose soil is regularly wet or even underwater, rich in biodiversity, amazing creatures like giant dragonflies and strange and sometimes unappealing scents (at least to us humans). The Illawarra is home to swamps in...

Emma Rooksby
September 2025
Science & Nature

Nature Shake: Inspiration in the mix at Wollongong Botanic Garden

The sign of a great event is that you get what you went for, but you also walk away having experienced the unexpected. And that’s what happened for me at the fabulous Nature Shake community day held at Wollongong Botanic Garden on Saturday. Nature...

Amanda De George
September 2025
Science & Nature

From shark nets to drones: 4 ways to protect bathers, and their tradeoffs

Sharks, especially great whites, have been in the news a lot recently after the tragic death of a surfer off Dee Why beach and an abundance of tagged sharks being detected off Stanwell Park. Much of the media response so far has followed a fairly...

Duncan Leadbitter
September 2025
Science & Nature

Spring’s Bird of the Month: Bassian Thrush

The bird of the month for September is the Bassian Thrush (Zoothera lunulata), a songbird species occurring in south-eastern Australia. In the Illawarra, they are commonly seen in rainforest areas along the lower escarpment. With their mottled...

Ewan Auld
September 2025