When the streets seem strange

More often now  as I walk the streets the words come to my lips or mind, “These things seem strange to me now.” Funny.  Why’s that? The streets are the same.  The people, cars and other walkers – the same. How can the familiar become strange? James Joyce, self-exhiled to Paris, could describe the streets and names of most of his home town Dublin.  They... Read More

New York Times – record droughts now ‘normal’

New York Times – record breaking droughts ‘normal’ from now on; will seem ‘wet’ compared to droughts  that lie ahead in the next decades. www.nytimes.com… ‘It is increasingly clear that we already live in the era of human-induced climate change, with unprecedented weather and climate extremes . . .  Read More

Planting hazelnut trees at Kangaroo Valley

Broger’s End To Sarah’s farm, Broger’s End, Kangaroo Valley, these last three days:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brogers-End/182845341773967 Seb, Sarah, Barney the dog, and bloke Four of us to plant 18 hazelnut trees and some fruit trees. Testing view from the hammock One of us to test the view from the hammock. Barney And Barney the dog, his genes abrim with... Read More

Humans being wonderful

With music and passion we humans soar and are wonderful – I dare you to watch this and say, ‘No’: www.youtube.com… Som Sabadell flashmob On the 130th anniversary of the founding of Banco Sabadell we wanted to pay homage to our city by means of the campaign “Som Sabadell” (We are… (With thanks to The Chook Whisperer and her parents.)  Read More

Choosing solitude

No more for me the sounds of shopping trolleys. Gone the grass parrot’s songs of joy, their upside down feeding in the branches outside a dance that woke hope in my eyes. Left behind, too, the beatitudes of Bronte pool, its oceanic liquids that silenced chattering voices.   If Banjo Patterson’s Clancy of the Overflow went a drovin’ to take the stock to feed and water... Read More

What kind of sewage system?

Comes this question from yesterday’s tour: HI Michael Thanks for the tour yesterday, was great to see your systems in action! I have a quick question about the sewerage which I forgot to ask: What do you think about composting toilets v. your system for an innner city context such as yours? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks Cheers Sarah   My answer: Great question;... Read More

Launch today of national Cool Streets Campaign

Blast off. The Total Environment Centre and Jeff Angel today launch their national Cool Streets Campaign, or as their news release puts it:                           MEDIA ALERT                                2 August 2012           AUSTRALIA NEEDS COOL STREETS TEC’s new campaign to reclaim the streets... Read More

Cool our cities by cooling our streets

In the summer the meat ant on the western plain of Sydney carts small reflective, silvery pebbles to it’s ants nest.  These reflect the sun’s heat and cool their nest.   In winter the meat ant replaces the pebbles with dark coloured ones.  These absorb the sun’s heat and warm their nest.   Here’s an invitation to our culture to match the meat... Read More

Luminous Chippendale

Luminous Chippendale   Here’s a note to me by a designer and gardener, Chantelle Matthews, about the road art and gardening she’s doing in Chippendale. ‘Strengthening the identity and liveability of Chippendale using a lucent groundcover Luminous Chippendale is a street garden project which aims to develop latent luminosity into a recognizable characteristic... Read More

New bee hive coming to Chippo

Katie Oxenham, Manager Urban Ecology at the City of Sydney, has contacted us to say Chippo’s new bee hive will be coming around September. Shortly we’ll choose a location for it. The new hive will bring to two the number of hives here.  These native, stingless bees will fly up to a kilometre and are better at pollinating than the larger, introduced stinging bees... Read More