Mona Vale Dunes Bushcare
June 8: where were we? On Mona Vale Dunes. We’ve planted next to the path near Golf Ave. Rabbits active there so plant covers needed.
Morning tea: Jen Quine + Lemon tart.
Lots of interested walkers this morning.
Next chance to join us: Thursday June 20!
We meet at 8.30 am at the end of Golf avenue and work for around 3 hours or whatever time you can manage. Please wear enclosed footwear, long sleeves and trousers. BYO gardening gloves.
To suit most of us, we meet on two days of the month, so people come on either the second Saturday morning and the third Thursday - sometimes both!
Our morning teas are legendary - what will we have on Thursday June 20th?
Find out more in: Mona Vale Beach Dunes Bushcare
Progress is so encouraging. In July 2014 dense lantana and asparagus was cleared and left in piles to give wildlife somewhere to hide. Tubestock was planted by council and then maintained by our bushcare group. See the difference now, in May 2019.
July 2014
May 2019
Avalon Boomerang Bags Celebrating 4 Years This June
Launched in June 2016 by Pittwater MP, the Hon Rob Stokes, this grass roots, hands-on group are turning the tide on plastic bags locally. The work that preceded this launch, and all continued to be done since, is a testament to the work done by these volunteers and a community determined to be free of plastic. As well as doing the work to ensure an alternative to plastic, Avalon Boomerang Bagsmembers also recently attended a BIG meeting:
NSW Boomerang Bag meeting Sat 25 May 2019 - it's not just about the bag!
Held at Camperdown Commons on Mallett St - a pocket community farm practicing ecological urban farming methods and providing produce to the on site restaurant 'Acre Eatery'.... definitely worth visiting if you are in the area (2 streets from the RPA hospital).
The meeting was run by the amazing co founders of the community Boomerang Bag initiative, Jordyn de Boeur and Tania Potts from Burleigh Heads and the brilliant master of ceremonies Anthony Hill founder of Plastic Pollution Solutions (mission is to educate to engage behavioural change).
BB community representatives came from Newcastle, Forster/ Tuncurry, Inner West, Berry, Blue Mountains, Milton, Canada Bay and Avalon.
The meeting gave everyone the opportunity to discuss the highlights and challenges which have been uncovered in setting up, running and communicating within the local community groups as well as hearing about the evolution of the BB from its early days to now. The true understanding that Boomerangs in their traditional design do in fact 'not come back' and confirmed by bags not returning are the reasons 'borrow and reuse' has become the logo replacing the 'borrow and bring back' slogan ....perhaps we can change our expectations (but at the same time not lose hope).
Another slight shift in practice was changing the wording around 'Sewing bag' workshops to 'Bag making' workshops to reach a wider audience of potential volunteers.
Fund raising opportunities and insurance issues were also discussed. The strategy of box sponsorships (a' la Avalon) was well received.
Acknowledgement as to why the concept has mushroomed globally from just 3 or 4 communities in just a few years to over 815 communities worldwide today is attributed to the fact that it meets a need in society - the opportunity to connect with other people in our local community and beyond. Apparently Hugh Mackay (renowned Australian social researcher and psychologist) has a high regard for the BB concept in its ability to reach into the community. Of course the environmental issue of reducing single use plastic bags is also a primary reason as well. Evolution and paradigm shifts in society and human relations, attitudes, business practices, utilisation of resources and closed economies were also topics covered.
The day formally ended with a powerful 10 min video interview between Dr Zach Bush and Rich Roll (described by the interviewer as the best monologue ever). Available at: https://youtu.be/aLaVutWXju0
Dr Zach Bush is an American endocrinologist who brings together human health, environmental degradation, farming practices, science and spiritual transformation onto the one platform.
The meeting was a great experience - creative, interactive and fun - and lunch was delicious!
Thanks Anne - and to think you apologised for this being "more than a few words" - so great to hear about yours and Laurel's fantastic day.
Look at our freshly painted boxes....
Thanks Ross for maintaining & painting the boxes.
Boomerang Bags are currently located at:
- Avalon Village Meats
- Herforts Chemist Avalon
- Chambers Cellars Avalon
- Andrew Blake Real Estate
- Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Avalon
- Elvina Ave Supermarket
- North Avalon - Porters Liquor
- Bilgola-Organics Avenue/Four Square
- Clareville Cellars
Thank you to our current box "hosts",
we appreciate you putting them out each day and bringing them in at night.
Diary Dates
Saturday 6th July - Boomerang Bags Bar-B-Que fundraiser
Hosted by Tanya from Narrabeen Boomerang Bags and Marina from Collaroy Plateau Boomerang Bags, the event will be held at Bunnings Narrabeen. The girls would love a hand, if you can spare some time, please email Marina collaroyplateau.boomerangbags@gmail.com
Tuesday 9th July - School Holidays
NO regular bag making workshops
Tuesday 9th July - Boomerang Bag meeting 11am
Followed by lunch.
Tuesday 9th July - NAIDOC week
2pm smoking ceremony & author talks Avalon Recreation Centre $5
Tuesday 16th July - School Holidays
NO regular bag making workshops
Friday 19th & Saturday 20th July - Plastic Free July Event
To be held at Avalon Recreation Centre and among other things there will be stalls and a Recycled Fashion Show.
Tuesday 23rd July - Bag making working shops resume
11.30am - 3.30pm Avalon recreation Centre
Come for an hour or come for the day - we're making a difference in so many ways.
SAVE THE DATE
Sunday 3rd November - Avalon Market Day
Adani Groundwater Plan Approval Flushes Farmers’ Hopes For A Fair Go
June 13, 2019
Lock the Gate Alliance has condemned the Queensland Government’s approval of Adani’s deeply flawed Carmichael coal mine Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems Management Plan.
Central Queensland grazier Bruce Currie, whose groundwater will be put at significant risk should the mine be built, said it was a kick in the teeth for all primary producers operating in the Galilee Basin.
The decision also comes at a time when 65 per cent of Queensland is drought declared.
“State and Federal politicians have ignored the scientists and pleas of farmers who are acutely aware of how much damage Adani’s mine will have on vital underground water resources, including the Great Artesian Basin,” Mr Currie said.
“We are sacrificing sustainable grazing land to greedy multinational mining companies so they can rip our resources out of the earth, and sell it overseas.
“Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s rhetoric about supporting people in the bush means nothing if her government ignores farmers and scientists to rush through politically inconvenient and environmentally destructive projects like Adani.
“If this mine is built, there will be increased problems for the government as Adani will cause more catastrophes impacting farmers and the environment that so easily could have been avoided.”
Lock the Gate Alliance Queensland spokesperson Ellie Smith said Adani’s GDEMP was approved despite criticism from independent scientists and concerns over a lack of information from the CSIRO.
She said there had been clear political interference, and the scientific evidence showed there would be serious damage to underground water systems and unique Great Artesian Basin spring wetlands.
“CSIRO’s previous assessment of Adani’s water plan was scathing. It said Adani’s modeling was not fit for purpose, and contained many errors and unreasonable assumptions. CSIRO warned this plan would fail to protect QLD’s precious water resources,” she said.
“Adani has also demonstrated through multiple failed attempts at its water plan that it has no idea where the source aquifer is for the ancient and unique Doongmabulla desert springs.
“Scientists are deeply concerned that these springs will dry up should the Carmichael coal mine be built.
“The Queensland community expected the Palaszczuk government to follow the law and science, not cave in to undue pressure from Adani.
“Adani has broken Queensland laws and has shown it can’t be trusted. It was only this year fined for allowing the release of coal laden water into the Caley Valley Wetlands on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef.”
Undocumented Plant Extinctions Are A Big Problem In Australia – Here’s Why They Go Unnoticed
June 13, 2019
by David Coates
Adjunct Professor and Research Associate, University of Western Australia
Matchstick banksia (Banksia cuneate). There are only about 500 of these plants left in the wild at 11 different sites, with much of its habitat having been historically cleared for agriculture. Andrew Crawford/Threatened Species Hub
A recent survey on the world’s plants found a shocking number have gone extinct – 571 since 1750. And this is likely to be a stark underestimate. Not all plants have been discovered, so it’s likely other plants have gone extinct before researchers know they’re at risk, or even know they exist.
In Australia, the situation is just as dire. The Threatened Species Recovery Hub recently conducted two evaluations that aren’t yet published of extinct plants in Australia. They found 38 have been lost over the last 170 years, such as the Daintree River banana (Musa fitzalanii) and the fringed spider-orchid (Caladenia thysanochila).
Read more: 'Plant blindness' is obscuring the extinction crisis for non-animal species
But uncertainty about the number of plant extinctions, in addition to the 38 confirmed, is an ongoing concern.
Both studies pointed out the actual number of extinctions is likely to be far more than those recognised in formal lists produced by the Commonwealth and state and territory agencies.
Dark-bract banksia (Banksia fuscobractea) Fewer than 100 plants remain in the wild. It's only found at two road-side sites about 125 km north of Perth. A major cause of the plants decline has been the clearing of the surrounding landscape for agriculture. Andrew Crawford
Dwarf spider-orchid (Caladenia pumila). Thought extinct for 80 years then rediscovered 10 years ago. There are only two plants left in the wild. Continuing effort by the native orchid conservation program at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria has resulted in approximately six adult plants now in the nursery, bring the world population to almost ten. John Eichler
Red-fruited ebony (Diospyros mabacea). A subtropical rainforest tree that often grows near rivers, this plant is found in a few stands around Mullumbimby. Threats include clearing for agriculture and trampling by livestock. Pete the Poet
Aloe-leafed pipewort (Eriocaulon aloefoliu). This aquatic plant species is only found at a single spring wetland in central Queensland. Habitat damage by pigs is an ongoing threat to the remaining wetland. Rod Fensham
BlueTassel-fern (Phlegmariurus dalhousieanus). A fern which grows attached to trees or rocks, it's found in the Wet Tropics of Cape York. Only a few small populations remain, some core habitat has been lost to urban development. Illegal collection, both by the nursery trade and plant enthusiasts is a key threat to the plant. It has not yet been successfully cultivated by nurseries. Ashley Field
Blue top sun-orchid (Thelymitra cyanapicata). This orchid is known from only one location on the Fleurieu Peninsula south of Adelaide with approximately 130 individual plants. They grow in manna gum swampy woodland. The species was a traditional food resource for local Indigenous people, having an edible underground tuber. Bob Bates
For example, there is still a high rate of discovery of new plant species in Australia. More than 1,600 plants were discovered between 2009 and 2015, and an estimated 10% are still yet to be discovered.
The extinction of Australian plants is considered most likely to have occurred in areas where there has been major loss and degradation of native bushland. This includes significant areas in southern Australia that have been cleared for agriculture and intensive urbanisation around major cities.
Many of these extinct plants would have had very restricted geographic ranges. And botanical collections were limited across many parts of Australia before broad scale land clearing and habitat change.
Why extinction goes undocumented
There is already one well recognised Australian plant extinction, a shrub in Phillip Island (Streblorrhiza speciosa), which was never formally recognised on any Australian threatened species list.
Black magic grevillea (Grevilla calliantha) is known from only six populations within a range of 8 square kilometres. In the wild the species is threatened by frequent fire, habitat loss, invasive weeds, herbicide overspray, grazing animals and phytophthora dieback. Dave Coates
Researchers also note there are Australian plants that are not listed as extinct, but have not been collected for 50 years or more.
While undocumented extinction is an increasing concern, the recent re-assessment of current lists of extinct plants has provided a more positive outcome.
The re-assessment found a number of plants previously considered to be extinct are not actually extinct. This includes plants that have been re-discovered since 1980, and where there has been confusion over plant names. Diel’s wattle (Acacia prismifolia), for instance, was recently rediscovered in Western Australia.
Read more: 'Revolutionary change' needed to stop unprecedented global extinction crisis
A significant challenge for accurately assessing plant extinction relates to the difficulties in surveying and detecting them in the Australian landscapes.
Many have histories associated with fire or some other disturbance. For example, a number of plants spend a significant part of their time as long-lived seeds – sometimes for decades – in the soil with nothing visible above ground, and with plants only appearing for a few years after a fire.
But by far, the greatest reason for the lack of information is the shortage of field surveys of the rare plants, and the availability of botanists and qualified biologists to survey suitable habitat and accurately identify the plants.
Purple-wood wattle (Acacia carneorum) is slow growing and rarely produces viable seed. Threats are not well understood but grazing by livestock and rabbits is likely to impact on the species. Andrew Denham
What we’ve learnt
The continuing decline of Australia’s threatened plants suggests more extinctions are likely. But there have been important achievements and lessons learnt in dealing with the main causes of loss of native vegetation.
Our understanding of plant extinction processes – such as habitat loss, habitat degradation, invasive weeds, urbanisation, disease and climate change – is improving. But there is still a significant way to go.
Read more: How I discovered the Dalveen Blue Box, a rare eucalypt species with a sweet, fruity smell
One challenge in dealing with the causes of Australian plant extinction is how to manage introduced diseases.
Two plant diseases in particular are of major concern: Phytophthora dieback, a soil-borne water mould pathogen, and Myrtle rust, which is spread naturally by wind and water.
Both diseases are increasingly recognised as threats, not only because of the impact they are already having on diverse native plant communities and many rare species, but also because of the difficulties in effective control.
Two Australian rainforest tree species Rhodomyrtus psidioides and Rhodamnia rubescens were recently listed as threatened under the NSW legislation because of myrtle rust.
Native guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides) A tree species around the margins of rainforest between the NSW and the QLD border. The species is has now been listed as Critically Endangered. Surveys of rainforest areas infected with Myrtle Rust found that 50 to 95% of native guava trees were killed by the disease within a few years. Zaareo/Wikimedia
While extinction associated with disease is often rapid, some individual plants may survive for decades in highly degraded landscapes, such as long-lived woody shrubs and trees. These plants will ultimately go extinct, and this is often difficult to communicate to the public.
While individual species will continue to persist for many years in highly disturbed and fragmented landscapes, there is little or no reproduction. And with their populations restricted to extremely small patches of bush, they’re vulnerable to ongoing degradation.
Read more: How many species on Earth? Why that's a simple question but hard to answer
In many such cases there is an “extinction debt”, where it may take decades for extinction to occur, depending on the longevity of the plants involved.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. A recent study found of the 418 threatened Australian plants showing ongoing decline, 83% were assessed as having medium to high potential for bouncing back.
And with long-term investment and research there are good prospects of saving the majority of these plants.
This article first appeared in The Conversation. republished under a Creative Commons licence.
Koala Drinking Stations Can Reduce Impact Of Climate Change
June 5th, 2019: University of Sydney
A long-held view that koalas get all their hydration from eating leaves has been overturned by new research published today from Dr Valentina Mella and colleagues at the University of Sydney.
The study in PLOS ONE offers hope in the fight to conserve this threatened species, with researchers finding that koalas will regularly use artificial water stations, particularly during hot and dry conditions.
Koalas (stock image). Credit: © Alizada Studios / Adobe Stock
"Drinking stations could help koalas during heat and drought events and might help mitigate the effects of climate change," said Dr Mella from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences.
Dr Mella also said drinking stations could prove a useful strategy to support other arboreal folivores such as gliders and possums in Australia and sloths, lemurs and some monkeys on other continents.
Koala populations along Australia's east coast have been declining due to lost habitat from deforestation, diseases such as chlamydia, attacks from feral animals, fire and vehicle collisions.
The Australian Department of Environment estimates that combined koala populations in Queensland and New South Wales declined from 326,400 in 1990 to 188,000 in 2010, a drop of 42 percent.
However, koalas are also particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, suffering heat stress, Dr Mella said, and because the trees they rely on are affected by temperature and rainfall change.
Koalas can't simply eat more leaves to compensate for reduced water content in their favourite food. This is because koalas are limited in their food intake by leaf toxins.
"It is predicted that increased CO2 emissions will increase the level of phenolics and tannins in eucalyptus leaves," Dr Mella said. "This means koalas will need alternative strategies to find water -- and that's where we can help with drinking stations."
Dr Mella has been conducting field work in Gunnedah in western NSW where, in 2009, a heat wave killed an estimated quarter of Gunnedah's koala population.
"We weren't sure if the water stations could be used to mitigate the impact of extreme weather events," Dr Mella said. "But our results clearly show koalas will regularly use these stations to supplement their water needs."
During the first 12 months of the study, Dr Mella and her team recorded 605 visits to 10 pairs of water stations, with 401 of these visits resulting in koalas drinking.
They found that the total number of visits and total time drinking doubled during summer compared to other seasons.
"Frequent access to water may be fundamental for koalas to assist thermoregulation when temperatures are high," Dr Mella said.
Initial findings about koalas' drinking behaviour were announced in 2017 with videos that showed widespread use of water by the iconic mammals, particularly during drier periods.
The release of these findings prompted a successful fundraising campaign at the University to support further research into koala conservation that raised more than $150,000.
Dr Mella's study has influenced the direction of state and national koala research, with water supplementation adopted by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, included as a specific feature of the NSW Koala Research Strategy and used by the North West Local Land Services as a central concept to koala management on private properties.
These results also prompted Campbelltown council in Adelaide to install drinking stations for koalas.
"We need to monitor how effective these are -- as the stations can also attract feral animals and predators. Fortunately, we haven't seen any deaths from predators near the drinking stations in Gunnedah," Dr Mella said.
To mitigate this risk, her team has now developed drinking stations that are inaccessible to ground-based predators.
"Our next steps will be to see if disease, such as chlamydia, influences koala drinking behaviour," Dr Mella said. "And we will also monitor individual koalas to examine these drinking behaviours over a longer time period."
Valentina S. A. Mella, Clare McArthur, Mark B. Krockenberger, Robert Frend, Mathew S. Crowther. Needing a drink: Rainfall and temperature drive the use of free water by a threatened arboreal folivore. PLOS ONE, 2019; 14 (5): e0216964 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216964
Are You Koalified To Report Wildlife Sightings?
By NSW Office of Environment & Heritage
NSW communities are being asked to share where they have seen wildlife around New South Wales, over the last 2 years, as a new online Community Wildlife Survey launched 24 May.
"We want to know about your sightings of brushtail possums, foxes, platypus, wombats, koalas, spotted-tailed quolls, kangaroos, deer and dingos," said Dr Tom Celebrezze, Science Director, Office of Environment and Heritage.
"Whether you see a possum, a wombat whilst out working, or a koala during your holiday, every sighting helps to understand where in New South Wales these animals are living and how their populations are faring.
"Community wildlife sightings are hugely valuable to researchers and they give local communities a chance to share what is happening with the wildlife in their area.
Koala, Macquarie Nature Reserve - Photo credit John Spencer, OEH
"This rich data source helps scientists to get a better view of wildlife across New South Wales and gain a clearer understanding of where these animals are, their health, and any threats," said Dr Celebrezze.
The survey, conducted by the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH), asks contributors to record sightings of 10 key animals, over the last 2 years, wherever they have been seen across New South Wales.
Mr Celebrezze said the survey also draws on community knowledge, asking contributors if they think populations are increasing, decreasing or staying the same in their local area.
"Scientists will use the data to look at how the populations of the 10 animals have changed since the last survey in 2006," said Dr Celebrezze.
"Back in 2006 more than 16,000 people shared their wildlife sightings and the data generated played a vital role in understanding more about the location and status of animals in New South Wales, helping to shape research and conservation priorities for the State.
"We are keen to get a similar number of survey participants this year, if not more.
"The survey is being funded as part of the $44.7 million NSW Koala Strategy, that will help secure the future of koalas in the wild. Data from this year's survey can help identify sites for priority action under the NSW Koala Strategy as well as forming part of koala monitoring across the State.
"I encourage every NSW resident who has seen one of the 10 animals over the past 2 years in New South Wales, to share their sightings and wildlife information through the survey.
"It only takes 10 to 20 minutes to complete. It's a great opportunity to help build knowledge about wildlife in your local area," said Dr Celebrezze.
Access the new wildlife survey here: Community wildlife survey
Short Beaked Echidna. Photo credit Sharon Wormleaton, OEH
Six Forgotten Wood Giants
With Council getting closer to putting a call out for sculptures and statues for a walking trail that will stretch from Palm Beach to Manly Pittwater Online is investigating examples from here in Australia and overseas. This week a lovely example from the wooded places around Copenhagen. Next week an insight into some cows that stand in bronze before the new Camden council chambers and tell a story of the Cowpasture road.
It's a way to start thinking about what treasures could stand as markers along our ways - things that relate to and celebrate our indigenous peoples, our history, our environment, our people - OUR Place.
Check this out:
Danish artist Thomas Dambo creates larger than life sculptures hidden around his hometown of Copenhagen.
His sculptures require secret poems and clues in order to locate them. He says each has its own treasure map or poem engraved into stone to steer people onto unfamiliar paths where they’ll discover them.
Each is made of recycled wood consisting of roughly 600 pieces taken from pallets, fences, and even an old wooden shed. With the help of local volunteers, Thomas was able to complete his series of giant wooden sculptures.
All six sculptures are part of the first chapter of Thomas Dambo’s ongoing story: “The great story of the little people and the giant trolls”.
The project wants to bring art out of the museum, show the beautiful and often overlooked nature spots, and at the same time give an exciting and different experience.
TEDDY FRIENDLY
Høje Taastrup, 2016
Teddy Friendly is a recycle sculpture Thomas Dambo made as a part of the larger project “Forgotten Giants”. The project consists of 6 large sculptures made in the outskirts of Copenhagen. Common for all sculptures is that they are made solely from local scrapwood and recycled materials, and made in a hidden beautiful location. This way it invites the viewers to go on a treasure hunt, not only to see the sculptures, but also to discover hidden gems in nature.
Teddy friendly is made from local scrapwood, including cut offs from cut down local trees, which has been used for his fur. He is standing at a water stream, at a lake holding out his hand helping people to cross.
The Thomas Dambo team had help from a local activation center, which provided four unemployed people and a teacher to assist in building the sculpture. The teachers name was Teddy, he was a super friendly and hardworking guy, and together with his team he made a huge effort, therefore Thomas Dambo decided to name the sculpture after him.
LITTLE TILDE
Little Tilde is located in the area of Vallensbæk Mose, a beautiful area filled with wild nature and animal life. She watches through the trees at the other side of a small lake, from where you will be able to catch a glimpse of her at a distance.
Tilde is made solely from local scrapwood scavenged by the Thomas Dambo team. To build the sculpture the team had help from a group of volunteers including two senior craftsmen (one of which was aged 86), and a couple of locals including Tilde, from whom the sculpture got her name.
As a little bonus Thomas Dambo made 28 birdhouses inside the sculpture, for the birds and maybe a squirrel to seek shelter when winter hits Vallensbæk Mose.
OSCAR UNDER THE BRIDGE
Ishøj, 2016
Oscar under the bridge is made from scrapwood from a torn down watermill and broken pallets from local industries. He is named after an artist from Chile who came to visit Thomas and help him in his work during the time that Thomas and his team was building the sculpture.
HILL TOP TRINE
Copenhagen, 2016
Hill Top Trine is resting on top of a little hill in Hvidovre, Copenhagen, where you can crawl into the palms of her hands and get a beautiful viewpoint overlooking Avedøresletten. She is named after one of the volunteers who worked on one of the other hidden giants.
Just like her siblings, Hill Top Trine is made from scrapwood, branches and old pallets from Stark. The Thomas Dambo team have had help building the wooden sculpture from a handful of local volunteers.
THOMAS ON THE MOUNTAIN
Copenhagen, 2016
Thomas On The Mountain has found a good place to chill on top of a hill. From here he has a great view of the municipality of Albertslund, and so can you if you join him. His legs are long, and a good place to sit with your friends.
The giant sculpture is made solely from local scrapwood scavenged by the Thomas Dambo team. To build the sculpture the team had help from a group of young volunteers from a local school as well as a couple of seniors. The giant is named after Thomas Dambos intern also named Thomas, who has been a huge part of the Forgotten Giants project, and helped create all six sculptures.
SLEEPING LOUIS
Copenhagen, 2016
Sleeping Louis is taking a nap on a hill, covered in trees and nature, in a secret place in Rødovre outside of Copenhagen. People can crawl into his gaping mouth, and play or even sleep inside of him.
Sleeping Louis is made solely from local scrapwood scavenged by the Thomas Dambo team. To build the sculpture the team had help from a group of young volunteers from an organisation helping young unemployed people get work experience before reentering the work market. Thomas’ old assistant Louis from Bristol, England came back to Copenhagen for a visit, and worked hard to help finish the sculpture, why Thomas and the team decided to name the sculpture after him.
Curious Kids: Why Did The Dinosaurs Die?
June 12, 2019
Answered by Caitlin Syme
PhD Candidate, Vertebrate Palaeontology, The University of Queensland
Curious Kids is a series for children. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskids@theconversation.edu.au You might also like the podcast Imagine This, a co-production between ABC KIDS listen and The Conversation, based on Curious Kids.
Why did the dinosaurs die? – Whitaker, age 4.
That’s a great, and tricky question!
We know that dinosaurs ruled the Earth for about 180 million years. Then, around 66 million years ago, a huge rock from outer space (called an asteroid) smashed into the Earth.
It crash-landed near Mexico. It shook the ground. It made big waves in the sea. Any animals and plants that were nearby would have gotten squashed or washed away!
The asteroid made lots of dust and dirt and rocks to fly up into the air. All that dust and dirt covered the planet and made the sky dark. There were many forest fires too.
Before the asteroid hit Earth, there were lots of volcanoes erupting in what we now call India. They made smoke, and ash, and gases fill up the air. We are not sure if the asteroid then hitting Earth made more volcanoes erupt. Maybe it was just very bad timing.
From cold to hot
It was so dusty and dark that the warm sunshine couldn’t reach the ground. This made the Earth very cold.
But after the dust settled and the sun came out, the Earth got very hot indeed. The sea creatures, plants, and land animals didn’t like that very much. The plants probably had a hard time growing. The plant-eating animals ran out of plants to eat, and then the animals that ate other animals also ran out of food. So it became very hard for dinosaurs to survive.
But it’s still really hard to know for sure exactly why the dinosaurs died. Dinosaur-scientists (palaeontologists) still wonder whether it was because of the asteroid, or the volcanoes, or both the asteroid and volcanoes. Did the animals get too cold or too hot? Did they run out of food?
We might not ever know for sure, but we will always keep looking for answers!
Here is a life-size skeleton of Muttaburrasaurus in the Queensland Museum. Muttaburrasaurus was a large, plant-eating dinosaur that lived in eastern Australia. Shutterstock
Read more: Curious Kids: How many dinosaurs in total lived on Earth during all periods?
Who went extinct and who didn’t?
Most of the dinosaurs died. We call this going “extinct”. An animal is extinct when it doesn’t exist anymore anywhere in the world.
It wasn’t just most dinosaurs that went extinct 66 million years ago. Among others that went extinct were: flying reptiles called pterosaurs, huge reptiles that swam in the ocean called plesiosaurs and pliosaurs, creatures with curled, spiral shells called ammonites, and lots of other plants and animals.
Here’s an artist’s impression of a pterosaurs. Shutterstock
Huge reptiles called plesiosaurs once swam in the ocean. Shutterstock
But others survived. Different types of insects, lizards, crocodiles, mammals, birds, sharks, fish, crabs, snails, flowers, ferns and trees all made it through.
How? We don’t really know.
It could be because the animals were small and didn’t need much food. Maybe it was because they could eat crunchy seeds the dead plants left behind, or mushrooms growing on the dead plants, or tiny scraps of old, dry meat. Maybe it was because they could burrow into the ground to keep warm. Maybe it was because they could swim far away to keep safe. And maybe some of those dry, crunchy seeds could grow into plants after they were buried for a long time.
But we know they survived.
Woolly mammoths once roamed the Earth. Shutterstock
Those animals and plants found new homes. And as the plants grew bigger and stronger, the animals could grow bigger too. They could take the place of the big dinosaurs that had died. Big woolly mammoths, giant kangaroos, and whales now roamed the land and sea. New types of plants grew, like grass. And a long time later, human beings evolved – that’s us!
Now mammals rule the Earth.
Not all the dinosaurs died
Did you know that not all the dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago? They’re not the type of dinosaurs you might be thinking of, like Tyrannosaurus, or Brachiosaurus, or Muttaburrasaurus. The dinosaurs that survived were… birds!
That’s right! All birds are actually dinosaurs.
Ancient birds lived beside other dinosaurs. They survived the asteroid and volcanoes. And now birds live alongside us today.
Read more: Curious Kids: Are mermaids real?
I think it’s sad that all the other dinosaurs went extinct so long ago. But we can remember them by visiting museums and looking at fossils, or by reading books about them, or by watching birds fly through the sky.
But if it weren’t for all the other dinosaurs going extinct so long ago, fluffy little mammals wouldn’t have had room to grow and evolve. And there wouldn’t be any humans.
UNSW PhD Candidate Takes Up Research Fellowship At The Julliard School
June 12, 2019: Nick Rafferty, UNSW Media
Receiving the Australian government’s Endeavour Research Award will enable Marco Susino from the School of the Arts & Media to further explore the emotional language of music.
Marco Susino will be working alongside some of the world’s most renowned composers, choreographers and dancers. Photo: Marco Susino
Marco Susino will move to the renowned Juilliard School in New York as a visiting scholar and research fellow to work on his project The Music that Moves Us.
“I feel humbled and honoured,” he says. “I am humbled because of the prestige of the fellowship I am being honoured with, but more so because of the people and institute I am about to collaborate with, artists and academics from The Juilliard School.
“The fellowship will bring an overwhelming wealth of knowledge and will have a profound effect, to be recognised as an international expert in my area of research. To be working alongside some of the world’s most renowned composers, choreographers and dancers will give me a new understanding of artistic and academic imagination, developing practice-based research and exploring new artistic and research areas.”
Marco will co-create six bodies of work with composers and choreographers at Julliard that express specific emotions and investigate how emotion in music is embodied in dance. He will explore the emotional language of music expressed in movement and how psychological processes are responsible for the embodiment of musical emotions. His expertise is in emotion in music, and how these are experienced across cultures and across the arts.
His path to postgraduate research in this field was seeded in India in 2010, when he was performing at a concert that was part of several months of performances throughout Asia. In this concert, he observed some of the audience’s unusual emotional reaction to one of the standard repertoire songs – it was something he hadn’t seen anywhere else.
Noting this, Marco proceeded to investigate and play a recording of the song to people from different cultures. He noted that most North Indian listeners appeared to respond emotionally and similarly to the music, but differently to non-Indian and even South Indian listeners.
This sparked his interest in the field of music psychology and led him to read This is Your Brain on Music, by Daniel Levitin. By the end of the book, Marco was even more fascinated by the subject and decided he had to investigate the effects of culture further. This was his first step on the road to his research career, and eventually winning the Endeavour Fellowship.
As a session musician, Marco has recorded for major labels and enjoyed international performances in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Americas and the UK, including a broadcasted performance for the 2008 Beijing Olympics in China, a performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, and in 2018 he conducted an orchestra at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.
In 2017, he received a Gerry Farrell Travelling Scholarship from the Society for Education and Music Psychology in the UK to conduct research in Havana, Cuba, and since 2015 he has been invited to work with world-leading music psychologists on their Australian Research Council (ARC) projects, contributing on the effects of cultural stereotyping of emotion in music.
“Most of us, regardless of our culture, will voluntarily listen to music in our daily lives, most likely because we want music to affect, enhance or affirm our emotional disposition.
“Understanding the processes of how these experiences occur, and if they occur across cultures or not, informs research beyond the discipline of music, but across the fields of creative arts, artistic performance, social behaviour, consumer decision-making, psychology and wellbeing.”
Marco’s advice to postgraduate students is to “stay curious” about their research topic.
“Many of us who embark on an academic career do it for a deep interest to answer a burning question about a topic or field of interest. For me, it is the same curiosity and passion which makes me enjoy what I do and never see it as a job.
“If you appreciate both the ups and the downs, and critically construct and de-construct your own work, in the end, it all contributes to shaping you as a person, as an artist and a scholar.”