birds in the garden Archives - Our Permaculture Life

Natural Activities for School Holidays

Morag Gamble — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 04:23:00 +0000

School holidays start here next weekend. Here are some great outdoor activities to get the kids involved with – or to do even if you don’t have young children around!

You can make them as simple or in-depth as you like. Of course, these activities are not just for the holidays – we love to do these things every week. In fact, they form the basis of many of our home education ‘lessons’.

Rock hopping at the upper Mary River.

You don’t need to know anything about the plants, animals, lizards, insects or weather to step outside and begin exploring. Nature is out your doorstep – all you need is to be open to wandering and wondering.

Silent Spring author, Rachel Carson, wrote another inspirational book, The Sense of Wonder. In this book, written over three decades ago, she shares an her philosophy about the importance of sharing the wonder of nature with children. She says “wonder …leads to curiosity … leads to information …leads to responsibility … leads to action”. This simple power of discovery and connection is such an antidote to indifference.

You don’t even need to know what you are looking for, just some curiosity, patience to sit and watch what is going on around you, and an ability to notice things. Draw and jot down your discoveries. Share your findings with each other, and through apps like Bowerbird (Check out other citizen science sites in my previous post: http://our-permaculture-life.blogspot.com.au/2016/09/raising-earthcarers-1.html).

Bring your questions back inside and do some research – in books, on the internet, or find people who can help can. People who are passionate about their topic are so keen to share it, particularly with young enthusiasts.

There are great lists out there for nature play activities, for example.

Nature Play: Fun Outdoor Activities for Kids

Nature Play Passport Missions

We’re going to have a go at these fun, open-ended activities over the next few weeks…

Become a Naturalist (a person loves to study nature)

Head out on a field expedition or nature quest at different times of the day, to different places with your family and friends. Be a nature detective – step outside, what do you see, what do you hear, what can you feel, what do your wonder…?

Make a nature adventure backpack – binoculars, magnifying glass, small field guides, pen knife or scissors (for taking a sample from a plant), notebook, pencil case (pencil, eraser, ballpoint, felt-tipped pen, colour pencils), clips (for holding pages), hat, sunscreen, water.

Draw what you see – a leaf, a seed, a weed, a flower, a tree, a bird or group of birds, an insect, tracks, scats (animal poo), clouds … Make a note of what insect calls, bird calls, other animal sounds you can hear.

You could go into your backyard, down the street, to your local park, to a local forest, beach or countryside… For a quick expedition perhaps just take a notebook and a pencil. Make a point of always recording your notes and drawings

(Kids – always make sure someone knows where you are heading).

Bees in the kitchen garden

Become an Astronomer (a person loves to study the stars)

Go outside at night and for some wonderful star gazing. Can you see the milky way? What constellations can you see? Do you know which ones are planets? Can you see a shooting star – why does it do that? How many satellites have you spotted? Do you know how to tell the direction from the stars? Take a picture of the night sky and leave the shutter open for 30 minutes or more (you’ll need a tripod). Learn more about the stars and constellations (get a free app eg: SkyView)

Night sky at our place by Columbian WWOOFer Alejandro Cappa.

Become a Meteorologist (a person loves to study the sky/weather)

Go cloud watching and look for weather clues. Learn to read the clouds. What can you tell about the weather by the types of clouds – is wind, rain or a storm coming. Draw the clouds. Research about what the different types are called and what they mean. Get a field guide about weather and clouds – such as Cloudspotter. Use your imagination too – write a cloud poem, tell a story about the pictures you see, can you see an animal, a face…?

Become a Geologist (a person loves to study rocks)

What kinds of rocks are there in your area? Make a rock collection. Sort them. Find out what they are made of (look in your rock books or online to help with rock ID). What does that tell you about the deep history of your place? Can you find fossils? Can you draw with your rocks? What games can you make up a game with your rock and pebble collection.

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Raising Earthcarers #1

Morag Gamble — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 22:35:00 +0000

September 7 was Threatened Species Day. It commemorated the death of the last remaining Tasmanian Tiger in captivity in 1936 – 80 years ago. This made me stop and think about what more we can do as individuals to help protect the many more endangered species and their habitats, and become more connected to and responsible for sensitive local environments.

Image: National Film and Sound Archive

Because the loss of species concerns them, my children are already supporting organisations that help endangered species, but we have now also decided to get more involved in citizen science – becoming engaged in documenting and recording our wildlife sightings, learning more about our local species, habitats and ecological systems. By uploading the information we find in our local area to citizen science sites we are adding to the body of knowledge about biodiversity and the state of our natural environment.We could possibly even discover a new species!

Here are a couple of sites you might like to explore too:

ATLAS OF LIVING AUSTRALIA

The Atlas of Living Australia is a collaborative, national project that collects information about biodiversity from sources around the country and makes it accessible online.

http://www.ala.org.au/

ABC WILDLIFE SPOTTER Helping to save threatened species and preserve Australia’s iconic wildlife by looking for animals in wilderness photos taken by automated cameras around Australia. Anyone can join this and you can do it online. https://wildlifespotter.net.au/

BOWERBIRD

Bowerbird is an an online place to share Australia’s biodiversity – to map what you see in your place, to find out information, get expert advice on species you find, and perhaps even discover a new one. Citizen Science in action!! Organised by Victoria Museum http://www.bowerbird.org.au/

THE BIODIVERSITY GROUP:

The Biodiversity Group aims to bring together an international network of citizens, scientists, and photographers to gather and share data and images of overlooked species. http://biodiversitygroup.org/citizen-science/

We’ve also just planted a lot more local native species in our backyard and helped to do a community tree-planting to extend a riparian habitat area. It may just be a small bit, but it all helps, and I certainly think involving the children in these types of community research, environment care and positive action is a great foundation for the next generation of earthcarers.

I’ll keep coming back to this topic of raising earthcarers. With little children of my own, and because I offer Nature Kids and Earth School programs, it is something that I think about every day.

OTHER SITES?

Do you know of other citizen science sites that help to support endangered species and habitat restoration/protection in your area? Please could you post links here…

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How to stay calm and relaxed when even the simple life gets a bit too busy.

Morag Gamble — Mon, 30 May 2016 16:05:00 +0000

It’s easy to take on too much. I know I do sometimes (well OK, often), but I have found lots of very simple ways to stay calm, grounded and relaxed amidst some weeks that could otherwise feel overwhelming and chaotic.

I recognise that I have a tendency to saying ‘yes’ to just about everything that sounds interesting, positive and worthwhile. This past month for me has been so wonderfully busy, that I think I have actually found new levels of capacity.

I love being down at the University of Sunshine Coast Community Garden. I’ll be there again in the morning.

I am amazed sometimes at how much I can fit in and like many people, I wish I had a few extra hours each day. It’s often a bit of a juggle to find those extra hours and maintain a good balance – to keep this balance over the past few weeks I have only written a few posts and been out on my bike less. I am raring to get back into both.

These past few weeks I have led a workshops most days of the week – permaculture, sustainable living, community gardening…

I do need to remember to be gentle with myself and I thank my family for being onto this – they read my energy levels before I do, and the kids especially encourage me to delight in the present moment.

With a little one around, I am always reminded to slow down, get outside and play.

I am a mum with 3 children under 10, two of them homeschooled. I run an education and design business from home and a not-for-profit foundation. I love to cook things from scratch and tend our edible landscape. Our house is often open to the public so I need to keep it looking relatively neat.

In busy times, doing all this can sometimes be a stretch – we don’t have cleaners, gardeners or childcare – but somehow it all works and I love it. The kids are thriving. I feel nourished by my work. Evan and I love feeling productive and active in our communities of practice. We all spark off each other’s enthusiasm for what we do.

I value simple living. That doesn’t always equate with a ‘quiet life’, but for me it’s a ‘good life’.

This is how I stay calm, relaxed and focussed when the simple life sometimes gets a bit too busy….

Be Organised

I actively plan my time.
I have become a supreme list maker – so things to remember are not swirling around in my head.
I always carry a notebook and jot down ideas and new things to do – lots of mindmaps.
We plan our family’s week together to make sure everyone’s needs are being met and keep a shared calendar.
I aim to get everything ready the night before (lunches, clothes, workshop resources) so our morning can be relaxed and happy.
I have found my quiet niche – the time when everyone else is asleep – no TV, radio, music – just me and my myself. At this time, I can clearly and effectively think, plan, write, focus, create…
When things do get busy, I let go of some non-essential expectations I have of myself (e.g: writing every day).

I love riding my bike!

Stay Healthy

I eat well and usually take homemade food out and about.
I carry a glass jar of water infused with rosella, lemon myrtle, tulsi, turmeric and ginger (vitamin C, relaxing, refreshing, immune-strenghtening) and sip throughout the day.
I take a nap cuddling with the kids (I do this at their bedtime) – that extra hour or two makes all the difference especially to be able to do my ‘quiet-time’ shift at night.
When I need to ‘veg-out’ I avoid the telly or shops – instead play, talk, make, read, walk, think, write….
Ride my bike, or play tennis, walk and bounce on the trampoline with the kids.

Baking with the kids – we always love to experiment with healthy sugar free ideas.

Connect

I potter in my edible garden – planting, tending, harvesting – noticing the little things along the way.
I cuddle the chooks and talk to the birds.
I spend time outside in fresh air and amongst the wildlife (I make my office on the front verandah – birds visit, kangaroos pass by, waterbirds visit lake below and I cast my eyes regularly to the hills and national park across the valley).
We sit and eat meals together and check in with everyone, tell stories, joke around.
We play music and dance together after dinner. (We have a great big box of instruments.)
I lie down outside with the kids and watch the clouds or stars, chatting about their questions and big ideas.
I love to play with the kids – whatever story they make up. I’m often a horse for little Monty!
I ring my parents (interstate) and have a long chat.

Paint, create, get messy and have some fun!

Cuddling chooks always brings a smile.

A slow stroll through the garden, smelling the flowers and noticing the small things always helps me to refocus and slow down.

Stay Positive

I spend time in community gardens with wonderfully positive and engaged volunteers
I acknowledge the positive things that are happening and think about how I am contributing, and can add more value to that.
I regularly reflect on what is important, try to keep things in perspective, and keep the bigger picture in mind.
I am conscious to not complain about being busy. I make it so. There is a good level of busy-ness.
Smile – and the world does smile back.

Be Mindful

Mindfully do housework. When I wash the dishes, I am just dishwashing (or daydreaming out the window) not thinking about the next thing.
When I go to bed – I empty my mind, slow my breathing, relax my body before drifting off to sleep. Sometimes I set my self a challenge – to come up with new ideas in my dreams – but usually I aim to just ‘be’.
I remind myself to breathe – especially when there’s a need to finish some work and the kids also need my focussed attention.

Flowering rocket and in the background, mustard spinach – it’s great to just sit and watch what happens around these flowers – so much life!

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Morag’s ‘do-nothing’ approach to pest management – a peaceful way of gardening.

Morag Gamble — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 06:56:00 +0000

I have a ‘do-nothing’ approach to managing pests in my garden. It’s not an idle or lazy approach, but rather a quite carefully considered way of gardening. It simplifies gardening and feels somehow more joyful.

Our diversity garden includes flowers, herbs, vegetables, fruits, perennials, self-seeding annuals, natives, water, lots of worm towers, a moveable compost bin, lots of organic matter and thick mulch.

I like to think of it as a peaceful way of gardening – about being mindful and observant in the garden. I don’t do ‘pest management’. I don’t fight pests or disease. Instead I observe and work with nature to create a ‘cultivated ecology’ – an ecological balance in the garden that has resilience.

I do not use any sprays or traps – natural or chemical. Even natural sprays can harm beneficial insects which help to pollinate and keep pest insects under control.

Without any spraying or ‘active’ methods of pest management, the vegetables in my garden look amazingly healthy and unaffected by pests. There is always lots of flowers (mostly seeding vegetables) that attract beneficial and predatory insects into the garden.

Instead I work to create healthy dynamic soil environment that supports healthy robust plants, and I invite many helpers into the garden that will help to keep the balance.

Small Insectiverous birds have declined in the cities. They are vulnerable to predation from the bigger birds that do well in the cities such as currawongs, noisy miners, butcherbirds. Also in cities, there is less habitat for insects (their food) and often people spray insects (poisioning their food). Image: www.birdsqueensland.org.au

I feel that an important part of this approach is in the way I perceive the garden and the insects, and manage my expectations. For example:

I expect that there will be some damage.
I accept that various insects come in flushes.
I understand that things come back into balance in a healthy system even though there may be times of chaos and uncertainty.
I accept diversity and difference and hold a more flexible notion of what is ‘perfect’. Did you know that we waste up 40% of crops at the farm because they do not conform a certain aesthetic. This is beginning to change with the ‘ugly food movement’ – but who is to say it’s ‘ugly’. It is just natural!
I am also quite certain that ‘holes cook well’. For example, I cannot tell the slightest difference in taste between a silverbeet leaf with a whole in it and one without.

Holes cook well too!

My ‘do-nothing’ pest management approach is primarily about cultivating residence. My strategy includes:

Selecting plants well. By choosing plants that are seasonal, locally adapted and hardy they are more robust and resilient.
Planting at the right time. I do not expect plants to flourish in conditions that not conducive to their growth.
Keeping plants healthy. Healthy plants are more resilient to pests. I make sure the soil is healthy, that the soil fertility is maintained, the soil temperature kept relatively stable with mulch, and I maintain the organic matter in the soil to hold soil mositure and diminish the water stress of the plants.
Building healthy soil. Healthy soil nourishes the plants over time and supports their healthy development. Healthy plants are less prone to pest attack.
Watering deeply. As far as possible, I try to rely on rainfall to water the garden- setting up terraces, swales, and adding lots of organic matter and mulching thickly. When things are really dry, I will water but give the soil a big long soak. This encourages the plants to root deeply seeking out that deeply soaked water – and nutrients. If plants are watered regularly with just a little bit, they form shallower roots. These plants are more vulnerable to heat, dry and pests because they are stressed.
Perennialising plants. Where possible, I encourage plants to keep producing over a long period of time, just harvesting the edge leaves. The deeper and stronger root system they form makes them more resilient. Disturbing the soil less also helps to cultivate good soil structure.
Creating habitat for my helpers. Growing a diversity of plants helps to develop a cultivated ecology which provides homes for a range of species that become helpers. An example of this is insectiverous birds (there are many more that I will write about another time). I attract these little feathered helpers into my garden by providing protection from predators. This means cultivating dense bushes and layers of cover – such as native shrubs, sacred basil, dwarf fruit trees and plants like pelargonium. It is also essential to ensure a constant supply of water. Importantly too, is leaving materials and spaces for nests – not cleaning up too much. For more information: http://birds of queensland.org.au

Superb Fairy Wren (Image: www.birdsqueensland.org.au)

As well as supporting the ecological development of your edible landscape system, this approach gives you more time to sit back and relax, and ENJOY your garden.

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A peaceful way of gardening.

Morag Gamble — Sun, 20 Dec 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Today I gave a presentation about my ‘do-nothing’ approach to managing pests in the garden. Actually, it’s not an idle approach but rather a quite carefully considered way of gardening.

I think of this as a peaceful way of gardening. I don’t do ‘pest management’. I don’t fight pests or disease, but instead observe and work with nature to create a ‘cultivated ecology’ – an ecological balance in the garden that is resilient. I do not use any sprays or traps – natural or chemical.

I work to create healthy dynamic soil environment that supports healthy robust plants, and I invite many helpers into the garden that will help to keep the balance.

I rely entirely on design, diversity, soil health, creating habitat for pest predators, lots of hardy perennials and selecting seasonal locally adapted varieties of vegetables.

The talk captured here on was delivered at a Brisbane Library as part of Brisbane City Council’s Learning for Living series. A couple of friends kindly filmed the session for me and put together this clip…

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Peacocks in my garden!

Morag Gamble — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 18:00:00 +0000

“What’s that sound?” cried out my 2 year old son. “What’s that?!”

If you’ve ever heard the sound of peacocks before, you’ll know how surprisingly loud and piercing their call is.

We woke up recently to find two peacocks in our garden. We see so many birds here, but this was completely unexpected.

They are huge, majestic birds that seem to be in a realm of their own. Peacocks aren’t wild, so someone must have been missing them. They stayed for 3 days, then moved to another part of the ecovillage – I could still hear them up the valley. I think they’ve made their way home now after visiting most people’s gardens and chicken pens looking for food.

I discovered that peacocks like cherry tomatoes and grumichammas (tropical cherries)!

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Birds in the garden

Morag Gamble — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 16:58:00 +0000

Over one hundred and sixty birds have been identified here at Crystal Waters. Having been here now for 18 years, I am coming to understand the seasonal and migratory patterns of the species which visit us. The birds and other wildlife, are for me, one of the highlights of living here.

The little insectivorous birds help me too to look after the garden too by eating the pests – I simply create the habitat for them, and in they come. I can’t imagine how I would manage the press without them. A great team effort!

Juvenile rain bird in our garden. I know when they arrive it signifies the start of the rainy season. They were right again this year.

A king parrot friend for Hugh

Black cockatoos eating Banksia

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