Get the appChildren aged 0 to 5 are invited to a Pop Up Playtime session at the Cooktown Botanic Gardens on Wednesday 18 November. Titled Bugs in my Backyard, the morning takes place at the Botanic Gardens Yarning Circle. Activities include bug hunting, bug-themed stories and hands-on discovery among the plants and pathways. Children can look under leaves for beetles, watch butterflies and find out what else lives in the gardens.
The ABC is set to name its third Australian Insect of the Year in 2026, and audiences can take part in choosing the winner. A quiz created with the CSIRO invites readers to test what they know about native bugs, beetles, bees and butterflies. Six finalists have been shortlisted for the title, and voting remains open until the end of October. Readers are encouraged to explore the candidates before casting their preferred vote.
Dr Alison Haynes, a writer and conservation biologist, is introducing a new nature series for the Illawarra Flame. She moved to the Illawarra from Sydney in search of space and a garden. Rediscovering her interest in biology led her to a conservation biology degree, then a PhD studying how urban mosses survive city stresses. Her work has included field surveys of lizards, small mammals and bandicoots, and a four-week research trip to Antarctica in 2020. She plans to write about urban moss, city nature and community walks.
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Get the appPeter Maloney, who lives with dementia, says spending time in nature has helped him feel more grateful and content. He takes part in a gardening program at the Chigwell Community Garden in Hobart's northern suburbs with his wife, Madeleine. The program is run by the University of Tasmania's Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre and funded by Primary Health Tasmania. Researchers say outdoor activities can help people with dementia stay active, socialise and feel a sense of purpose. The Chigwell lab is funded until June 2027.
Officials, scientists and environmentalists are meeting in Yerevan for Cop17, where nearly 200 countries must agree on a plan to speed up nature targets set for 2030. Those goals are far off track. A rare Persian leopard was recently spotted in Armenia, where only about 10 are thought to remain. A new initiative, the Coalition of Action to Recover Endangered Species, was announced to help governments decide where to focus efforts. Private funders have pledged more than $500m over five years to recover threatened species.
Marg Robinson, a Broomfield resident, has revived her poetic pursuits with a cheerful piece about a daffodil. Her work, which celebrates the vibrant yellow blooms brightening the town, appears in Local Lines, a column featuring poetry from locals. Robinson, who previously wrote during her teenage years, submitted her piece to Bill Wootton. The column welcomes submissions on any topic from residents. Broomfield's landscape is currently adorned with daffodils, wattle, and broom, which are causing some sinus issues for locals.
A rainbow lorikeet that could not fly was seen huddled in an Ocean Grove garden. The garden owner, Marianne, kept her whippet inside while the bird rested. Its parents visited and fed it, then encouraged it to fly. The juvenile lorikeet flapped its wings and flew away on a Sunday afternoon. Elsewhere, four stilt sandpipers were reported in South Australia and two sanderlings were seen at Blue Rocks.
The World Health Organisation says contact with natural environments is linked to reduced stress, better mood and lower risk of chronic disease. Counsellor Gary Bruce writes that forest bathing, a Japanese practice developed in the 1980s, involves slow, mindful time in woodland using all the senses. He also describes earthing, which involves walking barefoot or touching trees. Guided forest bathing is offered at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens and Roma Street Gardens, though anyone can try it independently.
A photograph of a solitary figure in a Snowy Valleys forest has won Murrumbateman’s Stephen Harrison a trip to Sydney. His image of Contemplation, by Icelandic sculptor Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir, took out the 2026 Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail Winter Photo Competition. The sculpture is part of the Alpine Ash Walk in Bago State Forest, which opened in April 2024 as part of the broader Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail. The trail was established to support the region’s recovery after the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
Researchers say the British government must be honest about the scale of the threat posed by climate and nature breakdown. The call follows a survey of 13,000 people who watched a film outlining urgent threats to food security, the economy and public health. The film, viewed by an estimated 185,000 people, calls for a primetime, televised emergency briefing on the climate and nature crisis.
Children can join free hut-building activities at Yanchep National Park on October 24. The Spring into Yanchep event, run by Educated by Nature, will teach kids to design and build shelters using natural materials. Participants will learn knot-tying skills and explore early Australian pioneer shelters. The WA Parks Foundation event encourages families to explore the park's trails, koalas, and other attractions. Park entry fees apply, and registration is required for the hut-building activity.
The first public nature library in the US has opened in Colorado's Adams County. It offers books and 850 nature-focused 'try it' kits, including birdwatching equipment, gardening tools, and hiking gear. The library aims to help people engage with nature and learn about climate change. It features a 6-hectare site with hiking trails, gardens, and free workshops. Visitors have praised the library for making nature more accessible and fostering a love for the environment.