The Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog has been named October's frog of the month. It is found along eastern Australia and is very common within its range. Growing up to 2.5 centimetres, the frog makes a sharp, loud call for its size. It is usually found around ponds or swamps with plenty of reeds or sedge. A photographer spotted a male basking on a Lomandra bush beside the duck pond at the University of Wollongong, and in spring has counted up to 20 frogs in that single bush.
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.
A new six-episode documentary podcast about Port Kembla, NSW's third largest port, is being launched at The Servo on Sunday, November 1. Radio journalist Jennifer Macey created the series as part of her PhD geography research at the University of Wollongong. Episodes cover water, coal, steel, grain and cars, moving from Indigenous Dreaming stories to the present day. Macey recorded on location, including interviews with migrants and workers. The podcast will be free to listen to on Spotify and other platforms.
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Research has found that 94 per cent of the 2,475 homes lost in New South Wales during the 2019-20 black summer bushfires were less than 100 metres from flammable vegetation. The findings support the 100 metre buffer used in bushfire prone land maps. However, the research warns that homes further away burned on days of extreme fire danger, and that rising global temperatures may make the current rules less useful. The NSW rural fire service says homes in high risk areas should be built to higher standards, and it is reviewing its bushfire protection policy.
A NSW parliamentary inquiry has found the University of Wollongong and five other universities appeared to overstate their financial problems and went too far in restructures and staff cuts. Former UOW professor Adam Lucas accepted a voluntary redundancy after challenging the figures used to justify his role's removal. He said the financial model was never shown to staff for testing. Inquiry chair Sarah Kaine described some financial cases as faux crisis narratives. The committee recommended banning universities from publicly using adjusted figures that differ from audited accounts.
Freeburn Surveying, believed to be the longest running family business in Penrith, is celebrating 75 years in operation. Founded in 1951 by Matthew Freeburn's father, the Castlereagh Street firm has completed more than 40,000 surveys, most of which are still kept in its office. Matthew Freeburn has run the business for about 45 years and now employs 12 staff, up from two when he took over. He says his children have no interest in surveying, so he plans to donate the business to his staff or make other arrangements.
A new study by researchers at the University of Wollongong and Western Sydney University finds AI models now perform far better on university law exams than they did in 2023. In criminal law, AI papers averaged 76.3 per cent, beating 82.5 per cent of students. Seven of the 18 AI papers ranked in the top tenth of students. The researchers say the results raise concerns about unsupervised assessments. They propose in-person exams, assessments that require collaboration with AI, and a relay model that includes supervised revision.
A Penrith resident says a traffic light pole at the corner of Henry and Lawson Streets blocks a kerb ramp for people using disability devices. David Thomas described the placement as ridiculous. Transport for NSW said the intersection is constrained by drainage, utility services, a mature tree and signal equipment, so there are no plans to alter the layout. It said four signalised pedestrian crossings provide alternative accessible routes.
A newly discovered Fijian bee species, smaller than a grain of rice, faces extinction. Scientists Tegan Edwards and James Dorey found the masked bee, Hylaeus navai, which has suffered a 99 per cent population collapse in 150 years. Researchers believe habitat destruction, pesticides, and invasive plants threaten the species. The team, funded by a federal grant, hopes to train Fijian students to monitor the bees year-round.
Shellharbour residents are being invited to help scientists and environmental specialists find birds, frogs, plants and fungi at Croom Reserve. The city's fourth BioBlitz runs on 6 and 7 November and is free for all ages. Discoveries recorded by participants will help guide the future conservation of the reserve. Activities include bird surveys, plant identification, frog monitoring and spotlight walks led by experts. Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer says every observation adds to a bigger picture of local biodiversity.
