| WILDLIFE AUSTRALIA Magazine - Summer 2010 |
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Future Generations
Not just cute but capable of attracting global interest, little penguins draw crowds of tourists to the Phillip Island Penguin Parade and are now attracting viewers to a new nature series. What have they got? They’re appealing, they’re tough, they don’t like daylight.
If we can distinguish people by where they live, can we do
the same wildlife? Especially if the individuals seem to look
pretty much the same – and yet are very different in their
behaviour? That’s the idea behind Penguin Island, a series that
combines science, Neighbours and reality TV. Sally Ingleton
and David Parer explain, while little penguins get on with
raising the next generation. |
| FEATURES |
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| Dishing the dirt on Girraween’s barenosed wombats |
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By Jolene Mclellan
Combining nearly a century of experience and fascination with wombats, a cross-generational research team uncovers some secrets of a hidden life.
Bill Goebel grew up with bare-nosed wombats in his
backyard. Bill and his family moved to the Girraween
area in the southern Queensland highlands when Bill
was eight years old. He worked for two decades as one of
Girraween’s first rangers. Now at 88, Bill volunteers his time
and knowledge at the park he adores. |
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| Washed up: how plants spread along Australia’s tropical seashores |
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By Damon Ramsey
Sometimes, the fruit has to travel a long way from the tree by enlisting the help of water, wind or animals.
Some areas of the tropics are perfect for lush vegetation. Along the coasts, however, conditions are variable and challenging. Plants need a range of strategies for future generations to find suitable sites and flourish. Fortunately, they have developed quite a few. |
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| Mutual respect: the making of Penguin Island |
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An interview with Sally Ingleton and David Parer
How do you keep people interested in nature documentaries? Little penguins could be part of the answer.
Little penguins (Eudyptula minor), also known as fairy penguins and, in New Zealand, as little blue penguins, live along the coasts of New Zealand’s North and South Islands, the Chatham Islands and the southern coasts of Australia. The smallest of the world’s 17 penguin species, they are possibly the easiest for many people to see – the world famous 'Penguin Parade' occurs nightly on Phillip Island, a 90-minute drive from Melbourne |
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| After the rains |
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By Steve G. Wilson
All that moisture falling on inland Australia was nice, but how long does it last? Long enough to trigger plenty of activity.
Record rains, floods – since Christmas 2009, water has pushed into the Lake Eyre system for the second year in a row. How have the plants and wildlife reacted? Does the sense of urgency so apparent immediately after the flood still prevail?
Short answer is – a big yes!
One of the sheer joys of working in the natural resource management field is the opportunity to experience, firsthand, rejuvenated ecosystems in action. |
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| Sea change |
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By Jessica Horsfall
Increased carbon dioxide affects the ability of marine animals to build shells and skeletons and follow settlement cues. A 90-year prognosis.
It’s not just the future of our beloved seaside holiday homes that may be imperilled. The shells and skeletons which provide homes for vast number of marine creatures face a profound threat that also affects the ability of the next generation to find their way home. |
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| Behind the glass: examining the impacts of the ornamental aquarium industry |
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By Cait Newport
As a holiday destination or movie setting, we love our coral reefs. We are concerned about the future of these complex ecosystems. We even try to imitate them – said to be the sincerest form of flattery, but this flattery, in the form of the marine aquarium industry, is filled with dangers to the reef itself. Are there ways to bring some of the fascination of coral reefs into our homes without destroying the future of wild reefs? |
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| Wildlife Australia CyberJungle |
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| Also in this edition |
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Editorial, CityAnimal, Considering, Trekabout Photography, Six Species - Geckos, NatureWatch, Book Reviews, Summer Skies, Scratchings and Rustlings, WPSQ in Action, Swamp Cartoon and our regular environmental crossword.
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