Some good news this March
Sometimes the news can be a bit overwhelming, so we hope our hand-picked and light-hearted good news stories can bring you a little bit of joy each month!
Feel free to check out some of our other editions: February, November and September.
Dinosaur-era plants flourish in Tasmania’s internationally recognised Jurassic Garden
In a unique spot in Tasmania, you can take in the same scenery the dinosaurs did as you wander through a collection of the plants they ate. The garden was planted in 2013 on Bruny Island, near Hobart, holding species that have existed for more than 150 million years. It’s the only one of its kind in Australia and one of 14 in the world.
The good news; unlike dinosaurs, these plants are very far from being extinct. Last month, the garden received a grant from the Global Genome Initiative to help preserve genetic plant material so the species never become extinct. The initiative is run by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, collecting the Earth’s genomic biodiversity to preserve plant genes and makes them available to researchers around the world. The Bruny Island garden is home to 50 plant families with a total of about 700 species, 110 of which the Global Genome Initiative did not have genetic material for, so this is great news for conservation efforts around the world.
Groote Eylandt sport participation soars after Boots for One and All parcels arrive
In the remote Indigenous community of Groote Eylandt, an entire school class used to share a single pair of football boots. However, thanks to a new family-based charity, things have changed. Four years ago, a Gold Coast mother set up Boots for One and All with the mission to send pre-loved football boots to remote Indigenous communities. She reflected on the expense of football boots, along with sport fees, and wanted to do something to ensure more kids were included and had access to the right gear.
In the first year, the charity sent three small boxes of football boots and this has grown year on year with eight pallet loads being shipped to remote Indigenous communities last year. The packages now include clothing, toys and sanitary products as well. Since the charity’s establishment, the AFL’s remote development officer has noted a huge difference with the engagement of the kids and them not feeling neglected, which is really positive to see.
Cloud forest thrives on World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island after pest eradication
Lord Howe Island is a World Heritage site located about 600km east of mainland Port Macquarie. It is surrounded by pristine waters and subtropical forests and home to numerous seabirds, including one of the world’s rarest birds, the woodhen, as well as the world’s most southerly coral reef and one of very few island cloud forests.
Recently, a group of botanists hiked the mountain where the cloud forest is found to assess changes after a large-scale pest eradication program in 2019. Rats and mice had been negatively impacting native species on the island and the baiting program is already showing positive results with respect to the populations of island wildlife, particularly in relation to seed abundance and growth from larger fruity plants as well as snail and slug populations.
Stay tuned for next month’s good news stories and feel free to share any of your good news – business or personal – with us too!
1 Comment
Congratulations team on winning the award, especially Colleen & Grace. You ladies are obviously continuing to provide a great service, loving and looking after your clients. Well done !!