by newhue » Thu 03 Dec, 2015 10:44 pm
NNW, if it grates than possibly that is a good thing. But you are right, I should have used worst.
Us humans like to do things like cut down the trees for houses and furniture, then try and save the trees after we realise there are few left. I think being concerned for nature fills the "I care" part of our soles, and if we donate a little money, or cast a vote somewhere we have done our bit. It's really someone else's job to save nature, but I am concerned. Well that is how I saw it once upon a time.
I spent a lot of time walking through the bush, and because I did it regularly I felt there was a fair bit left. But if you stop, look around, and just take five to really see how humans want to control and manipulate everything, it really starts to become scary, if not depressing. It's all geared to humans, human survival, human dominance, human happiness, human profits, human expansion. Flora and fauna, our habitat; the one that creates the biodiversity for creation on earth, the umbilical cord to which humans can have life on this planet is a hugely underrated, taken for granted, and treated like rubbish for most part.
I fear educating my kids about our natural world. I have concerns about giving them the same frustration, depression, disillusionment and helplessness that I have when because I love nature. To stand and watch the world around you turn 100 to 150 year old trees into mulch in 5 minutes. Bulldozers that clear acres and acres of land within an hour. Turn this complete living system full of so much to give, yet we are aware of perhaps only half of it, all turned to what causes me great distress.
In 2015 I have watched at least 3.5 to 4 square kilometres of good quality bush with 25km of Brisbane CBD be flattened in 4 different sites. That's just in my little 5km radius part of town. Industrial estates and and McMansion housing is the order. Where air conditioners rain supreme, 99% of the plants are exotic, and the 6ft fences are as popular as a hills hoist used to be.
In the last 12 months my life has changed form one of happily observing nature, to happily contributing to nature. I make nesting boxes for anything when ever I can, from microbats to king fishers to Boobook owls, I don't care. I ripped out every exotic plant in my yard, did some homework and planted local native trees. Being local to my area it's like high speed housing for the insects, birds, bees and so on. Local natives outstrip natives in growth by almost 2/3 from what I have seen. I got kicked in the guts by my local council, saying no to revegetating my local creek. But a kick in the guts can only keep you down for so long. I will go higher next time and go over the head of the small minded lad I talked to. Been working on getting some Australian stingless bees to pollinate the plants, and for the kids to ponder on. My son wanted a fish in a bowl, I said how about a frog in a pond. We made a pond and planted frog habitat, put some Australian pacific blue eye fish in there to keep him occupied and the mosquito larvae down while it all grows.
But in the back of my mind, I do wonder what I am doing to him. I wonder if he would be happier playing xbox and shopping for some useless crap on sale at Westfileds. That's where his friends will be, thats where he will feel like he is normal and like everyone else, and if he stands and observes long enough, that's were he can find the end of the earth as well.
I will leave feral animals for another day.