This archive is for our members current and past, to look back on some of the articles we’ve been featuring in our weekly newsletters! This will be updated as the year progresses on a weekly basis during the University semester.
Let us know if you have any feedback or idea’s for future articles in the form below!
2025
Plant Spotlight: Wollemi Pine
Wollemia mirabilis (Wollemi Pine) – Family Araucariaceae
Written by Sabine Barnett
Male cone of Wollemi pine. Source: Gardening Australia, 2023Welcome to plant spotlight! Today we’re taking a look at a plant that we’ll see on our campus gardens tour this Friday, the infamous and ancient Wollemi pine!
Where to find it:
There are only 98 Wollemi pines left in the wild, restricted to a single gorge in the Blue Mountains of NSW, this location is kept from the public to protect the critically endangered species (Kew Gardens, 2022)
Cuttings and ‘seeds’ from the Wollemi pines were taken soon after their discovery in the 1990s and have since been propagated. (NSW National Parks, 2018)
You can now find Wollemi pines in botanic gardens around the world, including in our very own system gardens here at unimelb!
Wollemi pine seedlings are often also available at specialty nurseries, so you can grow your very own!
How to spot it:
Wollemi pines are, as the name suggests, from the same group as pine trees, although they are not that closely related. (IPNI, 2025)
Female cone of Wollemi pine.
Source: Gardening Australia, 2023
They’re classed as conifers, so they don’t have seeds, flowers or fruit, but rather cones that bear the males and female reproductive parts separately.
The leaves are needle-like and bright green, turning yellowish-green near the ends
Cones are borne on the end of leaf-bearing shoots that arise almost perpendicular to the trunk. Female cones are much rounder and greener than male cones. (Kew Gardens, 2022)
The closest living relative of the Wollemi pine is the Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) and the two species look quite different but similarly other-worldly! (DCCEEW, 2025)
Fun Facts:
Before it was discovered by a group of scientists in 1994, the species was thought to have gone extinct over 2million years ago! (NSW National Parks, 2018)
The small population and isolated location make the Wollemi pine one of the most critically endangered plants in the world, currently its under threat from diseases like Phytophthora Cinnamomi, droughts and frequent and severe fires caused by climate change. (DCCEEW, 2025)
In January 2020 the Wollemi pine population was successfully saved from an approaching bushfire by a team of firefighters. (Kew Gardens, 2022)
Wollemi Pine in the Parkville System Gardens. Insect Spotlight: Lacewings
Lacewings: The Pest Munching, Carcass Carrying Super-Bug!
Written by Alexandra (Alex) Bowron
Adult Lacewings [3]Looking at a mature lacewing adult, one wouldn’t think they’re a super useful insect to have in the garden. Thin fragile bodies with dainty glasslike wings, chaotic flight patterns especially at night when they’re drawn to windows and light fixtures like moths.
The two most common lacewings you might find in your garden or on your ceiling on a hot summer night are the Green and Brown Lacewings.
Just a note: you can’t always distinguish between the two species via colour and anatomical differences are a more reliable means of identification.
Now while it is important to know what adult lacewings look like, it is more important to know what they look like as eggs and larvae as these creatures use clever disguises to hide amongst their prey and can easily be mistaken as such!
Lacewing larvae are voracious predators using their hollow, straw-like mandibles to grab soft bodied prey such as: aphids, moth eggs and small larvae, scales and whiteflies.
Green Lacewing larvae carry the desiccated remains of their prey on their backs to camouflage amongst their prey. They have a spiked, leaf shaped body with a long tapered front end leading to their large mandibles.
Brown Lacewings operate in a similar manner although they do not carry the remains of their prey on their backs and instead have a longer body like that of pest larvae or grubs.
When it comes to eggs, appearances differ between both species, but both species will lay eggs near their child’s potential prey.
Green lacewing eggs. [3]
Brown Lacewing eggs. [2]Green Lacewing eggs are rather unique and very easy to identify and can be found all over the garden when you know what they look like.
Sitting on long, hair-like stalks to protect them from ants, the eggs are often laid in a U-shape formation in small groupings.
Brown Lacewing eggs lack the thin stalks of their neon brethren and are often laid on the underside of leaves. They are oblong in shape coming in a range of colours such as white, brown, pink and grey.
Lacewings are short lived species with the average lifespan of an adult lacewing being 2-4 weeks, eggs hatch in 4 days after being laid and larvae spending 12 days eating and moulting before pupating for 9 days.
With mild winters it’s likely that lacewings will be active all year round, slightly less active in colder weather. A good way to attract lacewings to your garden is to plant lots of flowering plants for adult lacewings, ideally so there are flowers all year round. Adults also prefer to lay eggs on more robust plants such as perennials that have dense foliage. Root vegetables, berries and fruiting trees/shrubs are ideal.
Here’s a little Green Lacewing larvae I spotted on some horseradish munching down on a little cabbage looper grub!
Sources:
https://www.goodbugs.org.au/Good%20bugs/lacewing-green.html
https://www.goodbugs.org.au/Good%20bugs/lacewing-brown.html
https://thebeatsheet.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/GoodBadBug-Mar2013-lowres.pdf
Fungi Feature: Fusarium Venenatum
Fusarium venenatum – Division Ascomycota
Written by Sabine Barnett
This week we’ll be shifting focus from plants to fungi in recognition of our Welcome BBQ this Thursday. If you’ve ever had the meat substitute Quorn (which we definitely recommend) then you’ll have actually eaten this fungi, which is commonly used to make mycoprotein!
Fusarium venenatum in culture (Source: Josh McGinnis via iNaturalist)What it looks like:
Fusarium venenatum is a microfungus, which means it has reproductive structures that are too small to be seen with the naked eye – so it doesn’t form any of the typical ‘mushroom’ structures we commonly associate with fungi (Chalupova et al., 2014).
When grown on special agar, Fusarium venenatum looks like a fuzzy pink/brown/cream mass due to its long filamentous structure.
When in food products, it looks like dense, slightly rubbery chunks of protein, varying in color but usually some shade of cream or tan.
Where to find it:
Fusarium venenatum was found in Britain in the 1960s, so you’re unlikely to stumble across it here in Australia (Nirenberg, 1960).
Quorn meatless sausages made from Fusarium venenatum (Source: Quorn, 2025)
It also lives in soils, feeding on decaying organic matter, so unless you’ve got a microscope and a shovel it might be a bit tricky to spot (Maheshwari et al., 2021).
Since the 1980s its been cultured and used for human consumption, and its now a major form of meat-substitute, you can find it under the brand name ‘Quorn’ in most supermarkets (Yu et al., 2004).
Fusarium venenatum filamentous hyphae (Source: Marlow Foods).What its used for:
Because Fusarium venenatum has such a high protein content, it has been made into meat alternatives that can be grown under sterile conditions and produces 40x less carbon emissions and uses 30x less water than beef per gram (Quorn, 2025).
IMPORTANT NOTE: please don’t eat just any fungus! This one has gone through decades of testing and certification to be deemed safe.
Insect Spotlight: Lepidoptera Larvae
Moth and Caterpillar (Lepidoptera) larvae, plant munching menaces!
Written by Alexandra (Alex) Bowron
This week’s insect spotlight is something that is very relevant coming into the cooler months when we start getting our brassica’s and leafy greens into the soil.
Have you ever said to yourself
“What on earth has happened to my (insert lovingly cared for plant here)!”
You’ve been finding little holes appearing in leaves, or sometimes that even whole leaves have mysteriously vanished overnight!
The question then becomes, what is eating my plant?
The key suspects are often slugs and snails, they come in the night, leave before dawn with only a clear slimy trail to show they were ever there…
While your mind may drift to other suspects such as earwigs, weevils or grasshoppers, you are far more likely to suspect that your garden menace is a very, very, hungry caterpillar!
He’s just a lil guy. Seriously these guys can be microscopic, but with practice you can spot them easily even at this size!In urban farms, the most common variants of plant munching larvae happen to be the White cabbage butterfly (Pieris rapae) caterpillar and common Loopers (the common name of various moth grubs).
Here is a quick rundown on how to identify larvae damage, find out where they’re hiding and how to manage populations, so they don’t overwhelm your garden.
They may be fine in small numbers, but a large group can massacre a garden bed rapidly!
Get your detective gear on, we’re looking for clues!
1st Clue – Holey Leaves:
Example of the mesh window damage done by a small larvae.
Example of damage done by the same larvae later in life.Big holes in the sides or middle of leaves are an obvious clue but that damage is commonly done by more developed larvae, when they’re newly hatched the damage they cause is a little less noticeable, at least until a day or two later when the area begins to dry out. Little larvae can only eat part of the leaf, leaving behind a mesh window instead of a gaping hole.
Here’s a side by side of what I’m describing, both examples found on the same leaf!.
So, we now know what the damage looks like, now what?
Well, a way to tackle larvae that doesn’t require any sprays or special materials is to manually remove them from plants.
I prefer to put them in a jar that then goes into the freezer overnight, which is a more humane way to kill insects, the remains can then be put into the compost or bin.
You may also want a pair of rubber gloves or some terrarium tweezers when collecting as the bigger larvae while harmless can spit up stomach fluid or even try to bite you when you pick them off the plant. Make sure your jar has steep sides as some of them may try and crawl out while you’re busy collecting.
Bug? No, he’s a stick! Seriously this guy refused to give up the charade even when I poked him!Removal can take place day or night; however, most larvae are more active at night especially some species of Looper who hide in curled leaves during the day. If you’re removing at night you may want a head torch to make
This White Cabbage Butterfly Larvae struggles to camouflage against the horseradish leaf under UV.
This Moth Larvae has stripes running up its body which glow bright against the sage leaves.things easier. Check once every two or three days when you first notice damage, once you don’t notice any new damage you can reduce your checks to once a week.
As an interesting side note, earlier this year I got my hands on a UV torch and found that while White Cabbage Butterfly larvae don’t glow under UV, some species of Looper do!
However, both can be quite easy to see on certain leaves as the chlorophyll in the leaves gives off red light under UV!
So now we’re all equipped and ready to go hunt down some grubs, here’s some other clues that point to the presence of larvae.
2nd Clue: Poop, yup we’re looking for bug poop!
Larvae are relatively stationary, often staying on one leaf for a day or two. Their voracious appetite means that their digestive systems are quite efficient and because of this they poop quite regularly. Finding poop on a leaf indicates that there is likely a larvae above, be sure to brush off the poop from larvae as you catch them, to prevent yourself looking for them when they aren’t there anymore! Here’s what a poop trail might look like and what you might find at the other end!
See black debris? Look on the leaves above for the culprit.
The trail led right to the suspect!Depending on the size of your garden manually removing larvae especially when they get big and start doing more damage is easy enough if you have the time. If you are time poor, as many of us are these days here are some other options:
Plant trap crops (more info on these in our pests workshop resource on our website). Or plants that you don’t intend on eating the leaves of, such as radishes, beetroot, horseradish, etc, and allow the larvae to munch on those while removing them off your more valuable crops.
Organic Pesticides such as DiPel which only targets larvae (active ingredient is Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacteria found in soil that causes stomach upset in larvae leading to starvation).
In extreme cases a Pyrethrum spray can be used it is a naturally derived herbicide which does effect lots of insects so use it sparingly.
Just remember, you should never aim to remove all pest species from your garden, low population control is ideal as this ensures that predatory insects and birds can still get a feed, maintain their numbers and tackle the pests for you!
Put your skills to the test! Feature Article: Composting at Home
What do I do with Organic Waste at Home?
Written by Ella Roberts
If you live in a small indoors apartment like me, it can be a struggle to know what to do with your food waste and how to dispose of it correctly. It’s something we all deal with, but have you thought about what happens to it when you throw it away? If you’re someone who just throws it in the bin with everything else (don’t worry we’ve all been there!) maybe it’s time to think about alternative solutions.
Organic Waste can be tough to deal with in a small living space. Source: Green.org.Like many people, I took the easy option and threw my scraps in the general waste bin when I first moved into an apartment by myself. However, it didn’t take long to realise that it starts getting smelly pretty quick! I’d rather not have to deal with soggy bin juices attracting fruit flies all the time! As well as that, any food waste that goes into landfill decomposes underground without oxygen, releasing methane, which we all know is not a good thing for the environment.
So, what’s the next best option? Fortunately, many apartment complexes come with green waste bins for organic matter. Look for a bin with a green lid or ask around about organic waste disposal near you. This is a great option that means you can separate food or plant scraps and put them in the green bin before they get smelly, preventing your regular rubbish bin from going gross and slimy. Keep in mind green waste bins usually don’t take meat scraps though, so wash out any packaging before putting it in the bin to avoid smells and try not to leave leftovers you’ll need to throw out!
If there’s no green waste in your building, there might still be something nearby. For example, you could find a community garden near you to help compost your waste, or if you live near uni, there are many organic waste bins on campus. We also have our own community garden on campus, with compost bins available to use. Check out this link to learn more about sustainable food disposal at uni. https://sustainablecampus.unimelb.edu.au/reduce-reuse-recycle/organic-waste
If you’ve separated your food scraps but still have nowhere to take them, you can also try composting your scraps from home. Small countertop compost bins are available from places like Bunnings, sustainable homewares or garden stores. Many of these come with the benefit of being able to turn your compost liquid into fertiliser for your plants! The only downside of these is that they will eventually fill up, so you’ll need to find somewhere outdoors you can bury the waste in a garden or find one of the green waste bins. Fermenting it down first does mean it’ll last longer before it needs emptying, and if it seals properly, the smell shouldn’t be an issue in your kitchen.
Let us know how you dispose of your organic waste! Maybe you feed scraps to your pet or have room for an outdoor space with a worm farm or larger composting area. We’d love to share your sustainable ideas!
Don’t forget recycling is an important part of waste management as well. More information about what should be recycled can be found using the RecycleSmart app and look up CDS Vic to see where you can get a 10c refund for old cans.
Plant Spotlight: Lemon Scented Gum
Corymbia citriodora – Family Myrtaceae
Written by Sabine Barnett
Welcome back to plant spotlight! Today we’ll be talking about one of my favorite smelling trees – Corymbia citriodora aka the Lemon Scented Gum!
Corymbia citriodora trees in their various growth patterns. Source: (L) Gardening with Angus, (R) QLD Native Seeds
Where to find it:
Originally hailing from sub-tropical woodlands in QLD, the Lemon Scented Gum is now commonly found in cultivation in gardens and as a street tree (ANBG, 2016).
There is a beautiful Corymbia citriodora on Parkville Campus next to House of Cards!
How to spot it:
Closely related to members of the genus Eucalyptus, Corymbia citriodora looks very much like a stereotypical ‘gum tree’, but it was put into the genus Corymbia in the 1970s due to its tendency to form buds and flowers in terminal groups called ‘corymbs’ rather in leaf axils like Eucalyptus members. (Pryor & Johnson, 1971).
The common name ‘Lemon Scented Gum’ is not applied to this tree for no reason, the narrow leaves have a distinctly lemon-y smell when crushed that is sometimes also apparent in the air on warm days (ANBG, 2016).
The trunk of the tree is usually smooth and pale, sometimes with speckles of darker and lighter bark. The limbs sometimes curl around and form very funky-looking shapes – the Parkville House of Cards tree is a great example of this!
Interesting facts:
The oil from the leaves of Corymbia citriodora is often used in cosmetics, medicines and insect repellants – it’s often the tree used to make ‘eucalyptus oil’ along with various others. (ANBG, 2016).
The species name ‘citriodora’ means ‘lemon (citri-) scented (-odora)’! (ANBG, 2016).
Corymbia citriodora ‘corymbs’ of buds. Source: QLD Native Seeds
Insect Spotlight: Spiders
Spiders (Araneae)
Written by Alexandra (Alex) Bowron
We started off this insect spotlight series with the superpowered predating insect the Lacewing, followed by their potential prey, moth and butterfly larvae. This week we’ll be learning about another predating species, Spiders! If you just read the above sentence and thought to yourself “yeah, no thanks. I’ll pass.” let me plead my case as to why spiders are super cool and useful to have around. At the very least I hope that you’ll finish this article with a bit more respect for these shy little guys.
Spiders, they tend to be terribly misunderstood, it’s not their fault…
Well okay, maybe the excessive number of legs and eyes, their preference for nocturnal activities makes them the perfect subject for horror movies which doesn’t help their reputation.
While many of us know of poisonous spiders such as the Sydney Funnel Web or Redback spiders, the reality is that the danger these species pose to any individual is relatively low, the last fatality from a spider bite in Australia was in 1979 [1] until 2017 when a man passed away due to an infection after being bitten by a Redback spider a week prior [2]. Many venomous species such as snakes and spiders are often reluctant to bite humans as we pose no real value to them as prey, we’re far too big to eat. Rather we’re seen as potential predators to these creatures with most spiders choosing to run away or scare us off by looking bigger than they are, often posing with front legs raised and fangs visible to show they’re willing to bite if you get closer, occasionally I have seen some spiders lunge towards the implement I might be using to remove them, but this is rare.
Overall, you’re more likely to be killed or harmed by horses, Cows, Dogs or Crocodiles than Snakes and Spiders in Australia, Hornets and Bees have high mortality rates but many are those are due to adverse reactions rather than true lethality [2].
Defensive posture can look threatening, but its all bluff from this Wolf spider (Lycosidae)!Spiders come in many shapes and sizes, most go about their days in the garden without you or I ever seeing them. They can also be super useful for pest control, so if you can get past your initial fear at the sight of any of the following garden friends allow them to stay a while, I’m not saying you must interact with them but take a pause and observe them for a while, you might be surprised!
Now in saying this there are some steps to keep in mind regarding safety. If you’re moving garden debris or pots/sticks etc that have been piled up and left for a while, especially in spots you can see webbing be sure to wear:
- Gloves.
- Appropriate shoes (closed toed, if they’re low- or mid-rise chuck on a pair of long socks too).
- Ideally chuck on a long sleeve shirt and make sure you’re wearing jeans or pants of some sort (the unholy kind).
Common sense is key! If you are unsure of the threat, then it’s best to leave it be or contact someone more knowledgeable.
Relocation
Finding spiders inside isn’t uncommon, they’re often lured in due to the weather, other spiders or insects that may also be inside. If you’re someone like me who doesn’t mind spiders in the house (except my room) feel free to leave them alone. Otherwise, you can grab a takeaway container, deeper is better if you’re nervous, and try out the below catch and release methods.
NOTE: Please don’t kill spiders, beyond the morality of killing something because you’re scared, spiders are important for pest control and are also food for lots of animals! Not to mention squishing them can have unintended consequences as some spider species carry their spiderlings with them and in squishing the mother you might just scatter hundreds of young spiders into your home.
Now your approach will need to be adjusted for the type of spider you’re tackling.
Web builders like your Cellar, Widow and House spiders aren’t particularly flighty and can be captured by pressing the container against a nearby surface trapping the spider inside and slowly sliding the lid onto the container. You can also just enclose the spider on their web, closing the container around them, just be sure to not touch the web until the lid and main parts are close together.
Hunters like Whitetails, Huntsmans and Wolf spiders are more agile and tend to leap away from predators, which is often misunderstood as them jumping on you, but trust me they don’t want to be in that situation any more than you do. Accounting for this you have two options, both work best with a deep container or large glass/vase and a piece of firm cardboard.
The first option is to slowly and gently position your container under the spider and then with the lid, quickly sweep the spider downwards into the container, quickly putting on the lid before they have a chance to climb out.
The second method is useful when the spider is not playing ball and is in a corner or other weird spot, this is easier with a friend. One person uses a piece of paper or a lid to sweep the spider onto the floor where the other person is ready with a container to drop over the spider. Once it’s been contained leave it to chill out for a bit, dim the lights and come back when they’re not dashing around the container trying to escape. If the spider is not on the container, slowly push the container edge towards the spider, nudging them until they climb up the side. Then you can proceed to the next step. Take the lid, place it next to the container (slow movements here folks) and if the spider is on the container gently pick it up and place it on the lid securing it together.
So, you have a spider in a box… Now what? Pop em outside! That way they can still do their important work of keeping pests at bay. If you’re in an apartment take them to a nearby nature strip or parkland. If you live somewhere with garden space pop them somewhere sheltered. If you’re scared to open the container, recruit someone else to do it for you! Just make sure you don’t wait too long to do this; spiders are actually quite fragile, and many cannot survive a day in a box or jar.
Common Spiders: Now that’s out of the way here’s some common spider species you can find in your home and garden (Melbourne specific, sorry international and interstate folks).
Commonly seen Crab spider species.Flower/Crab Spiders (Diaea):
These guys are often very small with various colours and markings and are often found amongst flowering plants, I often see them on my strawberries. They hunt smaller insects such as aphids, earwigs, weevils, larvae, flies and mites. They can be active both day and night, if you harvest bunches of leafy greens or herbs from your garden, you’ll often see them crawl on your kitchen counter or in the water you use to wash your harvest. A good way to prevent these guys from coming inside with you is to give foliage and flowers a bit of shake, they’ll drop off or dangle on a single web which can be brushed over another plant to remove them.
This Fred was relocated from my bedroom to near the garden shed a while ago, I still see him every now and then.Huntsman/Wolf Spiders (Sparassidae/Lycosidae):
Honestly these guys might be one of my favourite spiders to see both inside and out in the garden. True to the name these spiders don’t wait in
This is house Fred. House Fred was given a treat for being a good spider.place to ambush their prey like other spiders on this list, rather they stalk their prey often targeting other spiders and larger insects. Because they don’t leave behind webs, aren’t venomous to humans and eat other spiders they’re great to have in the house (yes, I know what you must think, but trust me you’ll barely see them). I’ve had multiple Huntsman spiders call my home their own, as is
tradition in my family they’re all called Fred. Do I know why we call them Fred? Nope, but Fred it is. I only ever see a Fred out and about late at night during summer, and I’ve only ever had to relocate one from my bedroom to outside as I was worried, they might not get enough food, I still see them out in the garden at night.
Cellar Spiders (Pholcidae):
Commonly known as Daddy Long-legs which isn’t their true common name but is in fact the common name of Harvestmen, another Arachnid
Cellar spiderspecies with long, stilt-like legs [5].
These guys are web builders, building tangled and messy webs, often found inside in dark corners or under furniture. They’ll eat anything that gets trapped in their webs including other spiders (Redbacks included!). These guys pose no threat to humans and while some larger Cellar Spiders can bite, they’re not considered venomous and are unlikely to cause anything more than mild inflammation [6].
This lovely Cupboard Spider was under some scrap metal I turned over while tidying up.Cupboard Spiders (Steatoda):
These guys can look quite scary, with their pointed legs and large shiny black abdomen, and are often mistaken for Redbacks but lack the distinct red stripe that adult female Redbacks are known for (As a note juvenile Redback spiders also lack the red stripe but are just as venomous as their adult counterparts [7]). They are found in dark, sheltered areas, indoors and outside commonly around debris and under garden pots and saucers (this is where I have seen them the most). Like Redbacks, Cupboard spider webs are often chaotic and cover a large area and both species have significant differences between male and female spiders [8]. While the Cupboard spider has a similar venom to Redback spiders there have not been any recorded fatalities and significant bites can be treated with the same antivenom which is used for Redback bites.
Look at this guy, so cute!Jumping Spiders (Salticidae): (I saved the cutest spider for last!)
Another favourite spider of mine, these guys are small, agile, inquisitive and skilled hunters often seen stalking prey in the garden during the day before retreating to a webbed home commonly found under leaves or in sheltered areas. Unlike in many other spider species, male Jumping spiders come in a multitude of striking colours especially those in tropical climates.
However, we have our own very striking Jumping spiders down here in the south of Australia commonly known as Peacock Jumping Spiders ([9] some impressive photos of the striking colours on this site!).
I swear they wave at me sometimes…Male peacock spiders will perform a dance for the lucky lady, waving legs with decorative hairs and flaring out their coloured thorax to impress their potential partner, a lacklustre performance is often fatal with the unlucky bachelor becoming the female spider’s dinner… how romantic.
Now this is not to discount ordinary Jumping spiders, these guys are super inquisitive and have excellent vision, if you spot one in the garden you might find it looking right back at you. These guys are great at controlling smaller pest species such as aphids and caterpillars, though they can also target other spiders and pollinators (I had one hanging out around my insect water dish this summer capitalising on the thirsty bees coming down for a drink).
Below are some other spiders I’ve seen in my garden! I often use google lens or iNaturalist to ID but this website is a fantastic database of spiders https://www.arachne.org.au/default.asp
I often dig up Slater-eaters (Dysdera crocata) such as this one in my front yard, they burrow into the sandy soil where there are plague amounts of Slaters that come out at night.
This Black house spider (Badumna insignis) was under some dead foliage I was removing, she went in a jar while I finished up and was popped back into the area to find a new home.Resources & Sources
- https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/spider-facts/#:~:text=Has%20anyone%20died%20from%20a,in%20Australia%20in%20the%20past.
- https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/news-and-events/archive-news/professor-daniel-hoyer-and-dr-ronelle-welton-featured-academics-in-pursuit-article
- https://www.reddit.com/r/spiders/comments/xctwjm/identification_please_found_at_my_work_in/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
- https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/species/8816
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones
- https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/daddy-long-legs-spider/
- https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/redback-spider/
- https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/cupboard-spider/
- https://www.peacockspider.org
- https://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=2354
- https://www.arachne.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=2591
- https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/slater-eating-spider/
Feature Article: Yarra Bend Park
Yarra Bend Park: A History.
Written by Ella Roberts
Yarra Bend Park’s Studley Park Boathouse. Source: Studley Park Boathouse.Located a few kilometres northeast of the CBD, Yarra Bend Park is Melbourne’s largest bushland park and a must-visit for anyone craving a nature hit while stuck in the city. It covers over 223 hectares of land around the twists and turns of the Yarra River, providing beautiful views of the city and beloved nowadays for recreational purposes such as biking, canoeing, walking the dog or a round of golf. It is also the home of a large grey-headed flying fox colony and is a vital hub for the conservation of this species. Parks Victoria manages this area and volunteer groups (such as Friends of Andrews Reserve) frequently hold working bees and help maintain the area.
However, this area has not always been the curated parkland it is today. It is part of the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people, who have lived with the land and river (known to them as Birrarung) for thousands of years, relying upon them for food and resources. A deep, spiritual connection to the land is also a key part of their culture and plays a central role in ceremonial practice. Evidence of their long-term habitation of this land can still be seen today in scar trees. These trees, such as the red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) are those which show visible scarring from where large strips of bark have been removed from the to make things like canoes, shields or shelters. Evidence of this this can often be seen even hundreds or years later, because it is so slow to heal.
After European occupation of the land and the founding of the city of Melbourne, Indigenous people were forced off their lands, and the area known today as Yarra Bend Park was designated as the site for the Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum, which commenced operation in 1848. It almost immediately became overcrowded and continued to expand into an extensive compound over its years of operation in an unsuccessful attempt to keep up with the growing number of inmates. As early as 1952 a parliamentary enquiry revealed the dire conditions inside the compound walls: physical and sexual abuse, corruption, poor treatment of prisoners, illegal use of resources and frequent patient inebriation. Despite this, it continued to operate until 1925, although also facing constant understaffing. Years later, there was also a women’s prison that operated on the same grounds from 1956-1996.
Although barely any trace of the compound that once existed can be seen today, due to the dark undertone of the site’s history and changing perspectives on mental health since the closure of the facility, many people still feel the ghost of its presence has given Yarra Bend Park an eerie vibe. Bodies were exhumed from the cemetery that existed on the grounds after closure, but there are no accurate records to determine how many still remain.
So, while taking a stroll through the trees or going for a picnic with a view over the city next time at Yarra Bend Park, consider your place in the history of the land. From the Wurundjeri people with their thousands of years of kinship and custodianship of the land, to the “mentally disturbed” of the 19th century, to the tireless conservationists and their grey-headed flying foxes of the modern day, this land is powerful and tells a meaningful history to everyone who walks it with a care to look closer.
Visit it and let us know, what’s something that surprised you at Yarra Bend Park?
Insect Spotlight: Queensland Fruit Fly
Queensland Fruit Fly (Bactrocera tryoni)– Little fly, big trouble.
QFF is a native insect to Australia, originating from Queensland funnily enough, and has spread to the southern parts of Australia as the climate warms and they have adapted. In its native habitat in Queensland there is a predating wasp that keeps the QFF population at a manageable level, unfortunately this wasp has not seen fit to relocate down south and so the QFF population is relatively unchecked outside its native area.
It’s just a reminder that native to Australia doesn’t necessarily mean welcome to all of Australia. Some other examples of invasive or pest native species include:
- Rainbow Lorikeet: Native to the eastern parts of the Australian mainland but not Western Australia or Tasmania.
- Noisy Miner: Urbanisation has created the perfect habitats for these native birds who are very territorial and drive away other native birds and animals.
- Freshwater Turtles: Native to the mainland, not Tasmania.
- Sugar Gliders: Again, native to mainland Australia but have been introduced to Tasmania and now outcompete with the endangered Swift Parrot for nest sites.
There are a few things home gardeners can do to reduce the spread and impact of QFF which begins with recognising the signs of its presence. QFF is active from early-spring to late-autumn with warmer temperatures (16C) speeding up the lifecycle and reproduction rates, this can mean that QFF is a year-round issue in some climates.
If you are worried about QFF in your area or have heard about nearby plants being impacted the first action you can do is to set fruit fly traps to monitor for the presence of QFF.
Traps commonly come in two forms, a sticky trap and a liquid hanging trap, commercially available traps utilise a range of different attractants, but you can also make your own QFF traps at home. Be aware that all these traps can attract and impact other insects (sticky traps more than others in my experience), be sure to follow the directions on any traps you purchase and utilise.
Make a home-made QFF trap (Agriculture Victoria)
- You will need an empty 1.5 L soft-drink bottle (with lid).
- Cut three 10 cent piece sized holes in the bottle, 10 cm from the top.
- Add the bait mixture: three cups of 100 per cent fruit juice with pulp and three tablespoons of cloudy ammonia (or wheelie bin cleaner), until the bottle is approximately half full.
- Tie a string around the bottle’s neck and hang it in a shady part of the tree, 1-1.5 m above the ground (where pets and children cannot access it).
- Change the mixture weekly for best effect.
- Traps may also catch other beneficial insects.
- Check your trap for QFF before spraying any insecticides
Be sure to remove ripe and fallen fruit as soon as possible to reduce food and breeding grounds that can attract QFF.
How to manage QFF
QFF maggots seen under cherry tomato skin
Characteristic dimple seen where QFF has laid eggs under the fruit’s skin.- Net fruit as soon as it sets from flower. Fine mesh bags can be purchased that are tightly woven enough to prevent QFF from getting to fruit. Be sure that the bags are not touching the fruit as the female fly may still be able to reach in to lay her eggs on the fruit.
- Remove excess or unwanted flowers and fruit. Monitor streetside QFF host trees for neglect (link to list below).
- Remove and appropriately dispose of impacted fruit. Signs of fruit fly in fruit can include:
- Small dimples or spots on the surface of your fruit. Often the surface around the spot will be softer than the rest of the fruit which can indicate rotting or eaten parts of the fruit.
- Uneven ripening or internal rotting.
- Cut fruit open to inspect for maggots, do this in a well-lit area. Small cream-coloured maggots near the spot or dimple. They can be as small as 2mm when they first hatch, a magnifying glass might be needed to see them.
- In some fruits you can see tunnels under the skin where they’ve been eating their way through the fruit.
If you suspect that your fruit might be impacted by QFF here are the steps you must take to dispose of it correctly!
For larger fruit, cut away the rotting or damaged parts of the fruit. The rest of the fruit can be eaten, the offcut parts must be treated before disposal in your garbage bin.
DO NOT DISPOSE IN GREENWASTE OR COMPOST BINS.
- Place fruit in the freezer for 24-48 hours or until the fruit is frozen solid.
- Boil fruit in a bit of water for 5-10 minutes.
- For large quantities double bag fruit in black garbage bags and leave in the sun for 2-weeks (Solarising).
There are also sprays and pesticides that can be used to tackle fruit fly however, these can impact immature fruit as well as other insect species in your garden. As always, I recommend these kinds of things as a last resort.
There are over 50 other species of fruit flies that can impact fruit in a similar way to QFF but are less prevalent or are not yet found in Australia or at least Victoria.
Here’s a quick overview of some key exotic fruit fly species:
Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Medfly) (Ceratitis capitata): Similar to QFF however Medfly has a less vibrant yellow on its body and its wings have two brown bars, it targets the same fruiting plants as QFF. Medfly is not yet found in Victoria, but South Australia has had a few outbreaks meaning that individuals crossing state boarders should be highly vigilant about transporting fruit across both states.
Spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii): Not yet in Australia but has quickly spread outside of its native habitat in North-East Asia and is now present in many parts of the world. It commonly infests Berries, Pommes (Apples and related plants like pears) and stone fruit.
Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis): Not yet in Australia but has recently spread to Italy and France and is present and established globally, including nearby in Asia and Oceania. Infests a wider variety of fruit and vegetables than other fruit flies and can infest hard, unripe fruits that other flies can’t.
While it can be rather disappointing to see all your hard work go to waste, a collective responsibility when it comes to managing fruit fly from both urban and rural growers is essential for the future of Victoria’s agriculture industry and many farming families’ livelihoods. It is also important to remember that while Australian Customs and Boarder Control is very strict with incoming products, especially with fresh produce, there is a reason for it!
“The eradication of the 1995 Oriental fruit fly incursion in Cairns cost $33 million and took 4 years.” – Agriculture Victoria.
Victoria’s Horticultural industry is worth $3 billion with exports bringing in $1.6 billion, $1 billion worth of this exported produce is susceptible to fruit fly. The Australian and State Governments spends millions each year on QFF prevention and control as well as research.
If you’d like to learn more about QFF or test your knowledge, try out the Agriculture Victoria QFF Module: http://bels.boxhill.edu.au/ff/secondary/
Resources:
QFF Host Fruits: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/pest-insects-and-mites/priority-pest-insects-and-mites/queensland-fruit-fly/queensland-fruit-fly-host-fruits
Fruit Fly Control: https://fruitflycontrol.com.au/preventing_fruit_fly/identifying-fruit-fly/
Feature Article: Shepard Avocados
In the defence of Shepard Avocados
Written by Alex Bowron
This is not my usual buggy article, and for those disappointed, fear not, there will be one next week. After seeing some articles and videos of people putting unripe Shepard avocados through mortar and pestles, brick massages and various other activities unbefitting of a nutritious food item I felt the need to preach the plight of the misunderstood Shepard avocado.
Something many Aussies are struggling with right now is that Hass, which are out of season from February to May, supply has run dry, and retailers are beginning to sell Shepard avocados in their place. Shepards have a rather brief season that just covers the gap in Hass supplies during the year, they’re not an identical replacement of the more popular Hass and this is something I see many people struggling with. So, I am happy to provide all the info you need to get through this Hass-less time of the year, and hopefully, have you seeing Shepards in a different light.
Hass vs Shepard SeasonsFirst point I must make is that Shepard avocados are not Hass, so stop treating them like they are!
Hass, when ripe have a smooth buttery consistency that makes them perfect for spreading and dips. However, they also have their downsides. A small window where they are perfectly ripe in which they bruise easily and go brown quickly when exposed to oxygen.
Shepard on the other hand, while they might be a bit harder to mash into a creamy topping for your toast, are perfect for salads, rice paper and sushi rolls and for a fancy thinly sliced Avo on toast. Shepards are mashable but this can be a bit difficult if they’re not fully ripe. The best thing about Shepards is that they don’t go brown! However, they aren’t as flavourful and can lack that rich, bright flavour of the Hass and they are a bit trickier to monitor for ripeness.
Another downside, not just with Hass, but all soft-bodied avocados is the customers that viciously hunt for the perfect avocado on the shelf, squishing and squeezing the body to check for a ripe fruit. (Oh, the horror!)
How to tell if an avocado is ripe.Have you, dear reader, ever picked up a few Hass, gotten them home and cut them open just to find brown, unsightly marks everywhere! While this can happen in transport and while being handled by staff, the more likely culprit is your fellow avo-aficionado…
So, here’s me using this article to put out a PSA on how to check if an avocado is ripe, while leaving them relatively unscathed.
Press the area near the stem, if you press too hard, no worries, its easy to cut top off the fruit than it is to scrape away random bruised bits all over. If you can press into the fruit with a little resistance, it’s on the firmer side of ripe. If you can press easily into the fruit and maybe leave a bit of an indent (oops) its ready to eat immediately. I will say when it comes to Hass in my experience the skin of some fruits can start to lift away from the flesh as it ripens in fruits sold towards the end of the season and you may need to check the ripeness further down the body of the fruit. I have included two resources for your consideration. (Ignore the meterage info on the ‘Firmness measurement’, it is intended for retailers who have that sort of instrumentation.)
Now that we know how to check if our avocados are ripe in a mindful and demure fashion, here’s a tip for anyone who’s found themselves with rock solid, unripe fruit (of any sort really, this tip isn’t just for avocados).
A bit of background info, all commercial avocados are transported while under ripe, first of all avocados do not ripen on the tree so they must be picked to begin ripening. Transporting them in a way that prevents the ripening process from starting is useful for preventing damage during picking, packing and shipping. Because Hass season is so long many retailers will have a rotation of avocados in storage that keeps a consistent supply of ripe Hass on the shelves for most of the year. Shepard avocados come in right as Hass season finishes meaning that retailers are forced to push them out as soon as possible to fill in any gaps. This is why Shepards are often sold very under ripe, it’s not the fault of the avocado, it’s our endless hunger for them that does this. Ideally Shepard avocados are stored until they begin to ripen before being available to customers, but they don’t so here’s how to speed up the process.
Average ripening timesAdd some Bananas to your shopping list next time you’re out shopping and grabbing some hard avos. Bananas release quite a bit of Ethylene, a plant hormone that fruit gives off while ripening, and so by storing other, less-ripe fruit near fruit like Bananas can induce ripening at a quicker rate.
You can leave avocados and Bananas near each other in the fruit bowl but often sealing them in a paper bag or container together produces faster results. If you forget your Shepard avocados near the Bananas and they’ve become ripe before you need them or find out you ripened more avocados than you needed, they can be put into the fridge to slow the ripening process (sans Bananas). If your Bananas are overripe you can make some desserts with them or pop them in the freezer for later.
Another avocado I’d like to mention is the Reed avocado, it’s a bit like the Hulk of avos with its large size and bright green exterior this green-skinned avo behaves similarly to Shepards and are in season around the same time as well.
There are lots of other commercially grown avocado varieties most readers wouldn’t have heard about such as: Lamb Hass, Reed, Wurtz, Gwen, Sharwil, Fuerte, Pinkerton, Gem, and Bacon, and there is an exciting new large variety still being trialled in Queensland called Jala! https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-30/jala-avocado-plant-with-giant-fruit-set-to-hit-nursery-shelves/104232928
Thank you for reading my opinion piece as to why Shepard avocados are just as good (if not better) than Hass.
I hope this helps you give them a second try next time you spot them!
Resources:
Escobedo-Avellaneda, Z., & Welti-Chanes, J. (2016). Controlled atmosphere storage: applications for bulk storage of foodstuffs.
https://avocado.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Avocado-Ripening-Manual.pdf
https://avocado.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Avocados-Australia-Facts-at-a-Glance.pdf
https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Shepard_Avocados_24602.php
Feature Article: The Basics of Identifying Plants
What plant is that???
Written by Ella Roberts
When even the pictorial guides are overwhelming…Don’t know where to start when identifying plants? The good news is that there’s no wrong way to go about it! The most important thing, especially when you’re still getting used to it or are seeing new plants for the first time, is to use your powers of observation to their fullest capacity. Taking notes, photos, and using all five senses is the best way to figure out what you’re looking at. Some points to consider:
- Is this similar to something you’ve seen before? (This can help you skip some steps if you already know it’s a tree or a herb. Maybe you even know it’s a Eucalypt or something you’ve seen in an edible garden). If not, that’s ok, keep looking!
- Take notes or photos of: the size (big or small?); the leaves (does it have any? Shape, colour, texture, are they opposite each other on the stem or alternating?); the flowers (does it have any? Number of petals, shape, colour, how do they attach to the plant?); buds or fruit (if you don’t see flowers, this could be what they look like at a different stage of development); any other distinguishing features (bark type and colour, where in the landscape is it growing, do the leaves or flowers have a scent)
- What does the surrounding environment look like? Has this been planted or has it grown there naturally? Is there a lot of this plant around? What other types of vegetation can you see?
Once you’ve gathered as much information as possible, there are a few ways to use this. If you haven’t opened a biology textbook in a while, the amount of vocabulary you need to understand to describe all the things you’re seeing can be quite daunting. There’s so much variability in the way life works you do unfortunately need a lot of terms to describe the nuance! I’d recommend learning a few more common words you see come up more often (knowing how to describe different types of flowers is a great start!), but anything else is often solved by a quick google.
If you’ve got a guidebook handy, you can match the characteristics to something that is likely to occur in the area. It can be helpful if you have photos to compare to, but keep in mind some plants can look vastly different depending on the time of year and if they are in flower or not. Diagrams, such as of the leaf or flower structure, are often better for clarifying small details.
If you’re on the go, you can take some pictures of what you’re looking at and plug them into an app like iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/) to help you identify them. This is a citizen science tool for reporting sightings of plants, animals or fungi, and can help suggest what you might be looking at based on it’s features and what can be expected in the area. Because this is a platform that has been around for years now, it has a lot of data to draw on and is very often pretty accurate, but you still need to be able to recognise the difference between similar species yourself sometimes to ensure you don’t mislabel your sightings.
Alternatively, if you have the time to practice being able to identify the difference between similar species, you can try using what’s known as a dichotomous key, which allows you to identify the plant’s features one at a time through a series of questions, which eventually lead you to a particular species as the questions get more specific. If you’re looking at plants in Victoria, the Vicflora website (https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/) is a fantastic resource, with easy-to-use keys for any plant you might find in the state. You will notice a lot of the more complicated terminology here, so if you get lost don’t worry! Practice makes it easier, and you can still use this in conjunction with other identification methods to make sure.
If you’re keen to know more, or want some help getting started, you can still sign up for our plant ID workshop tomorrow afternoon! We will have plenty of textbook references, real pressed plant samples and will go for a walk to put our knowledge to the test! Most importantly, don’t worry if you still don’t know what you’re doing. There’s wayyyy too much out there for everyone to everything and most of the time I still look at a plant and forget everything I’ve ever learnt, despite being a plant science major!
Good luck and happy plant spotting!
Image sources:
Herbal Academy (https://theherbalacademy.com/blog/basic-botany-describing-leaves/)
iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/)
VicFlora (https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/).
Feature Article: Volunteering
Get Involved in Volunteering!
Written by Ella Roberts
Source: Parks VictoriaHiya Saplings,
This week we’re shouting out the benefits of getting involved in local volunteering! Being part of community projects or coming along to learn and help out with something you’re interested in is a fantastic way to build connections and develop some hobbies outside of studying! I’m sure you’ll understand how meeting like-minded people, gaining practical skills and giving back to the community can only be a good thing.
If you’re new to volunteering, or even just looking for new ideas of things to get involved in to branch out, I have a few things to help you get started!
Firstly, if you’re not already part of our SAPS Network WhatsApp community, feel free to join to keep up to date on what other members are up to, any interesting opportunities, and have a place to ask us all your random plant questions!
I can also highly recommend getting involved in some of the other initiatives around on campus, such as volunteering in the community garden (@melbourneunigarden) or getting involved in Green Impact, where you can contribute to sustainable action in various ways around campus and earn a Melbourne Plus credit in the process!
Join the Community Garden Volunteers Teams channel.
Join the UoM Sustainability Volunteers Team channel (inc. Green Impact updates).
If you’re keen to check out other on-campus or uni affiliated groups some good starting points could be:
Umsu enviro @umsuenviro
Vegan club @unimelbveganclub
Wildlife conservation society @wcs.unimelb
Melbourne Uni birdwatching society @mubirdwatchingsociety
Youth charity society @ycsunimelb
Oxfam Melbourne Uni @oxfamunimelb
Animal protection society @umapsociety
For some of you, the on-campus options will be old news, but worry not, the options don’t end there!
Keen on gardening? Check your local council’s website for info on community gardens in your area or google your local building co-op. Fantastic for growing your own veggies, practicing composting and getting to know your neighbours.
Check out Farmraiser (https://www.farmraiser.com.au/volunteer)! This small farm in Melbourne’s north east is a non-profit charity that runs a variety of volunteer opportunities and community events. Go along for their Friday volunteering and enjoy a free morning tea.
Register with Parks Connect and Friends of groups (https://www.parkconnect.vic.gov.au/) and you’ll be able to see all the Parks Victoria managed locations across the state and the events local community groups run within them.
Some groups with regular events around the city you might want to check out include: Westgate Park & Nursery (Mondays, Tuesdays (@Nursery) and Wednesdays), Yarra Bend Park (most Sundays) and Herring Island (first Sunday of the month). These groups always love seeing new faces and love it when you bring friends along to help out.
The Victorian National Parks Association (https://vnpa.org.au/explore/bushwalking-and-activities/) is involved in a range of ecological and restoration work. These guys often have fun events like scenic bush walks, wildlife censuses, citizen science overnight campouts and more! Due to limited availability for these events they often book out well in advance though, so check out the link to their events calendar to plan ahead.
Wattle is a group specifically designed to get young people into environmental volunteering. Visit their website or via their Instagram @wattle.volunteers to learn more.
They have a Working bee this Saturday (12th April) along the Birrarung you should check out if you’re free.
The National Trust has multiple volunteer opportunities in and around Melbourne with some exciting opportunities to learn from experienced gardeners and experience caring for heritage gardens. No experience needed you just need to register your interest on their website!
Other places to look if you’re trying to find something that suits you could be asking around at your local plant nurseries or farmers markets.
If you are involved in any local volunteering or community projects, let us know so we can shout it out and spread the word!
Insect Spotlight: Ichneumonid Wasps
Superfamily Ichneumonoidea (what a mouthful!) – Ichneumonid Wasps
Written by Alexandra (Alex) Bowron
https://canberra.naturemapr.org/sightings/4481766Commonly known as parasitic wasps, Ichneumonid wasps are a huge family of specialised hunters found in every continent except Antarctica. There are over 25,000 species described so far but research suggests that this a mere fraction of their diversity, with estimates putting numbers beyond both mammal and bird species combined!
I’ll admit they look quite scary to the unaware observer with almost Alienesque features such as striking colouration, long-thin thoraxes leading to large abdomens with females carrying a long protruding ovipositor, while their size can range anywhere from a few millimetres to over seven centimetres
These wasps are commonly known for using their long ovipositors to lay eggs in their prey, leaving them to hatch and devour the unwilling nanny from the inside. Common hosts are Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera), Beetles (Coleoptera), Bees, Wasps & Ants (Hymenoptera) and in some species, Spiders (Aranea), though many species hosts are unknown to researchers.
So why focus on Ichneumonid Wasps? Well for the average urban garden, parasitoids, that is, organisms that kill their hosts to continue their life cycle rather than parasitise like lice and fleas, ichneumonid wasps are highly effective pest control agents and are key for maintaining sustainable pest populations on a global level. While young ichneumonid wasps have a rather gruesome start to life, adults feed off sap and nectar making them pollinators too (how handy!).
So now you know more about these super-wasps here’s what to watch out for in your garden:
This picture was taken in my front yard on one of my tomato plants, the weird brown thing next to the pupa is the desiccated remains of its host.Adult wasps are illusive but the times I’ve seen them have been in the shade on a hot day.
Here’s a couple of photos of some I’ve seen this summer.
Other than adult wasps the next easiest thing to spot is the pupa of some species.
To the left is an example of the pupa from the Campopleginae subfamily which lays its eggs in moth and caterpillar larvae, once the eggs hatch the young wasp larvae eats its host before wrapping itself in a cocoon and then emerging as an adult wasp.
The hardest thing to spot is parasitised insects as eggs and larvae are often very hard to see with the naked eye and, as a side note, is a reason why I never advocate for complete pest eradication and always caution the use of insecticides. While it often reduces the predatory insect population by reducing their food supply, in this case you might end up removing potential hosts and killing predatory wasp larvae.
If you are interested in what to look for when it comes to parasitised pests here’s some examples from The Beat Sheet (fantastic resource, I would recommend checking out the other information in the linked documents below) of parasitised Helicoverpa larvae:
The use of parasitic wasps is currently of interest to biocontrol researchers. Remember the pesky Queensland Fruit Fly? Researchers in Victoria are working on introducing the natural predator of the QFF, two species of parasitic wasps, to assist in controlling populations down south. Here’s the rest of the article if you’d like to read more: https://ausveg.com.au/knowledge-hub/parasitoid-wasps-the-focus-of-a-new-biocontrol-program-for-queensland-fruit-fly/
Some more adult wasps to keep an eye out for:
Sources:
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/47199-Ichneumonidae
https://thebeatsheet.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/GoodBadBug-Mar2013-lowres.pdf
https://thebeatsheet.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Helicoverpa-parasitoids.pdf
https://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_ichneumonwasps/ICHNEUMONIDAE.htm
Feature Article: The Importance of Soil
The Importance of Soil
A soil profile. Source: Wikipedia Commons.Article written by Ella Roberts
This week let’s shine a light on the sometimes less glamorous and overlooked half of our society, soils! Although they might seem boring, or just something that’s necessary to grow your plants in, soil is a central part of life on Earth and more than half of all known species directly live or grow in it.
Let’s break down some of its functions within an ecosystem:
Climate regulation:
Soil affects the weathering of surrounding rock and more moisture within it can accelerate this and increase mineral leaching. There is also more microbial activity in the soil when it is warmer. The topography or shape of the landscape, which is made up of soil, affects local microclimate influencing which parts of the landscape are cooler, drier, warmer or more humid and the slope angle affects how water either runs-off or infiltrates the soil.
Medium for plant growth:
Soil provides a physical support for many plants, some growing tall, and others staying within the soil. Root respiration to support plants also occurs within the soil, as well as taking up nutrients and water to support growth and function. The soil layer can moderate temperature and is also used to moderate the interaction between micro- and macro-organisms that have mutually supportive symbiotic relationships.
Nutrient cycling:
Both organic and inorganic nutrients exist in different balances in different soil types. Decomposition of organic matter releases nutrients like carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, which can be sequestered in the soil and then recycled by other organisms. Mineral crystals like calcium, potassium and phosphorus are formed from the geological surroundings broken down into the soils and are also used by other organisms to support life.
Water storage and filtration:
The texture of soils can be divided by the size of the particles: sandy is coarse and has poor water retention because it filters through the larger gaps easily, silty is medium and clayey is fine and dense with high water retention. This influences what can grow there and how the landscape will form based on how the soil responds to weathering and plant growth. The amount of organic matter within the soil also influences its permeability. A well-structured soil usually has some clumping and allows for air pockets to form rather than being completely solid.
Habitat and biodiversity:
The soil type can dictate what is able to grow there, but the things growing in the soil can also influence its composition over time. For example, grasslands that experience frequent fires would include organic matter from the interconnected root system and would have charcoal particles from the fires. Forests, on the other hand, would have the most organic matter in the form of fallen leaves and would have a forest floor dominated by fungi. In all environments, soils facilitate the cycle of life by processing decomposition to support biodiversity.
Historical record:
The layering that occurs within soils at various depths can inform us about an area’s historical climate, ecology and geology. Organic matter may be preserved from what once lived there, or different nutrients could suggest the landscape may have looked different in the past.
Engineering medium:
Soil can be used to modify the landscape, whether naturally or by humans. We can build dams or control erosion and build roads and settlements.
So, soils serve a lot of functions. In the field, it is helpful to identify them by colour, texture and pH which can help determine their properties.
Soil science is a fascinating mix of all the sciences and is essential knowledge across various study areas, including agriculture, engineering, ecology and more. It is the skin of the earth, but we don’t always look after it the way that we should. So much of life, including us and our food sources rely upon it. If you’re interested in learning more, let us know if we should organise more soil focused events next semester!
Feature Article: How to Eat Weeds
How to eat weeds – A lazy gardeners guide to eating the things you’ve never thought of eating (except for when you watched that one scene in Ice Age).
Written by Alexandra (Alex) Bowron
This article is a special departure (again, sorry bug nerds) from my usual writings as I have been asked to describe how I go about eating the weeds I harvest from the Melbourne University Community Garden as well as my own garden at home.
Fun fact, you never have to weed if everything in your garden is for consumption! Keep the edible weeds so that inedible weeds can’t get a foothold!
Here’s some examples of ignored carefully cultivated ‘weeds’ in my garden:
Here’s some Dandelions growing amongst my parsley, I find it does well in richer soil with competition from other plants!
Milk thistle growing amongst my succulents.I’ll give you a brief overview of the top three edible weeds that I find are easy to identify and are plentiful if you know to look for them, and I’ll go over how to harvest them and cook them!
Dandelions:
Cultivated Dandelion greensStarting off with my personal favourite, which is an absolute nutritional powerhouse! Dandelions are one of the most nutritious vegetables in existence and the entire plant is edible! The most common variety you’ll encounter is the English Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale).
Roots: Often dried and roasted into a coffee alternative, or they can be peeled lightly with steel wool or a potato brush before being boiled for 10-15 minutes to remove bitterness before being added to soups, stews or other cooked dishes.
Leaves: Young leaves are often eaten raw as a salad green, older leaves are often cooked similarly to spinach though their flavour is like chicory or other mildly bitter greens, leaves tend to be less bitter in early-spring or when cooked. Stems can be eaten too but it’s not recommended as they are very bitter.
Flowers: can be eaten raw as a decorative addition or dried and used in teas, flowers can be kept whole, or you can remove the petals and discard the base. Be sure to harvest them as soon as they open, don’t harvest older flowers that are starting to close back up.
Things to keep in mind: Leaves tend to wilt quickly once picked so be sure to get them in water if you can’t cook them immediately. Make sure to wash well, the base of stems can hold on to dirt and you might need to rub off the dirt with your fingers. Flowers can be hard to wash, either make sure to pick relatively clean ones or gently agitate them in water before leaving them base side up on paper towel to dry.
Look out for diseased leaves, a common disease impacting dandelions is rust, specifically Puccinia taraxaci which is a type of fungi that causes small red welts on leaves. Other Dandelion pests and diseases are listed here: https://bladmineerders.
Example of Fungal infection on dandelion.
Fungal infection, remove and dispose of infected leaves to prevent the spread of spores.How to use:
With the entire plant being edible the options are endless regarding preparation and consumption of dandelions, using them as an alternative to spinach is an easy way to go about incorporating them into your day.
Other ideas include:
- Dandelion root tea or coffee
- Dandelion Wine
- Jelly
- Pesto
- Or my favourite: Stir-fried with garlic!
Here’s a website I found with a bunch of recipes for all parts of the plant! https://practicalselfreliance.com/dandelion-identification/
Here’s how I harvest dandelion greens. Be sure to grab the leaf as close to the base as you can, avoid pulling directly up as this can unroot a plant in loose soil. Wiggle stubborn stems side to side to loosen them or pinch with you nails to break the stem.
Nettles:
Commonly seen in teas, it’s not a common green you might see on a grocery store shelf alongside spinach, but I have seen it at the Queen Victoria Market once or twice! Common varieties
An older nettle plant, it’s already gone to seed.include: Urtica dioica, U.urens and U.incise, historically nettles were consumed, and the fibrous stems were used to create cloth and twine.
Nettles are well known for their protective needle-like hairs that can cause skin irritation with direct contact, giving them the name Stinging Nettles. Young plants have finer needles can be harvest with regular rubber gloves, some people say you can harvest them bare handed if you commit and grasp the plant with a strong grip ( I think I might have delicate hands as this has never worked for me), whereas older plants may need thicker protection such as dish or gardening gloves.
The leaves are the part of the plant most people eat, aim for young leaves or the tips of older plants, they can be eaten raw after being rolled and massaged in hand to break the hairs or they can be sautéed like spinach, they have a very mild flavour and aren’t as bitter as dandelions.
It has been said that it is best to avoid consuming a large amount from flowering nettles as this can have a laxative effect and irritate the urinary tract. https://www.wildfooduk.com/wild-plants/nettle/
The recipes for dandelion greens apply to nettles too, it’s best to stick to the cooked methods of preparation.
Here’s a quick demo on how to pick nettle leaves. It’s fine to break off larger stems, just be sure to leave some stalk behind to reshoot. As you can see I’m wearing my thick dish gloves for this as the stems of old nettles such as these can pierce through some garden gloves!
Thistles & Hawkbits:
An older thistle, unsure of exact species but it’s likely some sort of sow-thistle.Thistles and Hawkbits are like dandelions when it comes to edibility however, the palatability aspect is quite different. Some common varieties you might encounter are False Hawkbit (urospermum picroides), Sow-thistle, specifically milk thistle (sonchus oleraceus) and Artichoke-thistle (cynara cardunculus) (yes, very much related to the pickled and brined artichokes you buy in store). Thistle and hawkbit leaves tend to get tougher and more bitter the older they are, young leaves can be eaten raw or lightly blanched, older leaves may require more cooking time. Again, feel free to use them as a substitute for spinach greens in recipes.
Here’s how to pick an older thistle, be sure to aim for individual leaves rather than whole stems, smaller side shoots are more tender. Avoid pulling down with older thistle leaves as this causes some fibres to pull off the stem. Pull directly away from the plant with a slight upwards angle.
Weeds are very hardy and stubborn, which makes them the perfect crop for the black thumbed among us. They grow well in poor soil and with minimal attention, though you will get a better harvest with a bit of watering and regular harvesting, just be sure not to harvest more than 2/3rds of the plant at a time if you want it to maintain consistent growth.
Weeds are very hardy and stubborn, which makes them the perfect crop for the black thumbed among us. They grow well in poor soil and with minimal attention, though you will get a better harvest with a bit of watering and regular harvesting, just be sure not to harvest more than 2/3rds of the plant at a time if you want it to maintain consistent growth.
There’s a wide array of common weeds that are edible; this guide goes over many you can find in Victoria not just Perth (where the author is): https://www.moorecatchment.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Edible-Weeds-and-Foraging-around-Perth-Australia_.pdf
Make sure the plants you’re foraging are safe for consumption! Avoid council managed spaces as they do spray, the Melbourne University Community Garden avoids the use of sprays in pest and weed management so is safe to harvest dandelions and thistles. If you volunteer at a local community garden, ask them if they can leave these plants be so that you can harvest them. Always introduce new foods slowly, you never know if you have a unique allergy or sensitivity, if you’re not 100% sure on the identification of an uncultivated plant, DO NOT EAT IT!
Here’s how I pick native spinach, big leaves can be plucked off the stem in a downwards fashion, or by pinching it off with your fingers. Small side stalks are more tender so can be eaten as well as the leaves.
Resources:
https://cals.cornell.edu/weed-science/weed-profiles/dandelion
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/dandelions_for_food
https://weeds.org.au/profiles/perennial-sow-thistle/
Insect Spotlight: Earwigs
Earwigs (Dermaptera)
Article by Alexandra (Alex) Bowron
Earwigs are not beloved by many; the unfortunate name they’ve managed snag in addition to the interesting images it conjures in the mind might even cause fear for some, though it is believed that the name comes from the Anglo-Saxon English words for soil (eard) and insect (wicga) [Australian Museum]. Earwigs are omnivorous creatures eating a range of both living and dead plant and animal matter, with some more social species prone to occasional cannibalism. While in small numbers, earwigs pose little threat to the home garden and can even assist in decomposition of dead or decaying matter in your garden. However, in large numbers they can decimate certain plants, especially seedlings and young growth. In this article I’ll go over common species of earwig you might see in your garden, as well as ways to manage them if they’re being bothersome.
In my garden I have seen Earwigs have a noticeable impact on certain crops such as:
- Broad Beans
- Peas
- Silver beet
- Passion vine seedlings
- Rhubarb
- Broccoli and Kale
- Strawberries
- Any seedlings planted directly into the garden.
Earwigs are especially active at night during the cooler months, during the day they shelter in the soil, under debris or in tight nooks and crannies out of the sunlight, they are often found
between the stems of my silver beet during the day. At night adult and juvenile earwigs come out of hiding and start munching on what ever food is available, they will often leave large holes in the centre of leaves, the damage they cause is often confused with slug, snail, weevil or other leaf munching pests. The absence of a slime trail often rules out the first two although I have seen both slugs and earwigs attacking the same plant, so they’re not opposed to sharing their food. The best way to tell if earwigs are the culprits is to catch them in the act, head out an hour or two after it turns dark with a torch (headtorches are extra handy) .
Now before I continue it’s probably best I elaborate on the common types of earwigs you might find in the garden.
The most common type I see is the European Earwig (Forficula Auricularia), this invasive species can get quite large ranging from 5mm to 50mm [1]. Males in this species have large curved rear pincers with females having straight pincers, both genders have two sets of wings which are infrequently used and are folded up on their back. This species is a social species with the female tending to the eggs and then bringing back food for the nymphs as they grow, males are chased away after mating as they can cannibalise the young earwigs. Adults are present throughout the year, with eggs laid in early autumn [2], nymphs appear as smaller, pale adults, with young nymphs appearing almost white.
It is important to note that European Earwigs are often confused with the native Common Brown Earwig (Labidura truncata). The common brown earwig is a predatory species, beneficial to the garden. While they do look like the European earwig there are some ways to differentiate between the two. The native species has darker wings with an orangey-brown triangle on the wing-casing behind the head, males of this species have straight pincers with a characteristic ‘tooth’ on the inner edge or each pincer.
Another invasive species I see is the Black Field Earwig (Nala lividipes), however I rarely
find more than one at a time and when I do, they’re in
the soil eating decomposing matter rather than
munching on my plants. This species of earwig can also predate upon other pests such as wireworms,
caterpillars and grubs.
This species is commonly confused with another species, the Euborellia Earwig (various sub-species) which has recently been discovered to be a primarily carnivorous, predatory species of earwig that forms mating pairs, caring for young and defending territory together! #relationshipgoals
As for managing earwig populations there are a variety of crafty ways to reduce numbers if they’re taking a toll on your garden.
- Dark hidey-hole? No! It’s a trap!
An old method of trapping earwigs was to place crumpled up newspaper inside an upturned pot in the garden. The earwigs thinking it’s a safe place to hide during the day will retreat into the paper, they are then easy to pick up and remove from that area either to the bin or as a good enrichment for chickens (if you have any that is).
- Linseed oil, an earwig’s guilty pleasure.
Another option is to set traps in the form of a jar or plastic container buried in the soil until the rim is level with the soil, fill with an inch of linseed oil and wait. Results can vary night to night with some being more successful than others. An alternative technique is to poke small holes into the sides of a plastic take away container below the lid but above the inch of linseed oil you put in the container. Set the container in mulch overnight and come back in the morning to check how it went.
- Go earwig hunting
A personal favourite method of pest control (in case you hadn’t noticed) is hunting for pests by hand, this method uses a container of soapy water (1:10 soap to water) which you will knock or put the earwigs you find in (I use a pair of terrarium tweezers for this, but garden gloves also work) this will cover their airways and suffocate them. While this solution can be sprayed with a spray gun, this runs the risk of hitting beneficial insects who have similar respiratory systems. The benefit of this method is that you can be discriminatory and avoid killing beneficial earwigs unlike the other methods listed.
- Sacrificial Crops
Earwigs to tend to have preferences when it comes to what plants they nibble on, a way to avoid having them eat the ones you like is to grow tastier ones on the side. Earwigs have some plants they like more than others (use the list above as a general guide, it is best to notice what they prefer and ensure that next season you account for the ‘earwig tax’ and plant a few extra plants! Planting nasturtiums in the beds can distract earwigs from seedlings you plant amongst them, earwigs love nasturtium flowers!
- Tidy up
Earwigs don’t appreciate a tidy garden, removing discarded pots, wood, leaf litter and other debris reduces habitat areas, being sure to regularly turn over beds between plantings can also deter earwigs from establishing.
Hope this helps anyone who might have been a bit mystified by the damage they’ve been seeing since the start of autumn; I have listed my sources below as well as some extra links for you to check out if you wanted some more in-depth info.
- https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/earwigs/
- https://cesaraustralia.com/pestnotes/earwigs/european-earwig/
- (Pictures) https://grdc.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/134281/final-hr-grdc-earwigs-fact-sheet-pdf.pdf.pdf
- https://www.minibeastwildlife.com.au/resources/earwigs/
- https://www.sgaonline.org.au/earwigs/
- https://www.leafrootfruit.com.au/how-to-control-earwigs-garden/
Feature Article: Nature Breaks Near the City
Fancy a break from the hustle and bustle? Take a stroll through the Serene Gresswell Forest Nature Reserve. Source: Melbourne Playgrounds.Nature breaks near the city
Article by Ella Roberts
I hope everyone is still managing their study/life balance at this pointy end of the semester! Whether you need a day off to relax or are saving up some fun activities for after the end of semester, I’ve collated a list of easy daytrips from the city you can make to get your nature fix! All of these are easily accessible by public transport and are less than an hour from the CBD. If you’re not up for a big trip out to Victoria’s more well-known destinations, these are perfect for a short visit but still have plenty of fascinating plants to check out!
Gresswell Forest Nature Reserve
This reserve is north-east of the city and covers remnant woodland that is now protected and as accurately as possible represents what the vegetation and ecology would have looked like in this area pre-colonisation. Look out for the large eucalypts that dominate the area, such as Eucalyptus camaldulensis (River Red-gum), E. melliodora (Yellow Box) and E. ovata (Swamp Gum), as well as smaller plants like the purple Anthropodium strictum flowers and many different varieties of Acacia. Walking paths meander throughout the 70+ hectare area and connect to the Nangak tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary about 2.5km to the south-west, which is associated with La Trobe University.
Blackburn Lake Sanctuary
Directly east of the city along the Belgrave or Lilydale lines, this is also an area of remnant bushland and is home to many birds and mammals, such as pacific black ducks and sugar gliders. A range of both woodland and wetland areas can be explored here, so see if you can spot the variety in plants across the park. Depending on what’s in season when you visit, many colourful native flowers can be spotted if you look closely!
Altona Coastal Park
South-west of Melbourne, this park is situated on intertidal salt marshes with very different vegetation to what you can find elsewhere around the city. Plants in this area have to deal with changing water levels and very high salinity from the proximity to the ocean. Because of this, you’ll find Avicennia marina (Grey mangrove) and the strangely segmented Chenopod shrubs such as some Tecticornia species. Watch out for muddy patches if you get close to the water in this area!
Jawbone Conservation Reserve
Just around the corner from Altona, is the Jawbone Conservation Reserve in Williamstown. This can be accessed via the same Weribee trainline, or via a ferry from Southbank if you want the scenic option. Like Altona, there are some saltmarsh areas, but wetland lakes, grasslands and easily accessible beachfront mean there is a lot of diversity. This is also a popular spot for birdwatching, so bring your binoculars to stop by some of the bird hides as well.
Cheltenham Park Flora and Fauna Reserve
This Park to the south-east of the city is carefully managed by Bayside City Council, who have been supporting native plants and wildlife in the area. They periodically conduct controlled burns in the area, especially to get rid of Leptospermum laevigatum (coastal tea-tree) which can quickly run rampant and disrupt the ecological balance. This is worth checking out to see the differences before and after fire. If you look closely, you might be able to find some native orchids here too.
Darebin Parklands
North-east of the city along the Hurstbridge line is a 33-hectare conservation area of riparian woodlands, wetlands and grasslands. This is a popular park for picnics or walking the dog and features many large trees, mostly native but also some historical exotic species planted when the park was first established. This is a good spot to have a go at identifying grassland species or get up close to the river to learn your aquatic plants.
The Grange Reserve
Out at Clayton along the Cranbourne or Pakenham lines, this reserve is an important conservation area covering 6.6 hectares and is home to more than 200 unique plants species, including many that are locally rare. This location is primarily classed as heathland, but this varies depending on where you are in the reserve. This is a perfect spot to work on your plant ID skills or just wander around and marvel at the variety of plants that can be seen.
This is just a taster of a few of the places you can explore! There are many little pockets of greenery around Melbourne worth checking out, so keep your eyes peeled when travelling around. Many of you are already familiar with some others such as Newport Lakes and Westgate Park through our group field trip events. If you’d like more information on any of these places, you can often find species lists or specific location information online. Otherwise, don’t hesitate to reach out to us, as there is always someone in the community familiar with whichever area you’re interested in.
Good luck for the last weeks of semester, and I hope some inspiration for your next trip gives you the motivation to power through!
Feature Article: Sustainability
Sustainability – Habits and Tips for the Conscious Consumer.
Written by: Alexandra (Alex) Bowron
Something that I wanted to touch on recently is how I try and be sustainable in my day-to-day life, as someone who grew up during the tight water restrictions of the ‘Millenium drought’ and being aware of my individual impact on shared resources was made a habit during that time. This mentality no longer applies to just water but to other areas of shared social responsibility such as supporting our local industries, reducing resource usage and respecting and caring for communal spaces.
While many think that our role as singular individuals is insignificant, I think that really undersells the influence that one individual can have on those around them. One person can share their perspective with five other people who then go on to share them with five more and before you know it there’s hundreds of people carrying this perspective with them.
So, this is me, the singular individual, and I’m sharing my perspective with you all.
This article will go through the various ways in which I have actioned sustainable ideas in my life. Yes, they take effort, time and some of these choices cost more than others, but it’s something that aligns with my values, and I hope, with yours too.
I do want to note, all these practices are dependent on your personal circumstances, and I understand if some of the things are not accessible for you right now. It’s not your fault; we are all victims of a society that has moved away from the concepts of longevity and repairability and is reliant on convenience, profits and hyper-consumption to the detriment of the planet and ourselves.
As a warning, this might be a topic I am passionate about, so feel free to stick to the dot points rather than read through my ramblings.
- Avoid and reduce online shopping.
Opt for click and collect or buy in-store when you can.
- Apply the ‘I want’ holding period before you buy something non-essential.
This is something I’ve come up with for myself to curb impulsive spending. We’re constantly targeted by ads that are getting more and more personalised all of which are aiming to get you to buy something that you probably don’t need.
So, when I see something that makes my brain go ‘I want!’ I look at it and then walk away/put it back/exit the webpage.
I then tell myself:
It’s full price: I’ll buy it on sale, if there’s a good deal. If it runs out then it wasn’t meant to be.
If it’s a store that doesn’t do sales or it’s a core item, I’ll tell myself, well if I’m investing in something like that I better check that there’s nothing else out there that’s better.
Go home, do some research, especially for big purchases like electronics.
If it’s already on sale, I ask myself, do I have something that already fulfils this purpose?
Giving yourself space and time before making a purchase helps your more rational mind take over, impulse spending can give you a nice quick hit of dopamine, but it’s only a moment in time, not something that will last.
By purchasing items that are thoughtfully considered you’ll come to find that they fit into your life better than items that were bought on impulse and will continue to ‘spark joy’ for years to come.
- Try before you buy, avoid returning unnecessarily.
TIP: When you try on clothes in-store intending to buy online, try a few different things in different sizes (even if it’s not exactly what you were after, try something that’s in a similar style and fit), find your size for various basics in that brand (tops, jackets, pants, dresses) and note it down for future purchases.
I also do this when I am wanting to buy second hand items of a brand I like!
These practices can reduce the carbon footprint of the clothes you buy, reducing transport costs and fuel usage.
- Look out for faulty sections, learn how to repair basics (Buttons and side-seams are a good start) and how to remove stains.
Does what you’re buying have to be perfect? Can you ask for a discount for slight blemishes or marks?
- Stick to clothes that suit your lifestyle.
Don’t have somewhere to hang-dry, everything goes in the dryer? Can’t see yourself handwashing a nice cashmere jumper? Then it might be best to skip the delicate beaded, silk or wool items for now.
- Consider investing in quality, longevity and repairability for long-term purchases.
Keep Cup Australia offers replacement parts for their cups which extends the lifespan of their products.
I’ve proudly been rocking my thermal Keep Cup daily without any replacement parts for over 3 years and it still looks, and functions, like new (even with me dropping it a few times, oops). Plus, it keeps my drinks hot for over 6 hours, if I forget to drink them, that is. They usually don’t last that long!
Second hand leather items might need to have a bit of elbow grease to make them shine, but they really do last generations if you care for them properly.
Something too expensive to purchase new? Try looking for it second hand on Depop or Facebook Marketplace (would recommend using PayPal G&S or cash on pick-up for peace of mind).
- Invest in long-term care.
If you want your leather boots, skirts, pants, jackets, hats, etc, to last you will need the following: leather cleaner, a soft brush, find or buy an old soft cloth, leather conditioner and water proofing balm. Give them a good clean and polish at least once a year, and avoid getting leather items drenched, and if they do get wet DO NOT USE HEAT! Pat firmly with a towel to get excess moisture off and dry laying down on a clothing airer or similar.
If you have wool jumpers or other garments invest in wool wash and a fabric shaver (This is for removing the balls that form from friction), also wash your knitwear before you start wearing it, it reduces balling.
If you wear bras or other lingerie, tis time to invest in laundry bags, they are also good for washing no-show socketts (prevents the washing machine from eating them) and delicate fabrics.
- Shop local, support small Aussie owned businesses.
Ask if they’ll price match the same item at a big brand store (make sure it’s not a marketplace but being sold by the company itself).
- Avoid buying or using products and services from companies with shady sustainability or ethics practices.
I’m looking at you, Nestle, Palmolive, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Shien, Temu, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, UniSuper, etc.
For more information on select companies check out https://ethical.org.au which aims to assist you in making informed purchases.
To see if your bank or super fund is still funding fossil fuel expansion check out https://www.marketforces.org.au/info/compare-bank-table/ for banking https://www.marketforces.org.au/campaigns/super/climatewreckersindex/ for super.
- Buy essentials in bulk if you can.
This saves on transport and packaging emissions and is often cheaper than buying smaller portions. No I don’t mean go buy a Costco membership, but if you look online you can find some wholesale stockists for different brands.
- Opt for public transport or walking when you can.
Do you really need to call an Uber if you missed the tram? Can you contact the person you’re meeting to let them know you’ll be late? Remember disruptions cause chaos all over the transport network. If there’s a delay you probably aren’t the only one booking an Uber…
- This applies to delivery apps as well, is there a local restaurant within a 10-minute walk? Is there a restaurant that has its own delivery team?
Ubereats, Menulog and other delivery companies take a large commission (up to 35%) from businesses for their services. Many small businesses already operate with small profit margins but need to be on these apps to remain viable in a competitive online focused industry.
- Use a reuseable cup, straw or container. Ask if your local takeaway will serve your food in that container.
If you get sushi often, invest in a little container for your soy sauce to avoid using the plastic soy sauce fish. You can often bring your own container for dry goods or meat to most markets.
- Wash and reuse takeaway containers.
If they’re not food worthy, then they can be good for seedlings or storing small things like rubber bands or hair ties.
- Avoid unnecessary plastic packaging, reuse what you can and dispose the rest responsibly.
- Shop seasonally, support local growers and suppliers.
Check when what you’re buying is in season in Australia, if you see it for sale out of season, chances are it’s imported, seasonal produce is often cheaper too.
All products should have the country of origin either on the item or on the signage, fresh produce is required by law to have the country of origin displayed. If you see something without this info, ask the seller where it’s from. Be careful as some items can have the wrong product of origin on the sale signage as supply changes. If you notice that the item might be stickered differently or is out of season in Australia, check where it’s from and if it is different, kindly ask that they correct it as it’s often accidently overlooked.
Shopping at the markets can be a good way to snag a bargain on fresh produce, even if it doesn’t look it’s best, either at the end of the day before a day off or in markdown sections (if they have them).
Here are some safe items to get from these areas if you’re unsure:
Root veggies: Unless they’re really limp or squishy, they are just as good as the more visually appealing variety. Radishes are often put in the markdown section when the leaves start to go yellow or rot, just cut off the leaves and stems and the roots are fine to eat.
Citrus: It takes a long time for citrus to go bad, if it’s in season and marked down, chances are it’s a bit soft or has some marks.
Spring Onions: If the ends are bit manky but the stem is firm, they’re perfectly usable, just chop off the ends and use the rest.
- Utilise food scraps.
Keep your herb stems for stock or soups. Freeze your veggie peels and offcuts for stock. Peel off citrus rinds and freeze for adding to poached fruit, jams or sauces. Freeze the bones, excess fat and skin from your store bought (or made) charcoal or roast chicken for stock or chicken soup, this can also be done with meat off cuts like excess fat, tendons or sinew. If you collect enough fat you can render it down in a pan for adding extra flavour to soups, stews, risotto or other similar dishes. Bonus! The crispy skin that’s left over is the cook’s treat :)
- Freeze leftovers before they get too old.
Keep an eye on the dates of things you buy, freeze what you can before they reach their best-before or use-by. If they’re opened be sure to freeze them asap or before the timeframe outlined on the product.
Rice is a big risk when it comes to food poisoning, consume or freeze cooked rice within three days!
If you’re freezing leftovers, think about how you will reheat them and package appropriately. If you live or eat solo, break up leftovers into individual portions.
If I buy takeaway like curry, I will often order extra to eat during the week or freeze.
Also, some dumpling restaurants will sell you their dumplings uncooked to take home and cook yourself, I buy extra and keep them in the freezer for dinner.
- Freeze ingredients for longevity.
If you find that somethings go mouldy, off or pests get to them before you can finish off what’s left you might be able to freeze them!
Ginger, garlic and onions freeze well, if you can find the time to prep a large batch of these in measured portions it can also save you time when cooking.
Carrots, celery, broccoli, potatoes, pumpkin and other firm vegetables do well frozen and can be diced and kept in the freezer for when you need them.
Lemons and limes can get expensive outside of their season; I like to buy them in bulk towards the end of the season and put aside a Saturday or Sunday to process them. I peel off the zest and then juice them, putting the zest in a container and the juice in ice moulds which I then decant into a freezer bag. This usually lasts me till they’re back in season again.
You can also keep dry goods like flour in the freezer which is good if you’re dealing with pantry moths. Yeast can also go in the freezer to extend its lifespan (yes, it’s finite, be sure to check if your yeast is active before use if it’s been a long-term resident of your fridge).
Bread keeps well in the freezer; you can use a butter knife to slip in between the slices and twist it to separate. Just be sure not to squish a whole loaf in there as it will compact together and it can be difficult to separate.
If there’s something you want to put in the freezer but don’t know if it’s a good idea then it’s best to google it, though my tip is avoiding wet ingredients like cucumbers or ‘soft’ herbs like basil and thyme.
- Date your food!
Not just the frozen stuff but items that go in your fridge! I use a whiteboard marker on my plastic and glass containers, or a permanent marker directly on lids or containers that go in the bin/recycling.
In the fridge you should put the day and month, for frozen items put the month and the year, remember frozen food is not immortal and will still go bad, loose flavour, texture or get freezer burn.
- Ensure you are recycling properly, look up the guidelines for your local council and don’t assume they’re all the same.
Some councils have specific instructions when it comes to lids and if you need to rinse out containers before putting them in the recycling bin (it can help reduce odour, so I’d recommend doing so).
Soft plastics can’t be recycled, there are some select stores you can drop off soft plastics at for recycling https://www.colesgroup.com.au/FormBuilder/_Resource/_module/ir5sKeTxxEOndzdh00hWJw/file/Soft-Plastics-Q-and-A.pdf
Blister packets from medications can be recycled at select pharmacies, ask you local pharmacy if they collect empty blister packs for recycling. If they don’t ask if they’ll consider doing so!
Mecca, Sephora and David Jones all offer in-store recycling drop-off points for your makeup, hair and skin care packaging, it just needs to be mostly or completely empty. Check individual websites for a more detailed list of accepted items.
This old shirt is nearly ready to have the collar removed, but it’s still a shirt!- Wear clothes until they don’t clothe anymore.
I use mine and my dad’s old tee shirts as pjs till they literally fall apart, then they become hair towels or rags (cotton tees are super absorbent).
- Make a habit of bringing reusable shopping bags with you EVERYWHERE.
Get a cute, compact foldable one, bring it with you wherever you go and be surprised with how useful it is. See something put out for hard rubbish you want to take home? Put on too many layers? Go to an event where there’s leftovers? Pop into a bookstore on your way home to ‘kill time’ and now you have an armful of books (oops)?
All good when you have your reusable bag!
- If you have a garden, save water from rinsing fruit and veggies or even steamer water (avoid pasta water as that’s salted, unless you dilute it down with more water).
The next points are around social responsibility and respecting shared spaces and amenities. These are important factors that influence how you value the world around you, how you respect it and how you treat it. This is important for sustainability in our shared environments, with things and places that we don’t own as they are often spaces where sustainability is more accessible to those who might not have the facilities to compost or garden.
With this in mind I do want to cover something that I feel is lacking these days, first by saying that being kind, courteous and mindful of others costs nothing. Something that I notice is that people turn away from helping other people, I get it, I’m busy, you’re busy, each day has so many things going on that our minds spend most of our down time trying to get it together. But prosocial behaviours are essential for a society that values empathy and respect for one another and can bring benefits not just to the individuals who are assisted but those who assist others. There are links to studies below that show links between prosocial behaviours and improvement in a person’s mood, feelings of loneliness and self-worth.
So, with that in mind next time you’re out and about try:
- Offering your seat (if you are able-bodied) to the elderly, parents with kids or prams, pregnant individuals, people with disabilities (look out for the sunflower lanyard that signals hidden disabilities!).
- Offering assistance to those listed above if they have prams, trolleys or mobility aids when embarking or disembarking from public transport.
- Asking if someone needs help if they look lost, looking at their phones or looking at public transport timetables, often with a frown on their face.
- Stepping aside to allow people to pass by in crowded spaces.
- Holding the door for others around you.
- Picking up litter while you wait for your tram, train or bus.
- Complimenting someone for their outfit or a piece of clothing you think is pretty or cool.
- Reporting barriers to access you might notice while out and about, you can do this via Snap Send Solve (more info below). Picture someone trying to make their way in a motorised mobility aid or with a guide dog, if you don’t think that they would be able to get by easily then report it. Another one to look out for is pedestrian crossing where the buttons aren’t making noise, or the visual indicators are damaged.
For some of you these can feel like massive things to ask of you (social anxiety peeps I see you), but the fact of the matter is that you can positively impact someone’s day with a small gesture of kindness and in turn make you own day feel a bit brighter.
The following points are ways of contributing to your local community, they cost nothing except your time, in some cases you can be a power for change!
- Snap, Send, Solve!
It’s an app, you might’ve seen it signposted around campus but its not just for Melbourne University issues. This app is the gateway to your local council, state government departments and public services. Take a photo of any issue in your local area and Snap Send Solve will make sure it gets sent down the right path of getting solved.
Streetlight out? Graffiti all over your tram shelter? Abandoned trolley, lime scooter or ebike? Someone keeps parking in your driveway? Someone did themselves a mischief and ran into a signpost? Concerned about a broken branch or dying tree? Rubbish all over the ground due to an overflowing bin?
SNAP SEND SOLVE, BABY!
- Feedback in general…
On the topic of public amenities and services, feedback is just as important as reporting issues. Snap Send Solve has its own feedback process (you can even send nudges if you notice your issue hasn’t been addressed in a while), but other avenues for feedback as also important!
Feedback can be reported via the PTV app, website and in person at PTV hubs.
If you have a bad experience with PTVs app or website not informing you appropriately of impeding service changes like train disruptions or charity events disrupting buses and trams? Report it!
Do you experience delays on your morning or evening commute via PT because of traffic? Report it!
Did you ask a PTV staff member for help getting somewhere and they were super helpful? Report it!
This goes into anywhere where you’ve had an awful or fantastic experience using PT or other public amenities, things cannot improve if they are not told of what’s working and what’s not. This is important when it comes to our public transit systems as the better they are, the more they’re used and the less people are reliant on cars to get around. If you always experience delays when travelling via PT how likely is it that you’ll use it in future?
Besides, feedback can trickle down into big changes, but if no one provides feedback then how can things improve and move beyond what is expected?
As a personal example I put through feedback to the City of Melbourne regarding my route home in the evening and the delays that can add an extra hour to my trip home due to car congestion blocking my bus route and requested a review of the prioritisation of Buses in the CBD over cars. I was informed that because the City of Melbourne and PTV had not received any other complaints from commuters that they didn’t think it was that much of an issue. But I’ve had plenty of discussions with fellow commuters who said that it was frustrating and that they thought more could be done to assist bus routes in the city. But because none of them went further with their thoughts, all that complaining amounted to nothing… In short, complaining is fine, but make sure to make it official too!
- Have your Say.
Local councils have regular postings for feedback from residents, workers or students on a multitude of topics, often named ‘Have Your Say’, here’s my local council’s page as an example: https://haveyoursay.portphillip.vic.gov.au The City of Melbourne are a bit different, their page is called Participate Melbourne: https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au
Young voices are often missed in both respondents online as well as in person panels, town hall meetings and public roundtables. Your voices are valuable! If you have the time, on your commute to university or work, take 10 minutes to fill out a survey that interests you, they might also ask if you would like to be a part of future council surveys or even focus groups. I was given the opportunity to be a part of my local council’s deliberative community panel (with a decent financial incentive, which was a bonus) which informed the council’s budget and 10-year plan for our area. I was one of three residents under the age of 25 out of the target representative sample of four, meaning that we were the only available young people out of a total of 440 interested respondents, leaving us underrepresented.
Participating in local democracy is an important way to ensure that you feel like you belong in your community.
- Market research.
In a way if you have some spare time, market research participation can be a good side hustle, though eligibility can be patchy you can find yourself involved in some very cool studies and focus groups.
As an example, I have been involved with assisting Metro in testing their design of Town Hall station and it’s links to Flinders Street, it was done through VR so very cool.
Another cool study I was involved with was with Yarra Trams where they were tracking my eye-movement to see how I navigated visually at platforms and while on the tram, this helped inform them of what information I used to know where I was, where I needed to go and when I needed to get off.
There is also the occasional study around consumer preferences for different markets, interviews on political alignment and the occasional feedback on public services and how I navigate them. They all had some form of financial incentive either a bank transfer or an e-gift card (for larger sums this is normal to avoid having to declare it as income to the ATO).
If you’re still here, thanks for sticking it out with me to the end of my, by no means exhaustive list, of ways you can be a little bit more sustainable in a world that really doesn’t seem to want you to be.
Studies:
Schacter, H. L., & Margolin, G. (2019). When it feels good to give: Depressive symptoms, daily prosocial behavior, and adolescent mood. Emotion, 19(5), 923.
Van Kleef, G. A., & Lelieveld, G. J. (2022). Moving the self and others to do good: The emotional underpinnings of prosocial behavior. Current opinion in psychology, 44, 80-88.
Insect Spotlight: Black Soldier fly
Super-flies! The next waste management innovation sensation?!
Article by Alexandra (Alex) Bowron
Meet the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens), related to commonly known pesky critters such as the common housefly and mosquitos. However, they’re certainly the white sheep of the family, adult BSF have no digestive organs, no mouthparts nor any stingers as they feed when young and so have no risk of disease transmission or stinging humans as adults [3]and even though they’re not native to Australia, they’re not considered invasive.
BSF young are some of the most efficient composting helpers, one BSF larva can consume twice it’s body mass per day [2] and can even remove some toxic matter from compost while doing so [3]!
Because of their composting powers BSF have the chance to become a revolutionary way for us to manage large amounts of organic waste in a more environmentally friendly manner. While regular composting methods are still effective, they do take a long time and during the process release lots of methane and other gasses into the atmosphere. What BSF offer is a quicker process of breaking down organic matter which releases less gasses than conventional anerobic composting, and unlike vermicomposting (composting with worms), BSF composting requires less maintenance and monitoring, doesn’t risk the chance of gnat and fruit fly infestations or disease transmission and doesn’t require pre-composted matter [3]. BSF have been used to make animal feeds and supplements that are high in proteins and fats as well as biodiesel and biodegradable plastic, there has also been research into the BSF antimicrobial properties for antibiotic resistant bacteria [3]!
So how do we identify these super soldiers? Well during the warmer months you might notice them hovering around the garden, their shiny iridescent wings might be the first thing to stand out beside their large stature.
If you check in your compost, you might find BSF larvae, large segmented white-grey bodies, or their pupa who are a bit darker with fine little hairs on the sides of their bodies.
So, if you ever see a large, black, waspish flies hovering around your garden, it’s certainly a good sign for your composting future.
Special Feature: Local Bushfoods
Local Bushfoods
Article by Ella Roberts
If you’re keen to learn more about local Australian bushtucker, there are plenty of places you can learn about them, take tours or sample them for yourself. However, if you’re out and about sometime and just want to know what you can take a nibble of, this list is for you!
Disclaimer first! Technically foraging is illegal without a permit unless you’re taking from veggie gardens or private properties where you have permission. This means you should be careful not to disturb the plants or ecosystem. Just take a little nibble and then maybe you’ll get some ideas of what to plant in your veggie patch at home, or what indigenous cuisine you might be keen to try. Also be careful the plants you take from haven’t been sprayed with fertilisers or weed killers. Finally, don’t eat anything unless you’re certain you know what it is!
Warrigal greens (Tetragonia tetragoniodes)
These leaves are very similar to spinach and can be cooked in the same way or even eaten raw (cooking is recommended for large quantities as they are high oxalates).
Native river mint (Mentha australis)
This is an Australian native mint similar to the supermarket varieties we’re used to and would be a great addition to your veggie bed. As a warning, it is a mint, so it can spread easily and is difficult to remove once established, keep it in a pot if you want to keep it contained.
Pigface (Carpobrotus rossii)
This is often seen as a ground cover or found in coastal areas. The salty, fleshy leaves can be eaten by sucking out the pulp, or it can be used to make jam or pickles.
Lilly Pilly (Syzygium spp.)
These berry-sized fruits range in colour and have a sweet and tart flavour. They can be eaten straight off the tree, baked into desserts, or made into jam. Some have a better taste or texture than others, best way to find out is trial and error!
Saltbush (Atriplex spp.)
This shrub has salty leaves that can be eaten from the bush or cooked any way you like. They can be especially good for seasoning meat or fish. Similar to Warrigal greens, the leaves of saltbush are high in oxalates so are best cooked when consumed in large quantities).
Sheoak (Allocasuarina spp.)
Only the green branchlets from these trees is edible. They can be chewed or soaked in water to create a refreshing and slightly acidic drink.
Spiny-headed Mat-rush (Lomandra longifolia)
The white leaf bases are what you want from this plant. Although they can be fibrous and stringy, the crunchy texture and fresh taste make it a good snack.
Pepperberry (Tasmannia lanceolata)
Both the leaves and berries from this plant can be used for seasoning dishes, and as the name suggests, have a peppery flavour.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
The only non-native on my list, if you haven’t tried these before you definitely should. All parts of the plant are edible, from the flowers to the leaves to the roots. If you want to give them a try check out our article in Edition 39: How to eat weeds!
Do you have any favourite bush food snacks? Let us know!
2024
Plant Spotlight: Golden Wattle
The Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha)!
Article by Sabine Barnett
Welcome to plant spotlight! The column that brings you a weekly, accessible run-down on a plant family, genus, or species.
For our inaugural issue we’ll be talking about an Australian plant so iconic that it’s our national floral emblem: The Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha)!
Source: https://bwvp.ecolinc.vic.edu.au/fieldguide/flora/golden-wattle#detailsHere are some fast facts!
Where to find it:
– This species can be found in a variety of dry habitats across the Southern coast of Australia, from as far north as the Central Coast of NSW, as far south as Hobart, and as far west as Perth (AVH, 2024).
– It’s usually found under eucalypts as an understorey tree but can also be found as a shrub in open woodlands. Talk about versatility! (In fact the diversity is such that there are three different subspecies!) (IPNI, 2024).
How to spot it:
– Look for a slender-trunked large shrub or small tree 4-8m high with grey-brown furrowed bark on the trunk and light green young branches (Costermans, 1994).
– This species has juvenile leaves that are bipinnate and feathery, and adult structures (called phyllodes), are formed from an expanded leaf stem rather than having the structures of a typical leaf, and are up to 20cm long (APS NSW, 2024).
– In July and August check for groups of showy, yellow ‘flower heads’ that are actually clusters of individual tiny flowers in a ball-like shape. There can be up to 25 heads in a group, and up to 80 tiny flowers per head! (eFlora SA, 2007).
– Fruits are long dark brown legumes (like a bean!) 12cm long and 1cm wide. (ANH, 2012).
Fun facts:
– The bark of A. pycnantha is said to have been used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery, the sap was used as a sweet chewing gum like substance by Indigenous peoples, and the leaves as a dye! (University of South Australia, 2024).
– The roots of this species, as a member of the family Fabaceae (the peas) can form symbiotic relationships with Rhizobium bacteria that live in nodules on the plants roots and fix nitrogen for them, with the plant giving the bacteria carbohydrates in return (ANH, 2012).
Plant Spotlight: Mountain Ash
Eucalyptus regnans (Mountain Ash)
Article by Sabine Barnett
It’s time for your weekly plant spotlight, and this week we have a giant… Eucalyptus regnans – aka the Mountain Ash!
Eucalyptus regnans trunk | Source: VicFlora, 2018These iconic trees are not only incredibly ecologically and economically important, but they are also the tallest flowering plant in the world!
Where to find it:
Mountain Ash trees are exclusively found in wet sclerophyll forests (ie rainy areas with dense eucalypts) in Victoria and Tasmania.
The Dandenongs, Otways and Strezlecki ranges in Victoria are great places to see this majestic tree.
How to spot it:
Mountain Ash specimens are usually very tall trees (up to 100m tall!) with rough dark bark on the bottom on the trunk and smooth pale bark above that (Euclid, 2020).
Juvenile leaves are opposite with petioles (stalks) and adult leaves are alternate falcate (sickle shaped) leaves 9-23cm long (Euclid, 2020).
Flowers are white with many stamens and usually in two groups where the leaf joins the stem (axil), each group has 9-15 flowers that become woody capsules with three valves in the centre (VicFlora, 2023).
These trees usually flower from March-May (Euclid, 2020).
Fun facts:
Leadbeater’s Possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) in E.regnans foliage | Source: The Guardian, 2024Mountain Ash forests provide critical habitat for many endangered and threatened native mammals such as the Leadbeater’s possum (Wilderness Australia, 2024).
The tallest Mountain Ash tree, Centurion, is over 100m tall and can be found in Tasmania (ABC Radio, 2018).
Mountain ash forests have some of the highest carbon sequestration rates in the world! They have around 1867 tonnes of Co2 stored per hectare (higher than the Amazon!) (Victoria Government, 2019).
The Mountain Ash trees in the Victorian Central Highlands play a critical role in filtering Melbourne’s drinking water! (Wilderness Australia, 2024).
Unfortunately, these ecosystems and trees are threatened by logging in their native range (Moore, G., 2018).
Feature Article: How Plants Can Help Our Brains
How Plants Can Help Our Brains
Article by Alex Wood
With a title like this, there’s a million topics I could cover. Medicine derived from plant compounds, the impact of plants on air/water quality, the impact of the colour of plants on our psychology, and so on!
But recently I’ve been thinking of the example plants give to us – how we go out to a forest, or a grassland, surround ourselves by flora and revel in their forms.
“Woah! Look at your leaves!”
“Your flowers are so cool! I wonder what pollinators visit you?”
“Look at the colours on the bark of that gum tree!”
There’s this wonder that jumps at us – we can’t help it! And I was thinking about this, sitting on the train on the commute in. Scanning the carriage with tired eyes which seemed only capable of producing judgement. Judging somebody playing a video on full volume with no earphones, judging somebody because of what they’re chatting about over the phone, judging somebody because of their hairstyle, or their clothing. It’s so fascinating how quickly we can jump to judging things around us, even the most innocuous stuff.
Luckily, I caught myself – and I was curious – what would happen if I applied those same thought patterns about plants to this world within this train? Well I tried it out! Prompting my mind to find the positive attribute which stood out about the people around me:
“Woah! Look at your awesome shoes!”
“Your handbag is so cool! I wonder where you got it from”
“Look at the colours on their jacket!”
“I wonder what they’re smiling at, the have such happy eyes!”
Soon I couldn’t help but smile myself, almost overwhelmed with how wonderful people are.
And the funny thing is, it really makes me feel so much better when I do it – as if that voice of judgement is so blunted that it can’t be applied to myself. It’s certainly one of the reasons we just feel so damn good being out in nature, it helps us practice that feeling of awe.
So if that resonates with you, give it a shot! Thinking about how plants help us think in such a wonderful way, and how some of that wonder may be transferred to our daily life. Let us know how you go too, the next time we see you.
Special Feature: Doing Research In Your Undergrad?!
Doing Research In Your Undergrad?!
Article by Alex Wood
Want to get more involved in the research community?
It is very easy for classes to feel disconnected from the innovations happening right down the corridor. Becoming involved in research groups doesn’t have to wait until after bachelors.
An easy way to do this is to find a research group that interests you and go to their lab meetings. Lab meetings are a fantastic way to meet people who are working on the things that interest you, learn about what research looks like, generally just sit back and enjoy the science, and sometimes get free cake! Just email the lab head and more often than not they’d be thrilled to have you. For plant science there is a page that lists all the lab groups (click here) – it’s a good place to start.
Additionally, research groups might have a journal club, which is essentially taking a recent research paper and delving into the nitty gritty. Critiquing, understanding, and generally discussing, and an excellent way to build up literature skills and become more aware of the current field. Vicky Waymouth, who is part of the Watt group, has a journal club every third Friday of the month. Feel free to email her If you’re interested!
Top tip: Lots of research groups are predominantly students (PhD or masters) who are usually looking for some extra help, and if you’re looking for some hands-on practical lab or field work it’s as simple as asking!
Plant Spotlight: Hardenbergia Violacea
Spotlight on… Hardenbergia violacea (Happy Wanderer/Purple Coral Pea/Native Sasparilla).
Article by Sabine Barnett
1. Hardenbergia violacea on campus growing on the side of WEBS (near System Garden)Today’s plant is one of my favourites – ‘Happy Wanderer’ or Hardenbergia violacea. This little vine is not only pretty but also has some amazing abilities. You can also find a great example of H. violacea on campus, growing up the side of WEBS (figure 1).
Let’s get into the details!
Where to find it:
- Hardenbergia violacea is quite widespread and found from Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. (VicFlora, 2024)
- It’s usually found in coastal heaths and open forests from mountainous to coastal regions, especially in regions with low nutrient soils (because it can form root nodules –but more on that later!) (Australian Native Plants Society, 2024)
2. Hardenbergia violacea flowers | Source: www.livinggreenandfeelingseedy.comHow to spot it:
- This small climbing plant had glossy, green, deeply veined leaves that are 7-10mm long at maturity. Its creeping habit is due to the branches having the ability to twist around the stems of other plants. (ANBG, 2024)
- The plant usually flowers from August to November with racemes (long bunches) of 1cm x 1cm purple flowers that are shaped like the typical ‘pea flower’ with two wing and two keel petals that are optimally shaped for pollinators to land and collect/deposit pollen. (VicFlora, 2024)
- The fruits are brown legumes (pods like beans) that are 2-5cm long and hang vertically of the plant. (Australian Native Plants Society, 2024)
3. Hardenbergia violacea growth habit | Source: Hello Hello PlantsFun facts:
- H. violacea as a member of the pea family (Fabaceae) has the ability to form root nodules with Rhizobia bacteria (like Acacia pycnantha from a couple of weeks ago) which fix atmospheric nitrogen and allow the plants to thrive in low nutrient soils. (ANBG, 2024)
- There is some evidence that H. violacea can exhibit ‘paraheliotropism’, a phenomenon where the plant can change the water pressure (turgor) of the cells at the base of the petiole (leaf stalk) as a response to sunlight, causing the leaves to turn away from the sun during the day to prevent overheating! (Bell, L., et al., 2011)
Plant Spotlight: Hop Goodenia
Spotlight On… Hop Goodenia (Goodenia ovata – Family Goodeniaceae).
Fig 1: Hop Goodenia growth habit. Source: Yarra Ranges Council, 2019Article by Sabine Barnett
Welcome back to plant spotlight! Today’s focus will be on a nondescript but widespread species that you’ll come across on the Otways field trip, Hop Goodenia.
Where to find it:
- This small shrub can be found in all mainland states, except Western Australia. However, It is particularly common in the South-East of the country (ANPS, 2024).
- It thrives in a variety of habitats but is especially prevalent in open forests as an understorey shrub (ANPS, 2024).
- Not present in Mallee or Alpine areas as it is not great at surviving drought or extreme cold (VicFlora, 2024).
Fig 2: Hop Goodenia flowers. Source: Swan Bay Environment, 2024How to spot it:
- This species can be easily mistaken for a weed, due to its scraggly growth form which can be up to 1m tall and often quite open and unruly (ANPS, 2024).
- It has glossy green leaves that are roughly egg-shaped (hence the name ‘ovata’) with serrated margins, that are usually not longer than 8cm (APS NSW, 2024).
- The plant flowers from August to February and has five petaled bright yellow blooms, which contrast starkly against the dark green foliage. The flowers are around 1cm diameter and are grouped in bundles of 3-6 in the leaf axils. (VicFlora, 2024).
- The fruit are elliptic capsules that are pale brown to whitish and usually less than 1cm long. (VicFlora, 2024).
Fun facts:
- G. ovata is commonly used in gardens and parks due to its fast growing and low maintenance nature, however it does appreciate a good prune, and this can stop it from becoming too scraggly and ‘weed-like’ (Yarra Ranges Council, 2024).
- The family Goodeniaceae is endemic to Australia and its surrounding islands, but is named after Anglican Bishop Samuel Goodenough for his role in the establishment in the Linnaean Society. (APS NSW, 2024).
- This plant is a common food source for native caterpillars, and thus can look even scragglier as it’s eaten by these larvae. (ANPS, 2024).
Special Feature: Farmgate Veg Sales
Pictured: Pat, Charlotte and Kirsty from Farmraiser.Farmgate Veg Sales
Article by Alex Wood
Here’s something I wish I knew when I first moved to Melbourne – a way to support local farms, buy cheap veggies/herbs, and feel like you’re a part of a community – farmgate sales.
It’s genuinely surprising how many urban farms there are within 20-30 minutes from the uni, and how cheap and high-quality their produce is when bought direct!
Three great options spring to mind:
- Caring Farms Co-op:
- This beautiful, small-scale mixed vegetable farm in Greensborough grows some of the finest veggies in Melbourne, and supports meaningful work for NDIS funded farmers Josh and Scott. It’s set up as a co-op, and occassionaly opens its doors to the public for workshops and farm tours.
- Buy their veggies
- Farmraiser:
- Another great not-for-profit mixed vegetable farm, Farmraiser was started in 2018 in Bellfield, on the land of Waratah Special Development School. Here, they run programs with students, have volunteer sessions, community days, tours and working bees.
- Buy their veggies (plus local bread, jams and dairy)
- Volunteer
- Joe’s Market Garden:
- A well-established farm with a 150 year history! Now managed by CERES.
- Buy their veggies: farmgate open 7-days 9am-1pm
- Website (with location)
There are others around, I’m sure, and other great local food initiatives listed on this map, which provide accessible, affordable organic produce: https://openfoodnetwork.org.au/map
Plant Spotlight: Paper Flower
Spotlight On… Thomasia petalocalyx (Paper Flower).
Article by Sabine Barnett
We’re back with another plant spotlight, and today’s plant is a little beauty! Thomasia petalocalyx, or Paper Flower, is a twiggy and unassuming shrub that despite being relatively rare and unknown, has some very interesting features.
Where to find it:
Thomasia petalocalyx is relatively rare and is found around the Swan Coastal Plain and Darling Scarp in Western Australia, Mallee regions of South-Western Victoria and South Australia between Melbourne and Adelaide and Wilson’s Promontory (Atlas of Living Australia, 2024).
It is mostly found in drier Mallee-type areas, and is the only species of the genus Thomasia to be found outside of Southern Western Australia (Western Australia Herbarium, 1998).
How to spot it:
This species is a low, dense, sprawling shrub that cangrow up to 80cm tall and 160cm wide, with some specimens even looking like ground covers! (ANBG, 1978).
This species, in the family Malvaceae, has modified sepals (calyx) that are purple and veiny and thus look like petals.
The actual petals are either reduced to tiny <1mm nubs or absent entirely (which is pretty cool!).
These flowers are small <1cm and droop or nod.
Fun facts:
The name ‘petalocalyx’ comes from the words ‘petal’ and ‘calyx’ (sepals) because the calyx resembles petals. Thomasia comes from the name of a Swiss-French botanist who was friends with Jaques Etienne Gay who first published the genus (ANBG, 1978).
This species is in the family Malvaceae that also includes plants such as the Hibiscuses, Kurrajong, and the tree cocoa is derived from (Theobroma cacao) (ANBG, 1978).
Blog Spot!
Pictured: Angelo, with his Melbourne-grown bananas!A Great Blog
- 15 Herbs You Can Grow Indoors
- Beetroot Growing Guide
- How to protect plants from frost with seaweed extract
- Mastering Pothos Care, A Comprehensive Guide To Thriving Epipremnum Aureum
- Seed raising mix – does it work?
If any of those topics catch your eye, then check out this blog by Angelo Eliades!
https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/blog/
Some of you may recognise Angelo’s name, as he is widely regarded as one of Victoria’s most well-informed gardeners. He’s got a great story, too, which he brilliantly outlines in a chapter of the book Fair Food, edited by Nick Rose.
Plant Spotlight: Drooping Sheoak
Plant Spotlight – Drooping Sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata)!
Article by Sabine Barnett
Hi Folks! Welcome to another edition of Plant Spotlight! Today we’re going to be discussing another weird and wonderful native, the Drooping Sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata)!
Where to find it:
The Drooping sheoak is found all over south-eastern Australia, from as far south as northern Tasmania, as far north as central NSW, and as far west as central coast South Australia (NAC, 2024)
It can be found growing under a range of different conditions, from coastal headlands, inland plains, rocky outcrops, and inland ranges. A true all-rounder! (VicFlora, 2024)
How to spot it:
This species is a small, upright tree around 5-10m tall. It has a rounded crown, and grey-brown furrowed bark. (AgVic, 2024)
Leaves are tiny, yellowish pointed scales and actually don’t do any photosynthesising at all! The main photosynthetic structures are the drooping branchlets that are dull green in colour. These are called cladodes. (VicFlora, 2024)
This species has separate male and female individuals, and their flowers are different colours, with male trees having showy yellow-orange tassels of flowers at the end of branches, while females have small fluffy red flowers along the length of the branch. These female flowers once pollinated develop into dark brown oval- shaped spikey seed cones 2-5cm long. (VicFlora, 2024)
Fun facts:
These trees are the primary food source for the endangered glossy black cockatoo that feed on the seeds (NAC, 2024)
These trees make great windbreaks and are often used as salinity indicators by farmers and councils. (AgVic, 2024)
Plant Spotlight: Rosy Hyacinth Orchid
Spotlight On… Dipodium roseum (Rosy Hyacinth Orchid), Family Orchidaceae
Article by Sabine Barnett
Hi folks! Welcome to another Plant Spotlight! Today’s we’ll be entering the weird and wonderful world of orchids, starting with a reasonably common and very pretty orchid, the Rosy Hyacinth Orchid (Dipodium roseum).
Where to find it:
This small orchid can be found all over eastern Australia, from as far north as south-east Queensland, as far south as Southern Tasmania, and as far west as Adelaide. In Victoria it is found as far north as Castlemaine! (Oz Native Plants, 2024).
It is usually found growing in somewhat shady, moist positions close to the base of trees (most commonly eucalypts) in open eucalypt dominated dry and wet woodlands and forests on rocky and well drained soil (Yarra Ranges Shire Council, 2024).
How to spot it:
This orchid can only be found between the months of December and April, as the above-ground part of the plant is only the flower-stalk, with the rest of the plant being present underground (VicFlora, 2024).
Look for a tall, dark and slender stalk up to 90cm tall with 15-50 stalked pink flowers with uniform to slightly striped, pink petals and sepals that are only symmetrical through the
vertical axis (zygomorphic) (VicFlora, 2024).
Fruit are green-brown-purple capsules containing fine, dust-like seeds (Oz Native Plants, 2024).
Fun facts:
This is a saprophytic orchid which means that it derives all of its energy and nutrients from decaying organic matter and a symbiotic relationship with fungi in the soil. It does not perform photosynthesis! (Yarra Ranges Shire Council, 2024)
The tubers of the plant were once eaten by Aboriginal Australians, but have to be properly processed as they can be toxic (Yarra Ranges Shire Council, 2024).
Special Feature: Sentient Fern??
A team led by Dr Jaume Pellicer (evolutionary biologist at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona, Spain) have discovered the world’s largest genome – over 50x the size of our own – belonging to a New Caledonian fork fern (Tmesipteris oblanceolata).
Contrary to the title of this article… genome size (i.e. the size of the entire set of DNA) does not correlate with how smart or complex a species is. There are correlations with some traits, but in general genome size varies greatly across species. Between plants, genome size can vary around 2,400 fold.
So what’s so cool about this discovery? Well, according to Dr Pellicer, “the evidence has once again surpassed our expectations” – plants are continuing to challenge our understanding about genetics and genomics, re-establishing the possible ceiling for genome size. It’s also remarkable to think about the discoveries still undiscovered. That plants which will bring about new medicines, or change the way we farm, or further our understanding about genetics, are growing around the world as we speak, yet discovered or studied. Incredible.
To read the full paper, published in iScience, follow this link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.109889
Special Feature: This Week I Planted Trees
This Week I planted Trees
Article by Alex Wood
Over the weekend I was a part of a group planting 1100 trees/shrubs near Yarram (southeast Gippsland) – here’s how we did it.
The event was organised by Gippsland Intrepid Landcare and Yarram Landcare, with aims to revegetate the Jack River, which had previously been so blocked up by sediment and cattail reeds (Typha spp.) it had diverted into a neighbouring creek!!
After 5 hours of planting, a BBQ lunch, and a moving speech by landowner/farmer Terry (who, while holding his granddaughter, recounted his dream to have the river act as a biodiversity corridor while reducing soil erosion for generations to come – let me tell you, not a dry eye in the house), we headed to a nighttime tour of Greater Glider habitat.
Greater Gliders are an Australian endangered arboreal marsupial. They’re super chunky, super cute, and super threatened by habitat destruction (from logging through to wildfires).
We were lucky enough to have local legend and glider enthusiast Bronwyn walk us through a hotspot she’d discovered, where we caught sight of six!!! Remarkably, Bronwyn’s maps are the only dataset for Greater Glider observations in the area. Highlighting its importance, her work had previously saved a patch of forest set to be logged after her data was entered into the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas. What a champion.
The key here is how crucial citizen science is. Never, ever underestimate the powers of your passion and observation.
Every day of the week people like Bronwyn, these Landcare groups, ‘Friends of’ groups, community gardeners, and other volunteers are saving and improving biodiversity. There’s nothing superhuman about these folk, they’re just out having fun while doing good. It truly clicked for me that I should make more of an effort to get out and join them whenever possible. I’d urge you to do the same.
Plus, you get to see and do cool shit. Like visiting this secret waterfall at the end of the weekend!
So make it a promise to yourself, get out there!
Special Feature: Guling – Orchid Season
Guling – Orchid Season
Article by Jess Lazner
If you’re anything like me, you might have felt surprisingly refreshed and uplifted last week. We were graced with a hint of warm weather, and a beautiful floral scent in the air that seems to carry the sweetness of spring. You may be thinking, “it can’t be spring yet – we’re only halfway through August!”
Of course, our concept of springtime derives from Northern Hemisphere traditions. Prior to European invasion and colonisation of Australia, Indigenous knowledge systems empirically established over tens of thousands of years held incredibly intimate understanding about the ecology of our continent.
According to traditional knowledge of the Kulin Nations, Victoria witnesses not four but seven seasons, characterised by important ecological interactions that mark seasonal changes. Guling, or orchid season, is our current season in August. It is defined by the flowering of ‘Muyan’ Silver Wattle, Acacia dealbata, and many of our native orchids such as Pterostylis greenhoods and Cyanicula caerulea blue fairy orchids. Interestingly, we’re lucky to see the stunning C. caerulea in Victoria; the remaining 11 species within the genus occur only in Western Australia.
I’m very excited about the orchid season this year. If you’re interested in observing it too, check out the fantastic “Guide to Native Orchids of Victoria” by Gary N. Backhouse, which was published just last year.
References:
Eastern Kulin Seasonal Calendar
Guide to Native Orchids of Victoria
Special Feature: Sow What When
Sow What When
Article by Alex Wood
Keen to add some gardening know-how into these newsletters, particularly as we’re fast closing in on the most productive portion of the year in the veggie patch!
I’ll begin by answering some general questions on:
What to grow/when to grow it?
Luckily, people have been asking this question in the context of Melbourne for a very long time, and some great resources exist.
The one I use most commonly is from Local Food Connect: www.localfoodconnect.org.au/community-gardening/planting-guide
And if you’re into printing charts, this one from Seed Freaks is also terrific: www.seedfreaks.com.au/when-to-sow-sowing-guides
I emphasise that these are guides only. They’ll give you success, and are important to pay attention to if you’re just getting into gardening (especially because Bunnings commonly sells things out of season…), but people successfully grow these vegetables outside of what these guides prescribe. The year’s climate, your specific conditions, your soil health, whether you’re able to raise seeds in a greenhouse/indoors, will all influence how much you can flex these guidelines.
Should I grow from seed or seedling?
Depends on what you’re growing! In general, anything you eat the below-ground component of (carrots, beetroot, radish, etc.) should be direct sown (onions are a bit of an exception to this). These are plants you often want in higher densities (and therefore spreading some seed around is more efficient/cost effective), and they often suffer if transplanted as a seedling (carrots go all wonky as you’ve changed the direction of their roots!) Therefore it’s best to plant seed straight into your garden!
Growing from seed can also be used to create your own seedlings – one benefit of this is the control you have over the seedling’s growing conditions, and you’re ability to extend their growing season. This is beneficial for just about anything that must avoid frost (think tomatoes, eggplants,capsicum). Sow them in trays indoors or in a greenhouse, and plant them out after the risk of frost has passed.
Growing seedlings can also give you some crop-specific benefits at planting. Leeks are a great example of this! When transferring leeks into the garden, plant them slightly deeper than it would’ve grown if direct sown. This additional soil depth will give your leeks more of that often-desired white growth. You can continue to slightly mound soil around the base of your leeks as they grow the maximise this result.
Of course, you can reap most of the benefits of seedlings without growing your own, from simply buying them at a nursery. Bunnings is the obvious choice, but I’d highly recommend visiting your local nursery instead (CERES, Bulleen Art & Garden, Poyntons, etc.) The seedlings are similarly priced, and come with advice from people who’ve grown those veg for years. Advice like that is of course available in some cases at Bunnings, but it’s hit or miss! And they do sell seedlings out of season, tricking the inexperienced and setting them up for failure from the get-go.
I’d also recommend buying seedlings on the smaller size. Arguably the hardest part of plant growth is seed germination, and once this occurs you’re more-or-less off to the races. If you buy massive seedlings, you’re essentially paying for the service of an advanced harvest. Not a larger harvest, not a better harvest, just a faster harvest. If that’s what you’re after, then great! But don’t feel you need to spend $6 on one more-established broccoli seedling to see success. The smaller ones are more than fine, and much more cost effective.
If you’re buying seed, Seed Freaks have the best quality Australian/temperate climate seed I know of – you have to get them shipped to you, but it’s worth it!
Otherwise CERES is brilliant, and Bulleen Art & Garden have the most extensive range.
In terms of which variety to buy – well, I’ll dedicate more time to this in future, but for now just know it’s all up to personal preference. Generally, heirloom varieties can be more susceptible to pests/pathogens, but often have the most variety in flavours/textures/sizes. There’s no ‘incorrect’ variety, the most important thing is knowing how it will grow (indeterminate vs determinate, for example), and if it’ll give you what you want (big beafsteak tomatoes, or lots of small snacking tomatoes, for example).
What about from cuttings?
The most underrated option!! Of course, most crops just can’t be grown from cuttings (i.e. carrots, lettuce, corn, the list goes on…), but many valuable plants can, and it’s a great way to affordably build up an incredible diversity of plants.
Sweet potatoes, tomatoes, rue, basil, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf, parsley, and more can all be propagated from cuttings. In my eyes, this is one of the true values of community gardens – they’re a bank of great herbs you can take cuttings from!
Of course, many ornamental plants can also grow from cuttings, including indoor plants.
The most important thing to know is how much of the plant to cut, what to cut, and when to cut it – this can is plant specific, so do a quick Google search before giving it a go. Once you have your cutting, place the cut end in water until you see good root growth (the more the merrier, in a way), before planting out into soil and keeping particularly well watered to begin with.
In conclusion…
Everyone is guilty of impulse buying veggie seedlings – but as the old catchcry goes, “GIVE PEAS A CHANCE” (to grow from seed). Pre-bought seedlings absolutely do the trick, but don’t underrate your ability to grow from seed! There’s a lot of fun to be found in doing so, and it’s a fair bit cheaper.
Plant Spotlight: Marchantia polymorpha
Plantae’s Next Top Model: Marchantia polymorpha
Article by Jess Lazner
Micrograph by Jessica Lazner, Marchantia polymorpha glitterscape 2024
In situ photograph by H. Casselmann, Thallus of liverworts, Wikimedia Commons 2011
Line illustration by E. Strasburger – Strasburger: Lehrbuch der Botanik für Hochschulen. G.Fischer, Jena 1900
If you have taken any botany classes, you may be familiar with the mascot of experimental plant science, the ‘thale cress’ Arabidopsis thaliana. You may also have heard of maize, petunia, and tobacco in the context of plant genetics. But did you know there are dozens of other plants used as ‘model’ systems in botany?
One that I have become quite familiar with lately is the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. This species is incredibly unassuming, and I would wager that just like the many mosses underfoot, you will have often encountered this model without realising it. M. polymorpha is a bryophyte which represents an early divergence in the history of land plant evolution, and is powerful for studying the genes that enabled green algae to evolve structural complexity and colonise the land.
Although this may be your first time hearing about Marchantia, it has a rich history in early plant science, with records of the genus dating back to Greek and Roman antiquity. M. polymorpha was recognised in botanical literature from the 15th century onwards, and was first used as a model organism for studying the origin of cellular structures and plant reproduction in the 19th century.
This species has a complex ‘thallus’ body structure, presenting as a smooth green, dichotomously branching form. Liverworts like this one reproduce both sexually and asexually, with the latter occurring through the development of clonal propagules called gemmae (singular: gemma) in specialised organs called gemmae cups. Gemmae begin as single epidermal cells but develop into multicellular plantlets which are dormant until they are dispersed by rain out from the parent plant. Because these plants clone themselves, they make excellent research subjects. Although it is easy to appreciate this trait in the lab, clonal reproduction does make them into somewhat of a (cute) greenhouse weed. Next time you’re at an outdoor plant nursery, look out for Marchantia spilling out of garden pots!
References:
John L. Bowman, A Brief History of Marchantia from Greece to Genomics, Plant and Cell Physiology, Volume 57, Issue 2, February 2016, Pages 210–229, https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcv044
Masaki Shimamura, Marchantia polymorpha : Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Morphology of a Model System, Plant and Cell Physiology, Volume 57, Issue (2) February 2016, Pages 230–256, https://doi.org/10.1093/pcp/pcv192
Special Feature: Digital Collections in Botany
Digital Collections in Botany
Article by Jess Lazner
Pictured: Drosera rotundifolia anatomical model, and Coeloclonium tasmanicum specimen collected in 1886, The University of Melbourne Herbarium (MELU)
On Monday night I had the pleasure of attending the seminar ‘Copies, multiples and remixing art history in the Digital Age’, presented by art historian Dr Katrina Grant. I was intrigued by this seminar topic after having spent time working on the conservation and digitisation of herbarium specimens and botanical artwork collections in the UniMelb herbarium and RBGV library.
Dr Grant discussed thought-provoking aspects of digitisation and the idea of culture as data. Although we typically celebrate things like machine-learning data management and large scale digitisation as positive forces in the sciences because it streamlines analytic practices, it is interesting to consider the implications of these tools.
Accessible digital collections such as our own herbarium database undeniably expand access to historically and scientifically important resources, but should we be concerned about curatorial biases (such as preferencing of well-known collectors or species of current interest) echoing into the digital realm? Is it possible that something important is lost when we separate these historical records from their cultural context in the process of aggregating digitised material over the internet?
Despite these concerns, it seems like replication in the digital age is increasingly valuable for its contributions to teaching and learning. Dr Grant discussed how 3D modelling has been used to produce replicas of fragile artefacts for children’s education and tactilely accessible exhibitions in museums. I couldn’t help but think of the School of BioSciences Botanical Model Collection.
The school looks after an incredible collection of ~150 antique plant anatomical models handmade in the 1800’s. The collection hasn’t been used for teaching purposes since the 1980’s due to fragility of the models, however, recent efforts have been made to reignite their educational purpose and accessibility through digital curation – namely 3D imaging and interactive modelling. Straddling an intersection of botanical science, history, and art, these plant models are the perfect example of fertile ground for fruitful outcomes of ‘remixing’ cultural history in the digital age.
If you’re interested in checking them out, several models are kept on display in the WEBS building.
Plant Spotlight: Lemnoideae
Plantae’s Next Top Model: Lemnoideae
Article by Jessica Lazner
Pool frog (Pelophylax esculentus) with surronding Lemnoideae, TuxysoMuch like Marchantia polymorpha which I introduced a couple of weeks ago, Lemna spp. otherwise known as ‘duckweeds’ are curiously unassuming small green plants.
Lemna are free-floating aquatic monocots which surprisingly belong to the family Araceae, which you might recognise for the well-known species Amorphophallus titanium (titan arum – the stinky one), and popular indoor plants from the genera Alocasia, Monstera, and Philodendron, among others. Not only that, but a closely related genus to Lemna, Wolffia, represent the smallest known flowering plants on Earth!
Lemna are characterised by a simple green thallus frond with a single root, which their Wolffia relatives lack. Although they can flower and produce seed, duckweeds participate in rapid vegetative reproduction wherein two daughter plants form from each parent. They can double their mass within two days, and so become weedy when introduced to waterways.
Their rapid growth and high protein content make them an attractive organic farming crop, but also a great model for synthetic biology. L. gibba and L. minor have been used to measure water quality through the symptoms of phytotoxicity they exhibit when exposed to harmful chemicals. Molecular biologists have also used both Lemna and Wolffia to produce specific pharmaceutical proteins directly into their growing medium. Excitingly, Wolffia globosa is even being studied in the context of space travel as a resource for sustainable food production and bioregenerative life support systems. Check out this recipe for vegan Wolffia cake!
References:
Tippery, N. P., & Les, D. H. (2020). Tiny plants with enormous potential: phylogeny and evolution of duckweeds. The duckweed genomes, 19-38.
Romano, L. E., van Loon, J. J. W. A., Izzo, L. G., Iovane, M., & Aronne, G. Effects of altered gravity on growth and morphology in Wolffia globosa implications for bioregenerative life support systems and space-based agriculture, Sci. Rep. 14 (1)(2024) 1–11.
Special Feature: The Foodie City We Need to Become – Regen Melbourne
The Foodie City We Need to Become – Regen Melbourne
Article by Alex Wood
“If it isn’t resilient, nutritious, equitable and sustainable, can Melbourne really claim to be a ‘foodie’ city?”
This is the question posed by Regen Melbourne (RM), a group dedicated to creating a better version of our city (who are driving such projects as a swimmable Birrarung [Yarra River]).
So how do we get there? What does an agrifood system that works for people and plant look like?
For the in-depth answer, I can’t recommend enough Regen Melbourne’s new report, The Foodie City we need to become: Greater Melbourne’s systemic opportunity.
And as a synopsis to excite the palette, here are the 4 pathways RM suggests to get us to an agrifood system that works better for us all:
- Purpose driven purchasing – establish unified criteria for food procurement.
- Adaptive organising – collaborate across current silos to reduce the current fragmentation in funding and policy creation.
- Unlocking value – shifting from only profit, to people and planet.
- Radical visioning – create spaces where food connects us with nature and each other.
This last point really spoke to me, and goes to the heart of why SAPS is talking about food policy. A regenerative food supply begins with farms given the space, time and knowledge to grow their food using methods which maximally benefits ecology. This begins with a societal understanding that our food is intrinsically linked to nature and community. This is a challenge to remember (and emotionally connect to) in an age of convenience and a cost of living crisis.
As the report makes clear though, it doesn’t have to be this way! Change is happening, and collaboration is occuring to create a new normal in how we grow, exchange, purchase, and eat our food.
It’ll take a lot of effort to get there, but it’s exciting work that you can get involved in, or be aware of so you can articulate exactly how our food system is currently failing our planet, and so many people across Melbourne and the globe.
Special Feature: Antarctica Goes Green
Antarctica…the green continent?
Article by Alex Wood
A recent study published in Nature Geoscience has tracked the rapid acceleration of Antarctica’s greening, one of the paper’s authors calling the trend “the beginning of dramatic transformation” for the icy continent.
The amount of land that looks like that pictured remains an extremely small percentage of Antarctica’s landmass, however the alarming trend marks a shift for the continent that is sure to continue as the globe continues to warm in the following decades.
For the full paper, see: https://www.nature.com/
For a summary article: https://www.nature.
Special Feature: Visiting the Corpse Flower
Look Arum Thy Death: Visiting the Corpse Flower
Article by Jessica Lazner
On the 11th November, thousands of people flocked to the Geelong Botanic Gardens to witness the blooming of a rare and unusual flower, Amorphophallus titanum, otherwise known as the ‘Titan Arum’ or ‘Corpse Flower’. This was the first bloom for this particular plant, which is about 10 years old and was acquired by the Geelong gardens from the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Africa in 2021.
These incredible plants bloom as infrequently as once every 10 years. When not in bloom, the plant grows to store energy in the form of a tall, branched leaf with many leaflets. These single leaves look deceptively like a small green tree. As for the inflorescence itself, it consists of a tall spadix which houses many flowers at its base, a deep purple spathe, and large underground tuber attached to the inflorescence by a structure called a peduncle. A. titanum is classified as the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, with the largest tuber on record weighing 153.9kg and the tallest inflorescence at 322.5cm.
Once the flower begins to bloom, it lasts between 24-48 hours with the spathe the most open at night, when the odour released by the flower is also at its peak. While the scientific name Amorphophallus titanum pertains to its morphology, the common name ‘corpse flower’ is inspired by its smell, which serves to attract pollinating flies and carrion beetles usually attracted to the smell of rotting animals.
You can read an ABC article on the bloom here.
And more about the cultivation of A. titanum here.
The entire blooming of the Geelong specimen was live-streamed on youtube.