november 12 - 18 | 2014
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north east
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circulating in wangaratta, myrtleford, bright, mt beauty, beechworth, yackandandah, rutherglen, chiltern and districts
Natural wonders By KYLIE WILSON
LOVE OF NATURE:
Ian Davidson has seen many changes in the environment in his long career in ecology PHOTO: Kylie Wilson
GARDENING WITH
DEBBI
RSPCA
WITH
BUDDY
FILM LET’S BE
COPS
WINE TALK WITH
ANITA
FROM his typical Australian childhood spent camping and fishing, to his current career in natural resource management, Ian Davidson is at his happiest when he is in the great outdoors. And he has a passion for engaging with members of the community to help create better and healthier ecosystems for the future. He is relaxed and at peace enjoying the fresh air at his own Wangaratta property, which is a haven for a long list of native birds and animals. “It’s nothing to get at least 30 species of bird here,” he said, loving being able to observe and enjoy the natural environment. “Every time I go out, I see something different that I’ve never seen before,” he said. Throughout his long career he has seen firsthand the effects of both droughts and flooding rains on the North East’s bushland, and he believes the realities of climate change are here to stay. “There’s no doubt that we appear to have more extremes,” he said of the region’s climate. Ian said the “enormous bushfires” of the last decade had a significant impact on many local habitats, and it’s taken a long for them to bounce back, particularly alpine species of birds like king parrots and gang gang cockatoos in lower altitude areas such as the Warby Range. Conversely, recent wet years, although benefiting much of the animal population, has also drowned a lot of the local riverside and wetland vegetation. continued page |
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