Summer is the typical wind-down period for Landcare and Bushcare in south-eastern Australia. With the high temperatures, allure of second helpings to Christmas and New Year feasts and the conciding of school holidays, many Bushcare and Landcare groups take a blissful break from volunteering to relax and recharge. We took the opportunity of free time – and Facebook! – to share a range of throught provoking local, national and international articles and opinion pieces over on Facebook. The full collection of our Summer Reading Series is now available below. Keep an eye out for Group Improvement autumn series over on Facebook, and cross posted on our news section here at GSLN.org.

• 9 January: ‘Momentum is growing’: reasons to be hopeful about the environment in 2019. The first summer reading article for 2019, and we’re kicking off 2019 on a positive note. Courtesy of The Guardian and Nature NSW.
• 10 January: What the economy really needs more of: trees. Next in our summer reading series: why the economic really needs more trees. Courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald and Nature NSW
• 11 January: Popes Glen restored to its former glory. Summer reading heads into the mountains to revisit this incredible Blackheath site, managed by Popes Glen Bushcare. Courtesy of the Blue Mountains Gazette.
• 12 January: 10 ideas for teaching kids about sustainable living. A special school holiday summer reading article for the younger (and young at heart!) members of our network. Courtesy of ABC News.
• 15 January: Video: Yellowmundee Firesticks Project. Summer reading turns summer viewing for a Tuesday throwback to the Yellomundee Firesticks Pilot Project. This project brought Traditional Owners together at Yellomundee Reserve in north-western Sydney, using burning of country to control weeds and restore landscape health. Check out the film over on Vimeo, via the ‘Living Knowledge Place’ channel.
• 16 January: Stories from the south – reclaiming industrial land for urban habitat creation in Melbourne. Summer reading goes south into Melbourne, as LLC Clare recalls a New Years Day visit to the Newport Lakes reserve.
• 16 January: The Darling River is simply not supposed to dry out, even in drought. Academic analysis on the current Darling River crisis, part of our summer reading series courtesy of The Conversation.
• 17 January: Collaborative bush care – The Gully gets together in Katoomba. Summer reading goes local with a Thursday #tbt to December 2018, with LLC Clare visiting Garguree Swampcare Katoomba and The Gully. Bushcare, community and a brilliant morning tea. Full article on our website below.
• 17 January: Insect collapse: ‘We are destroying our life support systems’. Summer reading goes international, looking at insect population declines and ecosystem collapse in Peru, South America, courtesy of The Guardian.
• 19 January:Life on the land with the Lama Lama rangers – a picture essay.Head to the tropical north with summer reading, and join the Lama Lama Rangers from Cape York in this photographic essay from The Guardian.
• 20 January: What happens after you take injured wildlife to the vet?Wildlife rehabilitation, rescue and what happens once you drop off a furry friend to the vet. Sunday summer reading courtesy of The Conversation.
• 23 January: Video:Healing with fire: Indigenous burning before and after the Tathra bushfire. Summer viewing heads to Tathra on the NSW far south coast. Indigenous cultural burning is both protecting and healing this landscape in the wake of the devastating 2018 fires.
• 4 February: 1.5 Million Volunteers Plant 66 Million Trees in 12 Hours, Breaking Guinness World Record. Amazing international volunteering from India!
• 5 February: Annual surveys of Australian attitudes to climate change. Ever wondered (or worried) about what the average Australian thinks about climate change? New research from CSIRO indicates Australians are recognising the science, and are changing their actions in response! Onya mate!
• 8 February: Court rules out Hunter Valley coalmine on climate change grounds. Climate change is now impacting court-decided planning decisions. Could this be the shape of things to come in the Sydney planning landscape?
• 12 February: Regenerative agriculture can make farmers stewards of the land again. Landcare is a key part of regenerative agriculture in restoring our soil, water, flora and fauna across agricultural and natural landscapes. A fascinating read courtesy of The Conversation.

The summer reading articles were chosen by our LLC Clare, from a variety of reputable, apolitical sources online including government, independent media and scientific sources. 

Written by Clare Vernon.