Environment

Flash flooding in the middle of March took the Bangalow community by surprise; while the forecast had been for minimal rain, over 115mm of rain fell between 9am and 1pm and water levels rose quickly. (Because the Bureau of Meteorology has no collection station in Bangalow, we don’t have an official measurement, but I have reliable reports of local rain…

Bees are our best friends and closest allies, says self-confessed ‘flower girl’ Laodekia, who suggests we spend more time in their company. Digby Hildreth reports.

What’s behind the heightened interest of schools and teachers to expose their students to ways of absorbing knowledge other than in the classroom? Christobel Munson noticed things are changing with scores of students – primary and secondary – learning at our local museum and park.

Two of the regular volunteers turning up at Bangalow Landcare’s weekly working bees are in their 20s – rare examples of young people giving their time for the good of the community, reports Digby Hildreth.

Despite a childhood fear of animals, Tegan Ward has found her calling as one of Byron Bay Wildlife Sanctuary’s newest Keepers, writes Georgia Fox.

The ex-cyclone had us all hunkered down in our houses for long days and nights in March. Many of us were ‘inconvenienced’ for days on end – losing power, internet connection, frozen food, and possibly experiencing some damage around the garden. But pause for a moment to consider its effect on the people who grow the food we eat, and…

The catastrophic floods of 2022 were a wake-up call for our region. While Bangalow wasn’t as severely impacted as some of our neighbouring towns, we saw firsthand how devastating the floods were for many. For many of us, it underscored a sobering truth: climate change is no longer a distant threat. It’s already here—and it’s reshaping our world in real-time….

Christobel Munson was one of six people who bought the Fowler family farm on Fowlers Lane in 1994. They transformed it from a former farm into a thriving Intentional Community Title property of 12 households. Here, she reflects on the changes.

Sally Schofield caught up with local forager Peter Hardwick and his partner Mee Hee Douglas to find out more about eating wild.

There are places within a short drive from Bangalow that you can visit to learn about local Bundjalung culture. Once you start looking, you will discover that Bundjalung is present all around us, just waiting to be noticed, admired, and respected.

Bangalow-based sculptor Ben Hellewell recently wrapped his first solo exhibition, Where Movement and Stillness Collide. Created mostly from assembled driftwood, it’s a body of work that represents the deeply personal journey Ben has been on since the course of his life changed four years ago. He’d lived in the Shire for about a year, led here on an “expansive journey”…

Snakes are active in the Byron Shire throughout the warmer months, and it’s important to be aware of what species are around and what to do if you see one, writes Angela Saurine.