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This thing called life

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Terese Pagh eating a banana flavoured eXo Protein bar made out of cricket powder. provded by The Gateway Bug

The Gateway Bug: a documentary about the future of food

I’ve had the privilege of getting a sneak preview of a movie called The Gateway Bug, which is a documentary about feeding humanity in an uncertain age. It will be shown in Melbourne next weekend as part…
Lichen is made up of two types of fungus and an algae, that’s one more species than previously thought. wikimedia

Lichens may be a symbiosis of three organisms; a new Order of fungus named

There is big news in the world of lichens. These slow growing organisms have long been known to be a collaboration between a fungus and a photosynthetic algae or cyanobacteria. A recent publication in…
Flatworms of the genus Temnosewellia liivng on the Orbost spiny crayfish (Euastacus diversus). Andrew Murray

Spiny crayfish and their flatworm friends: an ancient partnership revealed

I am so proud of our recent publication, mostly because it has been a long time coming. We received an Australian Research Council grant in the year 2000 to work on this so it has taken us some time to…
Can you tell which of the above is the cricket, fly, beetle, bug, moth or wasp? Bugboy 52.40

Learn more about the insects and mini-beasts in your own backyard

I recently wrote about how important it is to be able to identify plants and animals. Knowing the names of species that live around us helps us to connect to nature. Yes, you can enjoy greenery and birdsong…
La Trobe University students learning how to identify plants near Falls Creek. Susan Lawler

Identification of animals and plants is an essential skill set

I have recently been made abundantly aware of the lack of field skills among biology students, even those who major in ecology. By field skills we mean the ability to identify plants and animals, to recognise…
These everlasting flowers in Victoria’s alps may not last forever. Susanna Venn

How we can help nature adapt to climate change

Last October, I attended a symposium about managing biodiversity in Victoria under climate change. One of the outcomes of that conference is a new website called VicNature 2050, which provides a list of…