‘He Could have Died’ – Dangerous Gardening in Australia

Earlier this year, on Australia Day, I wrote about how ‘dangerous,’ life can be in Australia. By employing a little common sense means nothing dreadful will happen, if you do visit our sun-drenched shores. Almost without exception, Australians live our entire lives without contact with a deadly snake, a Funnel-web Spider or a Death Adder.

So it came as a shock to find that …

Pottering in my garden might have inflicted serious injury or death.

[NB. this tale does not involve use of a power hedge trimmer, or chain saw].

Enter Australia’s Stinging Nettle Tree, or Gympie-Gympie.

Called the Gympie-Gympie, by the Gubbi Gubbi First Nation People, it is also known as the Suicide plant. For good reason –

Two species of the Australian Stinging trees– the Gympie-Gympie (Dendrocnide moroides) and the Giant Stinging Tree (Dendrocnide excelsa) are considered the most venomous plants in the world.

Unlike its European or North American Nettle counterparts, the Australian species are ‘particularly notorious for producing an excruciatingly painful sting.’ Covered in fine hairs like hypodermic needles, Dendrocnide species inject their toxins into skin, at the slightest touch or by brushing up against the leaves.

“Severe cases can lead to shock, and even death.

Horses have been known to die within hours of contact with this plant and one man was purported to have shot himself to end the excruciating pain. He’d inadvertently used the Gympie-Gympie leaf as toilet paper when camping in the forest.

Even inhaling the hairs of a dead 100 year old herbarium specimen caused sneezing, rashes, and nosebleeds and pain! This plant really is dangerous!

Entomologist and ecologist Marina Hurley who has been stung herself, likens the Gympie-gympie’s sting to “being burnt with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time.” What’s more, the pain can last TWO YEARS!

And…..

Yesterday I discovered one growing in my Garden!

GASP!

Nature’s instrument of torture popped up along my garden fence, germinating shortly after Christmas, waiting to exact revenge on any life form that brushed passed!

That’s my dog’s furry ear is in the bottom right of the photo. How easy it would be to brush up against it while weeding! Being chemical stable, the toxins contained in the hairs are so minute, extracting them is difficult.

Needless to say, the M.o.t.h gowned and gloved up and disposed of the plant promptly. I am relieved the dreadful thing is bagged and safely disposed of.

Researchers are hoping to put this dangerous plant to beneficial use.

The poison in stinging trees was recently discovered to be a peptide, similar to some venomous spiders and cone snails, which also inflict terrible pain.

The poison works by binding to pain receptors in the nervous system, firing them up into a frenzy of activity. It’s hoped that working out how these proteins work may lead to the creation of new painkillers. [www.theguardian.com/e]

Autumn Leaves and Revisiting Germany

As Autumn approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, I am reminded that I live in the tropics where there is no Autumn as such. Very few trees lose leaves, unless they are ornamentals. To see them we need to travel much further south.

It is a special beauty that comes with the ‘fall’ season – I can’t get used to calling it that. The very word Autumn sounds earthy, evocative of russet, brown and golden yellows, colours that feature in the distant North.

Thirteen Years of Blogging

As this blog is now Thirteen years old, I thought I’d revisit one of the posts relating to that time and add some reflections.

Thirteen years ago, I was sipping a cup of silky-smooth, decadent hot chocolate for a minimal price at the Rathaus Cafe in Offenbach, Germany.

I remember glancing at the temperature gauge, noting it was zero degrees Celsius. Outside, I studied a squirrel as he scurried around the branches of a large weeping tree. Having only seen a squirrel in TV cartoons, I was fascinated. The creatures I was familiar with at home had pouches that held their young and bounced around on two legs using their thick tails as levers.

The squirrel’s stage was fast losing the remainder of its pugnacious, golden-brown, autumnal leaves, a slowly wilting sentinel, witnessing the imminent passing of its foliage’s use-by-date.

To some, it was just a tree in a not-so-unique village in Germany. To me, this tree was like a wrinkled, weathered face: elegant, wise and experienced in its maturity and so very different from anything back home.

It wasn’t just magnificent; this tree had history. It provided shade and shelter; it emanated clean air, as all large trees do and contrasted ever so softly with the harsh lines of the historically significant structures around it.

This majestic beast framed the entrance of a park adjacent to the white neo-baroque manor house that, to me, resembled what I imagined to be a ‘Von Trap,’ style mansion. Having just arrived from the subtropical heat of a humid Australian city, I thought I had stepped into heaven!

Busing Palais in Offenbach

The Busing Palais in Offenbach was home to 18th-century entrepreneurs Peter Bernard and Johann Georg d’Orville, and the likes of Goethe would spend summers there. All but destroyed in 1943, this manor house was rebuilt to become a Museum, Library and of late, a conference centre.

Busing Palais Offenbach

Not only that but a Scloss, or Castle and Chapel completed a heritage square nearby.

Offenbach

As much as I enjoyed the architecture, the Festival of Leaves around me was the real jewel in the crown.

World Heritage Listed Volcanic Rainforest

My absence from WordPress may have lead you to believe I’ve been digitally detoxing again, but I’ve actually been away, on holiday. Something I haven’t done for quite some time. I haven’t strayed too far from home though, visiting a delightful spot on the border ranges.

Ever vigilant for ticks and giant stinging nettle trees, (pictured below), which can prove nasty, I quickly extracted the vile little beast burrowing into the back of my shoulder blade but the tick site still remains itchy.

This is Australia. The bush is a dangerous place. [just kidding]

An hour’s drive from Brisbane is where you’ll find one of the best examples of the Shield Caldera volcanic remnant. The Tweed shield volcano is the only remnant in the world surrounded by World Heritage-listed subtropical rainforest. The breadth of the volcanic area is best seen at a lookout not far from Beechmont in the Lamington National Park, the location of the well-known bushwalk meeting spot, the Binna Burra Lodge.

Lamington National Park and Binna Burra

Devastated by fire six years ago, Binna Burra Lodge has been rebuilt and is a mecca for Australians and international tourists alike. In the photo below, you can look into the Numinbah Valley. Through the gap in the mountains, on the right, you might also spot Mt Warning, or Wollumbin, (the tip of which is covered by cloud in the photograph). Mt Warning, named by British seafarer Captain Cook, is a remnant volcanic plug from this ancient Tweed Shield Volcano.

Tourist Notes: Rosin’s Lookout is a popular spot to launch a Hang Glider and is located at Beechmont on the Nerang-Beechmont Road. There is barbeques and toilet facilities for travellers. Located opposite is The Flying Bean cafe, (closed on a Wednesday).

Side Note: I never did find out who Rosin actually was. Another invisible presumably Irish female, lost to history.

Geology

The Volcano that formed this landscape erupted 20 – 23 million years ago. Basalt and rhyolite lava spread out to Lismore to the south, Mt Tamborine to the north and Kyogle to the West, forming the rounded shape of some of the cliffs and escarpments, such as Springbrook and the Ship’s Stern, seen mid-picture in the below photograph taken from Rosin’s Lookout.

The deep valleys conserved moisture and provided a refuge for Gondwanaland rainforest plant and animal species from the Jurassic period.

Gondwana Nothofagus thought to be 2000 years old, in Springbrook National Park

Despite European civilisation and colonisation, this region still is one of Australia’s richest areas of biodiversity.

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After completing several walks around Beechmont, including the Binna Burra Rainforest circuit, a 1.5 km long trail, the final fauna score was: 2 Tawny Frogmouths, 2 Catbirds calling to each other, 1 mysterious yet-to-be-identified giant purple pigeon, 3 wallabies, 2 spotted Bowerbird and 2 Satin Bowerbirds, 6 Scrub turkeys, several King parrots, a mob of screeching Cockatoos and one swooping ‘urban familiaris’ Magpie or ? Currawong who swiped my chocolate biscuit right out of my hand as I drank my cup of tea.

This is Australia. It is a dangerous place.

Tawny Frogmouth

And for those who don’t know what a Tawny frogmouth is, here is a pair sitting in the tree at the guesthouse where I stayed. The perfect camouflage.

NB. A frogmouth is not an owl but an entirely different species that eat caterpillars, moths and occasionally mice, possibly leading to the misnomer.

Getting up close and personal with wildlife and nature is exciting, but do check yourself over for ticks.

It’s a dangerous place.

Solar Energy in Australia

When visiting Germany in 2010, I was staggered to see solar panels on so many roofs and farms across the country, especially in the rural areas. It put my own country, Australia, to shame. Why?

With plenty of strong sunlight year-round, Australia would presumably be at the forefront of engaging with solar technology early on, right? Especially when the solar cell was invented on these very shores.

Sadly, the answer was no. It wasn’t.

Coal Fired Power Generation in Australia

With its vast swathes of coal and fossil fuels, historically it has been far cheaper and easier for Australia, to mine coal and export surplus abroad, than to explore alternative energy sources.

In fact, around half the Australian economy depends on coal mining. This mammoth industry menas whole towns and cities are built around the economies of coal production and consequently, coal-fired power has been the electrical generation system of choice in Australia.

Yet it comes at a heavy price for the environment and our planet, as most of us already know.

Coal is becoming far less desirable as an energy source and has become a four-letter word in environmental circles. China, our biggest importer, no longer wants coal, as it turns its attention to the free energy source, the sun.

Solar Systems for the Home

At the Home by the Sea, we’ve just installed 17 new-tech Hyundai Solar panels – a 6.6 kW Solar system with a 5kw inverter. Our second home solar system.

Previously, we had 14 panels producing 3.6 kW. Solar system technology has advanced to almost doubled the capacity and efficiency in ten years. When we first installed solar in 2011, it would take 3-5 years to pay back the installation price. Now we will pay it back through savings after the first 18 months!

Saving Trees and Reducing Coal and Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Today, a few weeks after installation, the “you-beaut” app, which is installed with our new solar energy system, tells us we have saved not only 40 trees but have also saved 280 kgs of coal and thus 280 kgs of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere.

Amazing. Yay to that!

Rise in Solar Systems Installations in Australia

I do have a reason to celebrate, because last year, more than 1/4 of Australia’s total power generation came from solar power generation, much of it from small-scale homeowners, investing in solar systems to power their houses.

1 in 5 Australian homes now produce energy from solar systems. Yay!

And why not?

When our climate is conducive to solar power generation, almost 365 days a year.

In addition, 76 large-scale wind and solar projects are under construction, “representing more than 8 GW of new capacity and employing over 9000 Australian workers.”[source: cleanenergycouncil.org.au]

This surge in uptake has been boosted by Government rebates and ridiculous hikes in electricity bills for consumers making alternative technology more viable. Ironically, the coal and fossil fuel generation industry is clanging its death knell by trying to maintain its competitive edge by lobbying politicians and raising prices.

Twelve more houses in the street have solar systems compared to last year

Looking around this year in my new suburb, it seems that the figure for home-based solar systems, in Australia, is more likely to be 1 in 2 or 3.

Australia’s home solar power revolution has been nothing short of phenomenal..in 2009, there were just 85,000 solar systems connected to the mains grid in Australia – and Australia’s first solar farm was yet to be built.

Fast forward to 2021 and more than 2.65 million solar panel systems have been installed on rooftops throughout the nation and gigawatts of large scale solar energy projects are in place, being developed or in the pipeline.

In fact, more solar panels have been installed on rooftops of homes in this country than there are people in Australia.

http://www.solarquotes.com.au/australia/

In 2019, the solar industry created over 13,000 new jobs. There is really no reason why certain politicians don’t get fully on board. It is the future energy source.

The table below has a few years of aberrant figures where exponential growth slowed. It correlates with some political decisions of a pro-fossil fuels and anti-renewables leader in Government trying hard to destroy the Solar industry and the renewable targets.

Source: http://www.solarquotes.com.au/australia/

Year	Systems Installed	Running Total
2001	118
2002	251	369
2003	664	1,033
2004	1089	2,122
2005	1406	3,528
2006	1115	4,643
2007	3480	8,123
2008	14,064	22,187
2009	62,916	85,103
2010	198,208	283,311
2011	360,745	644,056
2012	343,320	987,376
2013	200,407	1,187,783
2014	180,139	1,367,922
2015	141,490	1,509,412
2016	132,677	1,642,089
2017	174,761	1,816,850
2018	224,838	2,0416,88
2019	283,952	2,325,861
2020	333,978	2,659,839

This repressed environmentalist is smiling a little more now.

#Weekly Smile

More about Solar Energy

Sunday Sayings – Planting Trees

“Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” ~Greek Proverb

Goodreads.com

The Chinese sages also appreciated their value:

Let us not forget the importance of creating nature; fostering and nurturing Mother Earth.

Trees provide so many benefits to our everyday lives. They filter clean air, provide fresh drinking water, help curb climate change, and create homes for thousands of species of plants and animals. Planting a Billion Trees can help save the Earth from deforestation.

Helping to Plant Trees

Depending on location, it costs between $1-$3 to plant a tree including ongoing maintenance and stewardship. Including organizational overheads, I see this as a real bargain, especially for something that might last 70 years!

The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign is a major forest restoration effort with a goal of planting a billion trees across the planet.

So you don’t have the time or don’t want to get your hands dirty? I hear you, but you can still support the various organizations around the world depending on your preferred location.

Tree Planting Organizations

Landcare – Australia; (not for profit)

Greening Australia – 20 locations around Australia (also not for profit) 25 million plants established; 15,000 hectares of habitat restored; 150,000 tonnes of carbon sequestered per annum

Reforestnow – based in Byron Bay Austalia (not for profit) -planted  105,227 trees to restore rainforest in Australia on behalf of donors from around the world (as at 23 Mar 2021).  $5per tree.

Onetreeplanted – a global not for profit organization working against deforestation. $1 per tree.

Graph Source: One Tree Planted

Plant a billion trees initiative – South America, Africa and China

Go Ahead.

Our planet depends on it.

Sunday Sayings – Trees and Doors

Weekly Quote

Several years ago, I created ‘Proverbial Friday’ on my blog which morphed into Sunday Sayings.

I became fascinated with traditional proverbs and sayings, their metaphorical layers and the many different interpretations found within just a few, succinct words. I marveled at their ability to transcend race, religion, opinions and age.

Weekly Proverb

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.

The second best time is now.”

Chinese proverb

Sayings, quotes and proverbs offer us knowledge; knowledge that is passed to us in much the same way relay runners might pass a baton.

Once it’s handed over, it is up to us what we do with it and how we pass it on.

Resilience in Nature – Spring has sprung

Winter is a beautiful time of year here in the sub tropics of Australia. The nights are cool and brisk, but the days are sunny, clear, and warm (about mid twenties in Celsius degrees).

I love this time of year, no humidity and it often feels like we have skipped winter, and gone from Autumn directly to spring. This is my morning view.

At least when I look out my window, I see the beautiful specimens of Wattle (Acacia species) and Banksia (Giant Candles).

Banksia plants come in many varieties and were named about the Botanist on board Cook’s ship the Endeavour when it discovered the East coast of Australia in 1770. Banks and his colleagues made many drawings on these glorious plants, and thus were named after him.

Banksia have an interesting adaptation to the harsh Australian climate. They do not have flowers, but instead a large cone that holds nectar (food for the many Lorikeets and nectar feeding birds). Following this, the cone develops into a seed pod, protecting the valuable seed within until it is one day exposed to high intensity heat (such as found in a bush fire).

Upon being burnt, the seed cone will open, releasing the seed contained within. The Banksia plant is then free to germinate in not only a potash rich soil, but in an area with very little competition from other plants for sun and moisture.

Wattle blossoms

Australia’s official national floral emblem, featured on the coat-of-arms. Possibly the best known amongst the Australian plants. With 600 or more kinds of wattles, they can be found in every part of the country, from well-watered areas to the arid Centre to the cold mountain regions.

The wattles are usually the first to appear after bush-fires and can be found growing in the most remote areas, from low, spreading shrubs to large, upright growing trees. The individual flowers are always very small and massed together in pom-pom heads or rod-like spikes. Whilst most wattles are spring-flowering, there are some that bloom all year round.

1st September is Australia’s Wattle Day.

WATTLE
Wattles belong to the genus Acacia, in the Mimosa family.
There are over 600 different species distributed throughout Australia with shapes varying from low, spreading shrubs to large, upright trees. It is often called ‘Mulga’. Whilst most are early spring and summer-flowering, there are wattles that bloom all year round.

Which is really clever and definitely something to ponder about: the resilience and endless adaptation of nature.

Tree Painting Tutorial from Zachary Rau

Blog – Reform School — Zachary Rau.

If you want to make your own Christmas decorative pieces for next year, here is a guide to painting a coniferous Christmas tree

Blog – Reform School — Zachary Rau.