Respect the real Australia

There are many new residents arriving on the Peninsula and in the Bays.

They were probably attracted to the area because of the natural beauty but like many of us they might not realise that we must be aware of certain things in order to keep it that way.For instance, the great display of yellow coreopsis along the verges are not a native flower. They are a weed.

I loved having agapanthus in bloom at Christmas but it is essential to dead head them after flowering. This is the same for many plants.

Perhaps people forget that pets must by law be controlled in their owner's yard.

Cats particularly must be kept indoors for they kill many thousands of native species per year.

I watched a local dog in the Bays chasing the lyrebird round and round in a frenzy. It was very distressing.

The very soil must be treated with respect, for it contains many microbes, fungi and worms. We cannot live without this fantastic bio diversity.

Australia Day is fast approaching.

We don't want to fly the flag and sing the anthem and think of ourselves as proud Australians, if we are not respecting the natural environment, the real Australia which doesn't just consist of koalas.

We share this planet with many other species all of great importance.

Happy Australia Day.

SOURCE:

Email, 15 Dec 2021

Margaret Lund, Woy Woy Bay