Monday, April 22, 2013

OUR WORLD and Nature Notes - EARTH DAY 2013


 Tread softly on this fragile crust and leave only light, green footsteps. 
Repair what you can. Don't expect others to save the planet
 while you watch it on TV. Get out and plant a tree or shrub in you 
own garden or a street plantation, carry a bag in your pocket 
and pick up rubbish where you see it, especially in wilderness areas.

 These are little things but if we all practice instead of preaching, 
it will make a change in the world at large. 
After all, we can only teach by example. 
If you are too incapacitated to physically care for your environment, 
donate to wild life preservation, be it elephant or marsupial mouse, 
it all adds up to the survival of species.


Recently, my daughter drove me to the End of the World,
before the hills drop down to the Murray valley.
On one side of the road, the hills were stripped of their forests
or scrub land in historical times, and heavily overgrazed.


On the other side, there appears a different kind of landowner
one who has removed the stock and is letting the trees reseed.
Oddly enough, the local council is against changed land use and 
therefore, against planting forests.

If you want to have your land return to it's old natural state,
you cannot graze it, but only let it regenerate on it's own.
That of course, takes a long, long time and landowners 
have a way of changing as time goes by.


When this fragile land is overgrazed, it is also subject to fierce
erosion as the autumn rains set in.


Almost a lunar landscape.


With hills so massively denuded of their normal plant cover,
the seed reserve is small and certainly non-existent for many 
plants once endemic to this region.


We were actually heading to this little oasis of green on 
Reedy Creek but that is for another day.

 On this EARTH DAY 2013,
do something to save the earth, not just today but get
into the habit of recycling, mending instead of replacing, 
planting instead of cutting down and picking up plastic bottles 
and other rubbish along the beaches, waterways and forest tracks.

30 comments:

  1. WOW ! Stunning pictures and touching words...

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  2. Gorgeous images! Happy Earth Day!

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  3. This landscape looks so much like some of what I have been seeing out here in Arizona right now. I miss the green of home when I am here, but it is certainly interesting to see the difference.

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  4. i will go pick up trash today along the ditch. :)

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  5. I try to do a little something every day, but it does get discouraging when you see how so many people treat "our world". Wonderful post for the day as always, Arija! Hope you have a good week!

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  6. That over-grazed land does look like the end of the world. Thank you for the reminder of Earth Day...we do most of those things you list but I will make an extra effort.

    I'm glad you and your daughter arrived at a beautiful place at the end of this roadtrip.

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  7. WOW ! Great pictures, Arija!
    What a contrast between the landscapes I know and these here...!

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  8. Over the last few weeks I have seen many places that look like the end of the earth. Great post. Blessings, Debbie

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  9. Very good ideas. Parts of our area look are in bad shape after last summer's wildfires, and it's been another dry winter.

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  10. Beautiful scenery and great advice for Earth Day. We all need to do our part.

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  11. I lived in SA for a while, and the diversity of the landscape was vast. Some places so lush and green, others, barren and lifeless. I never could understand why some of the towns were against regenerating the land.

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  12. A very stark reminder of not respecting the land. But to discourage re-vegetation sounds absolutely crazy. All good ideas of what We can do for our Mother Earth, every day. I'm glad you visited someplace green. :)

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  13. A wonderful, true and humbling post. I have planted many trees - and will continue. And resent garbage in pristine spaces (or those that should be so) and collect it. One person but I believe I can make a difference. I hope so.

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  14. The difference on one side of a fence to the other can be very stark.

    Nice post.

    Stewart M - Melbourne

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  15. Great post, Arija! Happy Earth Day!. It should be everyday!

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  16. Sveicināta, Ārija!
    Paldies, ka pakavējāties manā blogā.
    Savukārt, man ir tik jauki apskatīt foto un lasīt informāciju Jūsu blogā. Tik gaismas, siltuma. Paldies!
    Lai laba šī diena un jauku nedēļu kopumā!

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  17. A very moving post! I may only live in a rented home, but still I care for the garden! Every little effort matters I believe!

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  18. Great message!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  19. Lunar landscape - a descriptive term. Sad about the overgrazed land - hopeful that one may learn from past mistakes? Happy Earth Day.

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  20. Excellent post for earth day and great shots.

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  21. yes every day is earth day Arija! I find myself frustrated when I hear chainsaws and big machines taking down trees in the neighborhood. I'm so glad we have left a great stretch of wilderness behind our home, that we do not use weed killer and allow the natural plants to seed and reseed in our lawn.

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  22. A wonderful post Arija, yes we must all do our part.

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  23. Very important entry Arija, and so important to understand what it is that man is doing to contribute to the demise of this earth, as it was designed. Very sad, to say the least. We plant trees, shrubs, bushes, grasses, and we do our part, but it is such a wee drop in the bucket. I know people who save up monies so that they can have perfectly healthy trees taken down, why...because they are tired of raking leaves for 2 weeks out of the year...really. Love you, with hugs~

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  24. I was shown some land on a hike last week that was "resting" due to years of overuse.

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  25. Wonderful post for Earth Day with some stark examples are what people shouldn't do and suggestions for what we can do...thank you..Michelle

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  26. Wow, the landscape is surprisingly different wherever you look. Great photos.

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  27. I'm so glad your comment led me to find your blog! I feel in nearly every word that you are a kindred spirit.
    I'm following along, and hope you'll be back to visit over on "our side of the world" again, too!

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  28. Marvelous, and powerful words Arija. If even one of us would take your advice, it would make but a small difference, but it's a start. When we moved to this property 34 years ago, we planted many trees, and shrubs, and now can enjoy privacy and a also provides a home for many different species of birds and animals.

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  29. Great post for Earth Day. An interesting view of our landscape - natural and imposed.... Thanks for your visit:)

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