by Paula Peeters | Jun 27, 2015 | Writing
The first showbag at the very first Ekka was a bag of coal. That was in 1876, and some things still haven’t changed. But let me explain to non-Queenslanders: the ‘Ekka’ is what locals call the Royal Queensland Show, the largest agricultural show in the State. Last...
by Paula Peeters | Jun 20, 2015 | Wildlife illustration, Writing
This week I did a little forest bathing – ‘Shinrin-yoku’ to the Japanese. It’s the practice of immersing oneself in the forest atmosphere, and is said to reduce stress, and maybe even prevent cancer. I took my forest bath by walking to Coomera...
by Paula Peeters | Jun 6, 2015 | Tales of science, Wildlife illustration, Writing
Australian swans are black, while most swans are white. Why should this be? When I was a child, growing up in Australia, the only swans I saw were black. At Lake Wendouree in Ballarat, or in the Botanic Gardens of Melbourne, the swans were slightly menacing in their...
by Paula Peeters | May 30, 2015 | Nature journaling
Some years ago I had the great good fortune to visit Heron Island in the Great Barrier Reef. I was tutoring a group of ecology students, and what with daily snorkeling trips, helping out in the kitchen, and assisting the students with their research projects, I...
by Paula Peeters | May 23, 2015 | Nature journaling
Today’s post is a short guide to nature journaling. I’ve been spending a bit of time in rainforest of late, doing some research for a book. So this post is illustrated with journal entries from rainforest places – mostly from Queensland but with one...
