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Theodore Rethers's avatar

Hi Mike I have been planting fig bridges of another type, to feed , hydrate and fire proof our riparian, mangrove and coastal habitats around northern Sydney and beyond. They provide an essential food source and habitat for both land and sea and have been all but lost due to many years of fire and land clearing. Ficus rubiginosa and Ficus macrophylla are our two main natives. It all started of all places in New Zealand where i was watching fish feed on dropping fruit then locally watching crabs feed in the mangroves on what the tide leaves behind. I tend to think of this as trying to attain a level of stability and resilience our ecosystems evolved into before our interactions altered them.

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Mike Shanahan's avatar

Hi Theodore. Your work near Sydney sounds interesting. Is there something I can read to get more info?

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Theodore Rethers's avatar

HI Mike, we just work as a local bush regeneration group and there are different groups all around Sydney. Our work boarders on a national Park but I took it on myself as extra work along with clearing the creeks and mangroves of mainly plastic rubbish for the good of the ecosystem. My view of bush regeneration differs from most as I believe in the concept of the climatic maximum in ecological development where a system will work toward a maximum stability and the greatest ecological diversity over time, our interference with things like fire alter the natural path and we should do out utmost to help the ecology back toward this goal and not take the changes bought about by fire as the given state to be preserved. Many beneficial trees that helped attain this state were severely marginalized or lost during our 65000y of fire, more so than other countries so I believe we need to build resilience back into these landscapes. There are vast sections of agricultural America with no riparian trees which help moderate climate and provide nature belts and food, and will help with nutrient runoff. Add the ability to feed the aquatic environment into this should also build toward greater resilience and therefore stability.

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Jonathan Tonkin's avatar

Wonderful post, thanks Mike! I love this "Their architects were local Khasi people, whose attitudes towards time, the environment and their unborn descendants we are sorely lacking in our fast-warming world."

I couldn't agree more. Many of our problems would be solved if society prioritised long-term thinking over short-term thinking!

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Tina Bessias's avatar

A beautiful and inspiring story. How about we turn the last sentence into a question: what examples can we find of patience and selflessness supporting sustainable practices in the world?

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Suzanne Crawford O'Brien's avatar

So. Very. Cool.

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Doug Still's avatar

Love this story!

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