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ABC Rural  By Kellie Hollingworth and Hugh Hogan

Beekeepers are going to great lengths to ensure that the almond pollination season in north-west Victoria is a blooming success this year.

More than 277,000 hives are being transported to the region from across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

John Caseys 1200 beehives Into Victoria

It's the largest movement of livestock in Australia. 

But Tumut beekeeper John Casey needed help from above to rescue 1,200 hives that were stuck north of Condobolin because the road was too wet to access them.

In a rare move, the hives were moved by helicopter at a cost of $1,600 per hour, before being loaded onto trucks and transported to Boundary Bend.

"I've never seen it done," he said.

"It would be cheaper than doing a diff or gearbox on a truck. I think anyway.

Tumut beekeeper John Casey needed a helicopter to rescue 1,200 hives that were stuck on wet ground at Trundle.

"We're going to keep getting rain. It's supposed to rain more next month, but we need to get them out for the almond pollination," he said.

Bees go to work

Merbein almond grower Neale Bennett said the hives would be based at his property for six weeks before they were loaded back onto trucks for the trip home.…

ABC Alice Springs  By Emma Haskin and Alex Barwick 1st August 2021

Thousands of brilliant budgerigars are flocking to the Australian outback thanks to perfect breeding conditions across the country. Mark Carter, Alice Springs bird watcher and trained zoologist, said that the region has not had a budgie event this big in 10 years.

"There was an event in 2016 which was localised to certain areas," Mr Carter said.

Wonders Of Nature – Show Of Budgies – Australia

"This event involves huge number of birds across the landscape," he said.

Mr Carter said it was hard to comprehend how many birds there were out there at the moment.

"If you do the maths on how many budgies are out there across the landscape, it's mind-boggling,"

He said that there are a few factors as to why the numbers have exploded.

Budgies Love To Flock At Dams Water Holes - 2

"It's a combination of things: We had rain at the perfect time here and they bred up in other parts of Australia and gathered here," he said.

Mr Carter said that those budgies subsequently have stayed and continued to breed resulting in extraordinary numbers across the region.

He said that there was an abundance of food thanks to low cattle numbers and the budgies have "cashed in on that".…

Khorasan is an ancient wheat also known as Kamut and is thought to have originated in Egypt. Khorasan is a much larger grain than wheat and is higher in minerals, vitamins and fats and has up to 40% more protein.  This makes it a super energy source plus this gives it it’s unique rich and nutty flavour. Khorasan flour with its gluten ratio is ideal for any kind of baking and along with wheat, it doesn’t lose its texture with freezing. By Jesabe Warner – Naturopath

Khorasan: A Tasty Nutritious Ancient Grain With Benefits To Our Health

A variety of whole grain wheat, kamut (a brand name for khorasan) contains about 250 calories per cup with 7 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein. Compared to modern wheat, it is much richer in polyphenols and fatty acids as well as minerals like selenium, which support a healthy immune system. Kamut also offers antioxidant benefits, helping to reduce gut inflammation and reducing pain associated with IBS.

By Natures Path – Pioneers Of The Organic Movement HERE

David Wolfe, A Leading Natural Health Expert And Advocate Has This Information On His Website:

KAMUT: 8 BENEFITS and USES

Kamut (say “ka-moot”) is an ancient grain rich in nutrients and high in energy.…

ABC South West WA / By Jacqueline Lynch May 2021

A WA-first trial of tiny houses for homeless people is being launched in regional West Australia this week, as the state grapples with how to deal with the ongoing issue of people sleeping rough.

Three tiny, transportable houses have been built on a block of land in Bunbury, in the state's South West, to house people who have been homeless for a long time.

See These Beautiful Tiny Houses Made For Homeless People In Bunbury WA

A WA-first trial of tiny houses for homeless people is being launched in regional West Australia this week, as the state grapples with how to deal with the ongoing issue of people sleeping rough.

Three tiny, transportable houses have been built on a block of land in Bunbury, in the state's South West, to house people who have been homeless for a long time.

Accordwest CEO Evan Nunn said the tenants would be able to stay in the units for up to six months while support staff helped them transition to long-term, stable housing.

"Up to 20 people over the next three years will get the benefit of the tiny houses," he said.…

From Very Edible Gardens in Australia

I FOUND THIS ARTICLE TODAY ON THE NET WHICH MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FOR THOSE OF US WHO DON'T HAVE A LOT OF GARDENING EXPERIENCE. MY SEARCH WAS FOR WINTER COMPANION VEGGIES AND I FOUND THESE HELPFUL PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES TO PUT INTO PRACTICE FOR A SIMPLE COMPANION GARDEN THAT WOULD WORK MOST TIMES FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. THE WRITER EXPLAINS HOW TO GET THE MOST BENEFIT OUT OF THE SOIL FOR EACH PLANT WE ARE GROWING. HAVE FUN. SHALL WE GO?

Learning Some Simple Practical Principles In Companion Gardening

There are a lot of books written on this subject, filled with long lists, many of which contradict the other.  We say: don’t get too carried away by matching each plant according to someone’s list.  There are however a some simple rules to grow by.  We’ll expand on each below:

  • Use plants with different nutrient requirements and roots at different depths as they compete much less.
  • Some plants are considered natural growth stimulants for other plants
  • Some plants are certainly natural growth inhibitors for other plants
  • Some plants capture nutrients from deep in the soil profile and make them available for nearby plants
  • You can create suitable micro-climates for one plant by using another (eg.

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By Owen Ibbotson Naturopath

There are many products on the market that promise to relieve, control, manage or attack allergies. These products work by interfering with biochemical responses that happen in the body. One example is antihistamines.

These medications may relieve symptoms by stopping histamine from being released by certain cells in the body.

Though antihistamines are the most common drugs used to treat allergic symptoms, they are not short of side effects. A major side effect is sleepiness. Driving a car or working equipment is not suggested while under the influence of antihistamines.

Further common side effects are dryness of the mouth, nose and throat, blurry vision, faintness, loss of appetite, biliousness, upset stomach, low blood pressure, headache, anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness and loss of coordination.

With all those side effects, you may be looking for other options?

Continue reading to discover my top natural antihistamine foods with benefits…

As a naturopath with 15 years of experience, I have a special interest in the treatment of allergic conditions. I love using natural remedies and food.

Histamine is a biochemical that the body makes on its own. We can also eat diets that are rich in histamine.…

A Return To Nature – Now Referred To As ECO Therapy

Summer often means spending time outdoors, swimming, camping, taking walks, and just enjoying the great outdoors. These leisure activities are fun and good for you.

That's right. They're good for you!

ECO Nature Therapy Is Good For The Soul

Psychologists in the new field of Eco-Therapy believe that spending time outdoors is important for our health. Connecting more with nature can help improve depression, lower blood pressure, improve self-esteem, help with impulse control, decrease post-operative recovery time, and encourage new social behaviors in patients with dementia, according to ecotherapyheals.com and the book Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind.

Eco-therapists claim that eco-therapy can be especially beneficial for those with depression, anxiety, stress or other mental illnesses. Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder, and the incidence of depression has increased every year during the past century. Now, one in six people will experience a depressive episode in their lifetime.

Traditional treatment for depression has focused on medications and individual or group therapy.

Now, Eco-therapists suggest that benefit can be gained with activities such as gardening, walking or other outdoor exercise, or spending time with animals.…

By David Chen  - ABC Southern Queensland June 2021

The future tradie's gaming console and couch might one day reside in a tiny house, like the one being built from scratch in a training program run by Toowomba-based not-for-profit, DGT Training and Employment.

"It's portable, its useful, you can store things in it, you can use it as second kitchen, second bedroom, back room for gaming, there's many different uses."

DGT Training CEO Kris McCue says the idea of using a tiny house to train students came after talks with local charities. (ABC Southern Qld: David Chen)

DGT CEO Kris McCue said he believed tiny homes could not only train the next generation of tradies but could also provide a short-term solution to regional Australia's housing and skills shortages.

"Rental vacancies are below 1 per cent in many, many areas — things like a tiny home can be a good, you know, shorter-term solution for that," he said.

"Also, young people moving out [for] their first time – it might not be achievable in this market, but putting a tiny home on the back of a block of their parents' home could essentially give people their own independence.

"I guess the ultimate thing for me would be for someone to participate in a training program to build a tiny home to get a job … and then to live in a tiny home that they'd built.…

THESE COME UP IN MY RESEARCH FROM TIME TO TIME. TODAY, THEY CAME UP IN ONE ARTICLE ON THE INTERNET AND I'M PASSING IT ON. THESE PRINCIPLES ARE GOOD WHEN PUT INTO PRACTICE.

Building Healthy Habits For A Healthy Brain - See Te Difference These Make

Three Key’s To A Better Brain

Almost everyone experiences some degree of changes in memory and brain function as they age.  This can range from simply misplacing keys or taking longer to recall the name of the neighbor you run into at the grocery store, to more serious types of cognitive decline such as Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia.  Women may especially notice cognitive changes around the time of menopause, when hormone-related “brain fog” can become a bothersome and annoying complaint.  The upside to all this is that the brain responds well to the healthy choices we make in our lives.  Three new studies point to the various ways we can positively influence our brain, memory, and thinking as we age.

1. Healthy Fats, Healthy Brain

Mediterranean diet for the win, again!  It is well known that the Mediterranean diet is excellent for improving heart health, longevity, and cancer outcomes. …

From Mongabay News Website May 2021

The Australian government has moved to create two new marine protected areas that cover an expanse of ocean twice the size of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The two parks will be established around Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean to the northwest of continental Australia. The new parks cover 740,000 square kilometers (286,000 square miles) of ocean.

Lets Protect More Ocean Life In Australia

The decision was immediately welcomed by conservation groups.

“Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands are uniquely Australian and globally significant – there’s nowhere like them on Earth,” said Michelle Grady, Director of The Pew Charitable Trusts, in a statement. “Most famous for its annual red crab migration, Christmas Island was referred to as one of the 10 natural wonders of the world by David Attenborough himself. Its thriving rainforests, deserted beaches and fringing reef provide a haven for unique and rare seabirds, land crabs and marine life.”

“Christmas and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are recognized as globally significant standout natural wonders,” added Darren Kindleysides, CEO of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, in a statement. “Oceans across the globe are in deep trouble from pollution, overfishing, habitat loss and the very real and immediate impacts of climate change.…