Veronika Wild

  This image has been generated entirely by Microsoft Bing AI [Sorry folks, just can't help myself!]

There’s a peaceful place across the river from Hobart’s busy CBD which can take you back a century or three. Read the beautifully crafted signs along this Short Walk or sit a while in the stone circle at the end and you can imagine what it may have been like before Europeans came. The limuna Sheoaks are only found in this area The largest, densest Sheoaks I have ever seen grow here and you can imagine them being used for shelter. Women would have been gathering roots or weaving baskets from the grasses while the men hunted game or crafted tools for the purpose. Mussels and other shellfish were abundant in the sheltered cove behind this promontory so before the arrival of Europeans, this was also the place where the Mumirimina people gathered to relax, celebrate and share their stories. Finely crafted signs tell the story of the first inhabitants Unfortunately, the sheltered cove was also attractive to Lieutenant -Governor Bowen, who’d been sent to Tasmania by the Governor of N.S.W. to

Image created with assistance from Bing AI "In the vast Emptiness of Despair, remember that even the Darkest Night has Stars. When all Hope seems lost, look within, for resilience resides in the human spirit’s quiet defiance against the Shadows." -Ogharaboy May you have a peaceful and joyful Christmas. Our thoughts are especially with those in need, those who are battling natural disasters, those in war zones and those falsely accused or unjustly detained.  

  Noise Pollution  - Image created with assistance from Microsoft Bing AI  While we are on the subject of sensory overload, let’s also talk about noise. If you thought it was hard to find light free zones in modern life, wait till you find out how hard it is to find quiet places. Places where only natural sounds abound are becoming scarce in our own lifetime.  Too much sound, persistent or the wrong sounds can be just as damaging to our health and that of other species as too much light or the wrong type of light. Below is a summary of the European Environment Agency's findings. See their full report here.   Inforgraphic is courtesy of the European Environment Agency There is also the risk of hearing loss. Sudden noise above 120 decibels (dB) such as emergency vehicles, a gunshot or jet engines can cause permanent hearing loss as can lower but constant noise levels. Twenty -four per cent of Americans between 20 and 69, have some degree of hearing loss and it's even highe

-Image by Kanenori per Pixabay   I know what you're thinking. Though I've always found full moons and starry nights very romantic, there isn't much evidence that Dark Skies influence human mating behaviour. One African study did find a link between power outages and baby booms, but this was thought to be due to that fact that people couldn't engage in their usual activities, rather than because the lights were out. That's not to say you shouldn't try it. Here are some other things which you can do.  Astrotourism According to Lonely Planet, the biggest new tourism trend in 2019 was Astrotourism. Many people just love the stillness and to enjoy the full expanse of sky, but Astrotourism is also popular among Astrophotographers and of course amateur and professional Astronomers. Just sleeping under the stars is wonderfully relaxing. The DarkSky International Organisation which began in the US in 1988, now has branches and internationally recognised reserv