Articles

The forty-spotted pardalote is one of Australia's most endangered birds and is only found in tiny pockets of white gum woodland on Tasmania's east coast. Ecologically, it's probably one of the most remarkable birds on the planet, says wildlife ecologist Dr Sally Bryant. That's because it farms its own food.

Guides, especially local guides, give a great deal of added value to people who are traveling the planet and who love nature, says specialist guide on Bruny Island, Cat Davidson. Being out with someone who lives in a place and understands a place, does give you so many more layers to your experience.

Living where we do now, we are very, very much connected to place, writes the Chair of the Friends of North Bruny, Simon Allston. It's a magical place and a really special place to live. It's increasingly obvious it's an extraordinary place on a planetary level, and we're doing everything we can to look after its precious natural environment.

Bird ecologist Dr Catherine Young always said she wouldn't follow in her brother's footsteps, into environmental science. But growing up in South Africa with a mother who loved wildlife she was surrounded by it, and it wasn't long before it beckoned her as well.

I think I'm going to blame my parents. I grew up on the shore of Loch Ness in Scotland and they own a garden nursery, so I was permeated with plant names since day one, says specialist bird and nature guide Cat Davidson, of her early connection to nature.

A lot of our music is very much to a beat that's super regular, and it feels quite grid-like. Through Nature, you can start to feel a pulse, writes Bruny Island composer and guitarist Julius Schwing. It's more like a cycle. The sound of Nature is as incredible as the visual aspect.

Growing up on Bruny Island was incredible. There's a strong community of people engaged in making art that is kind of born of the island. And a lot of people come here and it just ignites something in them to make art. Different art, Bruny art, writes resident composer and guitarist Julius Schwing.

Bruny Island is an amazingly special place. Someone once said to me that Bruny Island is a shining example of what Tasmania could be. And I just think that's so beautiful, says bird ecologist and guide Dr Catherine Young. The ecosystem here is so intact.

Bruny Island - an island, off an island, off an island - is home to a phenomenal array of wildlife, says specialist guide with Inala Nature Tours, Cat Davidson. It's not just the more well-known species; everywhere you go, everywhere you look, is teeming with biodiversity. For nature lovers, it's an island paradise.

"It's just a place that you feel very alive and you feel nature feeling very alive around you," says specialist guide with Inala Nature Tours, Cat Davidson of Bruny Island in southern Tasmania. It has amazing, diverse habitat types, specialist birds and animals and a strong community. It is home.

We will often be sent a wish list by someone before they even arrive on Bruny Island, Inala Nature Tours guide Cat Davidson says of visiting bird-watchers. Nearly every single time the critically-endangered swift parrot or the endangered forty-spotted pardalote is high on the list.

Take a moment to think about a species you care about, and the emotions you feel when you think about the interactions you've had. You might feel a sense of magic or a loss of words. Ecologist and PhD student Edith Shum wants to understand that feeling and how it connects to place and environmental change.