214 new Leadbeater Possum colonies have been discovered in the Central Highlands

Picture from here at Sustainable Gardening Australia

Extensive Surveys Find New Colonies Of Victoria’s Iconic Leadbeater Possum New survey techniques being used by Victorian scientists and community members have revealed 214 new Leadbeater’s Possum colonies in the Central Highlands. The extra survey work has revealed 160 new colonies in state forest that were all immediately protected by timber harvesting exclusion zones, and 54 new records from national parks. Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Lisa Neville welcomed the new records from scientists at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s (DELWP) Arthur Rylah Institute (ARI), other DELWP records, Zoos Victoria, Parks Victoria, VicForests and members of the community. Leadbeater’s Possums are small, fast moving and difficult to locate when active at night. Using specialist equipment and new techniques has resulted in more efficient surveying in the tall, dark, wet forests where the cryptic possums live. Eighty-five per cent of the new possum colonies recorded have been from government agencies. As part of this, ARI has been successfully recording the species by using arborists to set infrared remote cameras high in trees. The success of these surveys has been bolstered by carefully targeting areas that sophisticated modelling predicted would contain Leadbeater's Possum, or surveying areas adjacent to existing records. The community has also played a significant role in finding Leadbeater's possums, locating 24 new colonies in State forest. To support the community in this work, DELWP is making new survey equipment available for loan to people interested in undertaking their own surveys. Information about loan of the equipment, as well as a regularly updated interactive map that identifies the new colonies and related actions is available on the DELWP website:delwp.vic.gov.au/leadbeaters Intensive surveys will continue until mid-2017, increasing our understanding of the possum’s distribution, status and habitat requirements. Quotes attributable to Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Lisa Neville “The Andrews Labor Government is fast-tracking the identification of Leadbeater’s Possum colonies and habitat – and the development of new technologies has made the task far more efficient.” “Our scientists and the community are delivering critical information, and DELWP is making sure the location of each colony is accurately mapped while the recommended protection measures are put in place.” “I’d urge the community to keep submitting records of Leadbeater’s Possum sightings to contribute to our knowledge of our iconic faunal emblem and help us improve the conservation of the iconic Leadbeater’s for generations to come.” More Links re Leadbeater Possum Victoria's animal emblem  Friends of Leadbeater's Possum  Leadbeater's Possum - Wikipedia Gymnobelideus leadbeateri - Leadbeater's possum  Endangered Leadbeater's possum under immediate threat from logging

Where does your food come from? Animal cruelty in Australia.

Yesterday was Saint Francis' Day.
On this day we honour creation and bless the animals.
But....
and it is a big but....
have we thought about where our food comes from?

Did you know:

• Increasing commercialisation and industrialisation of our food chain has led to "Factory Farming"
• Even people engaged in food production have become separated from the animals which insure their livelihoods
• Your pets have legal rights.
• Industrial animals don't.
• If you eat pork, do you know about sow crates?
• Are you aware of how cows are milked for mass consumption in the 21st century? 
• Do you know what veal is?
• Most industries in the primary production of our food have industry standards. 
• In practise, what has occurred is that primary producers negotiate very low standards for their industries.
• Primary industry is organised so that it is has close relationships with governments.
• This means close relationships with Agriculture and Primary Industry Ministers, Departments, bureaucrats.
• This has resulted in a situation wherein if a Primary Producer is taken to Court for cruelty to industrial animals, the Producer can claim that industry standards have been maintained. This is a legal defence to the charges.
• Your domestic cat, dog, and guinea pig have more rights than this! 

Animal welfare in Australia - Australian Government - Dept of Agriculture & Water Resources
Working with farming industries - RSPCA
Regulation of Animal Welfare in Australia - Steven White - Federal Review
Australian Animal Welfare Law and Cruelty in the Context of Production Animals - 
Australian Law Society

Animals Australia - Animal cruelty
Please go to the link above for many articles on this topic

Celebrating St Francis - 4 October 2015

St Paul's on historic Bakery Hill in ‪#‎Ballarat‬ 

is celebrating St Francis Day to-morrow. 

Please come along to the 10am service and bring kids and pets.

It is also the first anniversary of Advocacy at St Pauls. We are a social and environmental justice group within the Parish of St Pauls - but you don't have to be part of the Parish or even an Anglican to join. 

If you share our interests, you are welcome. 

You can learn more about us by perusing this blog. And stay tuned to us on Facebook and on Twitter. From now until December we have a very full schedule of events: two celebrations of Eureka events; and an environmental sleep-out referencing homelessness. 

So come and share with us.

Meeting times at the top of this blog.

The welcome sign for all creatures great and small

May just put this sign out front of the church.

That'd be okay, right?

https://t.co/Di9rb5DAIp

— Tim Schenck (@FatherTim) July 9, 2015

Climate change and what is happening to our wildlife

Species at risk: Australian study confirms rising temperatures triggering wildlife sex changes http://t.co/XKXo1sTNzZ pic.twitter.com/Exn8G5BC02

— Wildlife Land Trust (@wlt_au) July 2, 2015

Plastic Planet: how we are destroying our planet, its creatures, ourselves with our addiction to plastic

Plastic Planet is on at the Creswick Neighbourhood Centre

on Monday 27 April from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

Car pool meeting place at Ballarat Civic Hall Carpark - 6pm

Donaton $10 to cover venue hire AND delicious vegan meal.

Hosted by

Ballarat Climate Action 2015 and Ballarat Greens

An ever-increasing problem: antibiotic resistance: restricting antibiotic and meat intake can be part of the solution

Post by Scientific American magazine.

Books: For Love of Animals - Christian ethics, consistent action

For Love of Animals is an honest and thoughtful look at our responsibility as Christians with respect to animals. Many Christians misunderstand both history and their own tradition in thinking about animals. They are joined by prominent secular thinkers who blame Christianity for the Western world's failure to seriously consider the moral status of animals.

This book explains how traditional Christian ideas and principles—like nonviolence, concern for the vulnerable, respect for life, stewardship of God's creation, and rejection of consumerism—require us to treat animals morally. Though this point of view is often thought of as liberal, the book cites several conservatives who are also concerned about animals. Camosy's Christian argument transcends secular politics.

The book's starting point for a Christian position on animals—from the creation story in Genesis to Jesus' eating habits in the Gospels—rests in Scripture. It then moves to explore the views of the Church Fathers, the teachings of the Catholic Church, and current discussions in both Catholic and Protestant theology. Ultimately, however, the book is concerned not with abstract ideas, but with how we should live our everyday lives. Should Christians eat meat? Is cooperation with factory farming evil? What sort of medical research on animals is justified? Camosy also asks difficult questions about hunting and pet ownership.

This is an ideal resource for those who are interested in thinking about animals from the perspective of Christian ethics and the consistent ethic of life. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter and suggestions for further reading round out the usefulness of this important work.

Other reviews of this book:

Christian Vegetarianism? A Reflection and Review of "For Love of Animals" by Charles Camosy

By the books: Charlie Camosy's For Love of Animals: Christian Ethics, Consistent Action

Readers' comments at goodreads