Students at Zig Zag Public School participating in the B&B Highway pollinator program
Story and photos by Lis Bastian. Video by Kalani Gacon.
Pollinators are critical for life on earth. As we face a biodiversity crisis in which we’re losing plants and animals at an alarming rate, the Rotary Club of Blackheath and Planting Seeds with their B&B Highway pollinator program, have collaborated to inspire all ages to take action to protect and regenerate habitat and help reverse this decline by supporting pollinators, in particular, to flourish.
Key Points:
We can all take action to reverse the alarming loss of biodiversity by reducing chemical use and land clearing, and by providing food, water and shelter for pollinators.
Rotary International has made Protecting the Environment a new area of focus and the Rotary Club of Blackheath has used a global grant from Rotary to increase education about, and habitat for, pollinators.
Planting Seeds has been supported by Blackheath Rotary to run its B&B Highway program at Zig Zag Public School in Lithgow and Blackheath Public School in the Blue Mountains.
Four years ago, Rotary International made Protecting the Environment a new area of focus and over the past year the Rotary Club of Blackheath has used a Rotary District Grant to fund a Pollinator Education and Action Program.
Initially inspired by Rotarians for Bees, the Blackheath Club has held a Pollinator Forum with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative (see https://blackheathnews.com/birds-bees-butterflies-bats-pollinators/) , it has built bird boxes with local Men’s Sheds, it has shared seed packs to help the community plant more pollinating plants, and in April this year it funded and volunteered to support B&B Highway programs at Blackheath Public School and Zig Zag Public School in Lithgow.
The B&B Highway Program at Zig Zag Public School in Lithgow(Video: Kalani Gacon)
L-R: Libby Bleakley, Mina Howard and Sherlie McMillan from the Rotary Club of Blackheath volunteering for the B&B program at Blackheath Public School. (Photo: Lis Bastian)
Dr Judy Friedlander is the founder of Planting Seeds. Her PhD focused on how to sell a difficult message, like biodiversity loss, in a way that empowers people to take action to arrest the situation.
B&B Highways, the flagship program for Planting Seeds, are ‘Bed and Breakfasts for Birds, Bees and Biodiversity’. The programs provide both theoretical and practical steps for protecting and regenerating habitat for pollinators to create wildlife corridors in urban and semi-urban environments.
Dr Judy Friedlander (left) explaining how to record insects found in the ‘bug hunt’. (Photo: Lis Bastian)
Halina Pochwyt from Wildplant Rescue, volunteering to show students how to plant natives to increase food and habitat for pollinators in the Blackheath Public School garden. (Photo: Lis Bastian)
Stage three students (years 5 & 6) at Lithgow and Blackheath learnt how they could support pollinators by providing food, water and shelter for them, then took part in a garden bug hunt, before planting habitat for pollinators in their school gardens.
Nicole Lewis, Chief B&B Highway educator, sharing information about pollinators with students at Blackheath Public School. (Photo: Lis Bastian)
One of the insects found by a student during the ‘bug hunt’. (Photo: Lis Bastian)
See the program in action at Lithgow’s Zig Zag Public School here > and find out more about Planting Seeds’ B&B Highway initiative here >
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Today we`re enjoying eating ripe medlars! Medlars are attractive cold climate fruit trees that were popular in Medieval gardens. They`re one of the few fruits that can be harvested in late Autumn and eaten in early Winter when they`re fully ripe. This is a great time of year to plant them for a future harvest. Check out our short video on how to eat them! #coldclimategardens #ediblegardens #medlars #growyourown #planetaryhealth #bluemountains...
We`re thrilled to share that last night @BlueMountainsCityCouncil`s Planetary Health Centre won the Innovative Leadership Award (Population Under 150K) in the 2025 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. What a great end to World Environment Day! 🌏 This award celebrates how local government can lead transformative change for a more sustainable future. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard with us to make our vision a reality. You can read more about what we`re doing at our website (link in profile): http://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/ @ph_alliance #planetaryhealth #worldenvironmentday #localgovernmentleadership #nswlocalgovernmentexcellenceawards...
Blocking out a couple of hours a week to step off the treadmill and give ourselves time to nurture our relationship with the earth and ourselves, is one way to keep our creative spirit and ‘lust for life’ alive. If you haven’t done so yet, one opportunity over the next week is to spend some ‘slow’ time in the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre before it closes on 15 June. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/the-2024-wynne-prize/ @bluemountainsculturalcentre @artgalleryofnsw #wynneprize #landscapes #bluemountains #katoomba #artexhibition #planetaryhealth...
Recognising how violence and war impact the health of the planet, the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative has become a member of the Blue Mountains Peace Collective. On Sunday 25th May, we attended a presentation by Dr Keith Suter on Making Peace in the World Today at the Leura Uniting Church. In this powerful presentation Dr Suter questions why we learn about war rather than successful peace negotiations! View the video of his presentation below and read our full story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/3Fl4WgQ (link in profile)
With an extra day up your sleeve this long weekend, it`s a great opportunity to give nature a hand to regenerate and provide more habitat for our fellow species! Join our fabulous all ages Planetary Health Bushcare Group from 1.30pm and then participate in the Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm, followed by drinks and nibblies! You can also start the day with a fabulous Tai Chi session at 8am. Visit our Planetary Health Pluriversity website to book in and learn more (link in profile): https://bmpluriversity.org/program/
Or ring 0407 437 553 for more information. #planetaryhealth #bushcare #katoomba #bluemountains #glossyblackcockatoos #landcare #biodiversity #habitat #wearenature #togetherwecan...
In this inspiring interview with Medlow Bath resident Amanda Foxon-Hill she talks about her work with Mid Lachlan Landcare, why Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo is so important, and why she loves her work so much! Read the full story in Blackheath Area Local News here: https://blackheathnews.com/connecting-landscapes-for-glossy-black-cockatoos/
Book in for the Growing Connected Landscapes Forum at 4pm this Saturday 7 June here: https://events.humanitix.com/growing-connected-landscapes-for-the-glossy-black-cockatoo Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong here: https://events.humanitix.com/glossy-black-cockatoo-community-tree-planting-5
In a world that increasingly feels out of balance, we’re thrilled to be offering Saturday morning Tai Chi and Qigong at 8am this Saturday 7 June (and the first Saturday of every month on our Skill Share Saturdays). Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art and moving meditation for body, mind and spirit. It is ideal for learning to keep calm amidst chaos but also has health benefits to increase longevity. Harvard Medical School has reported that this gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life. It`s particularly popular in Hong Kong, where residents have one of the highest life expectancies in the world! T`ai-Chi has also been found to improve brain function (like memory and mental flexibility) faster than other exercise and, in a recent study, comparing T`aiChi to brisk walking, the martial art was found to be significantly better at reducing blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease, like blood sugar levels and cholesterol. If you’d like to try it out, you can reserve your spot here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3FxWPgR
Learn how to Grow Connected Landscapes for the magnificent Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm on Saturday 7th June. In our first Planetary Health Forum we’ll be hearing from Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, Jayden Gunn from Birdlife Australia and Samantha (Pongi) Bowden from Glenbrook Public School, to learn more about the Glossy and how we can all help improve its habit from the Lower Mountains to Central NSW. We’re also launching a Community Tree Planting Day on 5 July in Goologong (near Cowra) to which we’re hoping we’ll get a large group of volunteers to help make a difference for this beautiful bird (and lots of other species as well!)
Habitat connectivity is essential if species are to adapt and overcome the challenges posed by our changing climate.
Join us as we imagine life as a Glossy Black Cockatoo. We`ll make our way through the temperate eucalypt forests of Dharug & Gundungurra land here in the Blue Mountains before leaving the Great Dividing Range for the Wheat & Sheep belt of the Central Tablelands. Our journey ends on Wiradjuri Land, North West of Cowra in the dry scleropyhyll forests of the Conimbla & Nangar National Parks, the start of the Western Woodland Way
Jayden Gunn is an adept wildlife photographer, ecologist, and environmental educator, with a deep passion for Australian birdlife. Through his lens, he captures Australia`s unique wildlife, using digital storytelling to connect people with nature in meaningful ways.
Links in profile to book in.
Book for the Forum here: https://bit.ly/43FzamP
Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day here: https://bit.ly/3HwYHa5
Watch an interview with Amanda here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77y2jrCzINo&t=52s
Read more about Glenbrook Public Schools work for the Glossy Black here: https://lowermtnslocalnews.com/glossy-black-cockatoos/
Our newsletter is now out! View our video of Dr Keith Suter on "Making Peace in the World Today” and read about Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo and the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Cultural Centre. You can also book in for our Mushroom Cultivation and Tai Chi workshops, and our Planetary Health Bushcare on Skill Share Saturday, 7 June. And PS. We’re a finalist in the NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. Read the newsletter here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4dEFL5u
Yesterday a delegation from the University of Sydney and the Razak School of Government in Malaysia visited the Planetary Health Centre to exchange experiences on the challenges all our local governments are facing, including adapting to climate change, managing ageing populations, and finding economic opportunities for small councils to support their community`s needs. @rsog_insta #localgovernment #planetaryhealth #disasterriskreduction #systemicchange #councils #malaysia #exchange...
As part of an international project to advance science communication for Planetary Health (SciCoPH), Indonesian science journalists, science communication experts and bioscientists visited the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre to learn more about what we`re doing last month. Read our story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/43MFUjM (link in profile)
Has your place been smashed by all this rain? Check out our video of how Anne Mellor, on a sloping block in Springwood, built Japanese guttering and a dry creek bed to manage large influxes of stormwater in the most beautiful way. You can view the video in our Water Management Playlist on our YouTube channel (link in profile) Full instructions on how to do it in our story in Springwood Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/3YXIsJe (link to Springwood Area Local News in our profile. Search Individuals and you`ll find our story) #stormwater #flood #japaneseguttering #drycreekbed #beprepared #trenches #japanesegardendesign #planetaryhealth #springwood...
Lis Bastian is the Senior Lead for Blue Mountains City Council’s Planetary Health Initiative. She is the editor of the Local News Platforms and has been a writer, editor, news presenter and teacher/lecturer covering both cultural and environmental issues for over 30 years. She has been pioneering Solutions/Constructive Journalism in Australia since 2012.
