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Tiny ancient Christmas tree sells for thousands

One of the world's first mass-produced Christmas trees has sold at auction for a whopping 56 times higher than its original purchase price. The tree was first bought in 1920 for just six pence, and was snapped up at the auction in England by an anonymous buyer for £3,400, or $6,433 AUD. The tree was described by the auctioneer as “the humblest Christmas tree in the world”, measuring just 79cm in height, boasting 25 branches, 12 berries and six mini candle holders. The tree sits in a small, red-painted wooden base with a simple decorative emblem. The Christmas tree was first bought by the family of eight-year-old Dorothy Grant in 1920, with Dorothy using it as her tree until she passed away at the age of 101. The tree is believed to have been bought from Woolworths, with Grant decorating the tree as a child with cotton wool to mimic snow, given that baubles were considered a luxury at the time. After Grant's passing in 2014, the charming tree was passed down to her daughter Shirley Hall, who was "parting with the tree now to honour her mother's memory and to ensure it survives as a humble reminder of 1920s life". It was expected to sell for between £60 and £80 (between $110 and $150 AUD) but was bought for the astonishing price of £3,411 when it went under the hammer at Hansons auctioneers on Friday. Charles Hanson, the owner of Hansons and a regular guest on the BBC’s Bargain Hunt said, “This is one of the earliest Christmas trees of its type we have seen. The humblest Christmas tree in the world has a new home and we’re delighted for both buyer and seller … I think it’s down to the power of nostalgia. Dorothy’s story resonated with people.” He added, “As simple as it was, Dorothy loved that tree. It became a staple part of family celebrations for decades. The fact that it brought such joy to Dorothy is humbling in itself. It reminds us that extravagance and excess are not required to capture the spirit of Christmas. For Dorothy it was enough to have a tree." “Some of the first artificial Christmas trees utilised machinery which had been designed to manufacture toilet brushes. The waste-not, want-not generations of old are still teaching us an important lesson about valuing the simple things and not replacing objects just for the sake of it." Image credits: Hansons Auctioneers

Money & Banking

"Each bauble represents a life lost": Haunting Christmas tree sends powerful message

As the holiday season approaches, a haunting symbol of despair has once again taken root at Victoria Police headquarters – carrying with it a message of melancholy that we are unaccustomed to at this normally festive time of year. Instead of joyous ornaments and twinkling lights, a Christmas tree adorned with glistening blue baubles now stands as a remarkably poignant testament to the road death carnage that has befallen the state throughout 2023. These beautiful baubles, each etched with the name and age of those lost on Victoria's roads this year, tell a grim tale of grief and loss. With the toll reaching 274 by December 6, it marks the darkest year for the state since 2008. In a moving video accompanying the dressing of the tree, Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir implored the public to drive cautiously during the Christmas period, desperately hoping to prevent the addition of any more baubles to this sorrowful tree. "This Christmas tree is unlike any other; it's one we don't want to see decorated," Commissioner Weir soberly explained. "Each bauble represents a life lost, a stark reminder of the importance of road safety. Please, drive safely this festive period. Take care, have conversations with your loved ones, and remember the responsibility you bear when behind the wheel." November alone witnessed the loss of 35 lives on Victorian roads, marking it as the worst month this year. In response, the police are intensifying road policing operations throughout December in an attempt to curb further tragedies. In a bid to address the escalating death toll, the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has launched the initiative "Stop kidding yourself. If you drink, don't drive," running from December 4 to the end of January. Shockingly, it has also been revealed that one in five individuals killed on Victorian roads had a blood alcohol concentration of .05 or higher. TAC CEO Tracey Slatter also called on the urgent need for a cultural shift, challenging the notion that driving after consuming any amount of alcohol should be deemed "normal". "Many people think they can manage their blood-alcohol level with vague rules handed down through generations," she said. "But the only way to avoid the risk entirely is to completely separate drinking and driving." As the Christmas tree of remembrance continues to grow with each passing day, it stands as a poignant symbol of the lives lost on Victoria's roads, imploring society to reflect, change and prioritise the safety of every journey. Images: Victoria Police

Travel Trouble

"What an embarrassing effort”: Locals furious over "pathetic" Christmas tree

Locals in the coastal NSW town of Forster are furious over a "pathetic" Christmas tree that was decorated by the council. In an attempt to spread Christmas cheer, the local council haphazardly threw lights over a huge Christmas tree in the middle of town, prompting outrage from the community. One local posted a photo of the tree to Facebook, insinuating the tree looks like it was decorated by "Mr Squiggle", while tagging the council in the post to ensure they saw the complaint. “This is absolutely pathetic, what an embarrassing effort,” they wrote. “Not that I expect anything less from our council, but this needs to stop. Keep in mind before reading — the Mr. Squiggle effort took three days to complete." “There is nothing that screams neglect and lack of interest more than an unthoughtful, rushed, ugly, non-Christmassy, rope light installation on arguably one of the most noticeable trees in the entire Forster-Tuncurry." The poster then compared a Christmas tree from another year with the recent one, and asked whether this is the best that the council could create. “Is that really the best the creative minds at the council can come up with? A bit of rope light dangling out of a tree?” they asked. Other locals flocked to the post and agreed with the sentiment, sharing their disappointment in the Christmas tree. “It honestly would have been better off not being done at all … it’s a hideous mess,” wrote one. “Our beautiful paradise deserves a lot more so ugly such a disaster effort,” a local wrote. “How embarrassing for the town.” The local council caught wind of the disappointment from locals and posted a response to the matter on its website a day later. It said its staff were not “professional tree decorators” and pointed out that this “comes at a cost”. “MidCoast Council is aware of the community comment on social media on the Christmas decorations installed on an iconic tree in Forster,” the statement read. “Council’s Director of Liveable Communities, Paul De Szell, said that while the lighting might not be appreciated by some in the community, even the small amount of decorating comes at a cost." The council then said that in years to come, locals will be able to have their say for the town's Christmas decorations, with the website stating, "Some sections of the community appear to be very passionate about the lighting and this will give them the opportunity to be involved in the decisions around it." “Providing Christmas lighting is not a core service of Council, or something we have expert skills in, hence the decision to allow the community the opportunity to take ownership of the lighting going forward.” Image credits: Facebook

Travel Trouble

"She saw it and dodged it": Incredible scenes as tree plunges through seat in Schoolies crash

In a harrowing incident on K'Gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, a group of teenage girls narrowly escaped a potentially tragic accident during their Schoolies celebration. The friends were exploring the picturesque island off the Queensland coast when a tree crashed through the windscreen of their car, plunging right through the headrest of the passenger seat. Miraculously, all occupants emerged unscathed from this near-miss, thanks to a combination of quick reflexes and the timely intervention of volunteers from the Fraser Coast Red Frogs. As the teens ventured through the island's terrain, their joyous celebration took a terrifying turn when a massive tree limb plummeted onto their vehicle. The impact shattered the glass directly in front of the passenger seat, creating a scene of devastation that could have resulted in serious injuries – or worse. Astonishingly, one of the girls was seated in the passenger seat at the time, and her quick thinking and agility allowed her to dodge the falling debris, narrowly avoiding a potentially life-threatening situation. Tim Winnington, the Fraser Coast Red Frogs coordinator, described the fortuitous nature of the escape, saying, "There was a girl actually sitting in the passenger seat. She saw it and dodged it. They were so lucky not to get injured." The Red Frogs, a charity organisation that provides support and education at events like Schoolies and music festivals, played a crucial role in the aftermath of the incident, with volunteers from the organisation waiting with the shaken teenagers until help arrived. Madhill Motor Group, the generous donor of the ute used by the Red Frogs team, highlighted the gravity of the situation with photos shared on Facebook to demonstrate just how close the call was. The teenagers, treated for shock by paramedics, were fortunate to walk away physically unharmed, a fact not lost on them or their friends. In the aftermath of the incident, a friend of the girls expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Red Frogs for their swift and effective response. “They were all so lucky to walk away with no one being injured, and very lucky the Red Frogs were on scene so quickly and helped them so much, getting them a room to stay, driving their car for them, cleaning up all the glass and calming them all down in this traumatic experience,” they wrote. “We are all extremely grateful that you were there.” Images: Facebook

Travel Trouble

It wasn’t just a tree: why it feels so bad to lose the iconic Sycamore Gap tree and others like it

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebecca-banham-830381">Rebecca Banham</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> The famous <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/you-can-t-forgive-that-teen-arrested-after-felling-of-iconic-200-year-old-tree" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sycamore Gap tree</a> was felled last week, prompting global expressions of sorrow, anger and horror. For some, the reaction was puzzling. Wasn’t it just a single tree in northern England? But for many, the tree felt profoundly important. Its loss felt like a form of grief. Trees tell us something important about ourselves and who we are in the world. That is, they contribute to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23251042.2020.1717098">ontological security</a> – our sense of trust that the world and our selves are stable and predictable. Trees – especially those celebrated like England’s sycamore or Tasmania’s 350-year-old El Grande mountain ash – feel like they are stable and unchanging in a world where change is constant. Their loss can destabilise us. <h2>What makes a tree iconic?</h2> Individual trees can become important to us for many reasons. When the wandering ascetic Siddhartha Gautama sat at the foot of a sacred fig around 500 BCE, he achieved the enlightenment which would, a few centuries later, lead to his fame as the Buddha. This sacred fig would become known as the Bodhi Tree. One of its descendants <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Bo-tree">attracts millions</a> of pilgrims every year. Sometimes a tree becomes iconic because of its association with pop culture. U2’s hit 1987 album The Joshua Tree has inspired fans to seek out the tree on the cover in the United States’ arid southwest – <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/u2s-the-joshua-tree-10-things-you-didnt-know-106885/">a potentially dangerous trip</a>. Other trees become famous because they’re exceptional in some way. The location of the world’s tallest tree – a 115-metre high redwood known as Hyperion – is <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-worlds-tallest-tree-is-officially-off-limits-180980509/">kept secret for its protection</a>. Niger’s Tree of Ténéré was known as the world’s most isolated, eking out an existence in the Sahara before the lonely acacia was accidentally knocked down by a truck driver in 1973. Its site is <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/last-tree-tenere">marked by a sculpture</a>. In 2003, the mountain ash known as El Grande – then the world’s largest flowering plant – was accidentally killed in a burn conducted by Forestry Tasmania. The death of the enormous tree – 87 metres tall, with a 19 metre girth – drew <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/3945157">“national and international”</a> media attention. This year, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-14/vandalism-sacred-birthing-tree-buangor-police-investigate/102726014">vandals damaged</a> a birthing tree sacred to the local Djab Wurrung people amidst conflicts about proposed road works in western Victoria. And in 2006, someone poisoned Queensland’s Tree of Knowledge – a 200-year-old ghost gum <a href="https://www.australiantraveller.com/qld/outback-qld/longreach/tree-of-knowledge-is-dead/">famous for its connection</a> to the birth of trade unionism in Australia. Under its limbs, shearers organised and marched for better conditions. The dead tree has been preserved in a memorial. <h2>What is it to lose a tree?</h2> Sociologist Anthony Giddens defines ontological security as a <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Modernity_and_Self_Identity.html?id=Jujn_YrD6DsC&redir_esc=y">“sense of continuity and order in events”</a>. To sustain it, we seek out feelings of safety, trust, and reassurance by engaging with comfortable and familiar objects, beings and people around us – especially those important to our self-identity. When there is an abrupt change, it challenges us. If your favourite tree in your street or garden dies, you mourn it – and what it gave you. But we mourn at a distance too – the Sycamore Gap tree was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/gallery/2023/sep/28/hadrians-wall-sycamore-gap-tree-in-pictures">world-famous</a>, even if you never saw it in real life. In <a href="https://figshare.utas.edu.au/articles/thesis/Seeing_the_forest_for_the_trees_ontological_security_and_experiences_of_Tasmanian_forests/23238422">my research</a>, I have explored how Tasmanian forests – including iconic landscapes and individual trees – can give us that sense of security we all seek in ourselves. As one interviewee, Leon, told me: <blockquote> These places should be left alone, because in 10,000 years they could still be there. Obviously I won’t be, we won’t be, but perhaps [the forest will be]. </blockquote> Temporality matters here. That is, we know what to expect by looking to the past and imagining what the future could be. Trees – especially ancient ones – act as a living link between the past, present, and future. As my interviewee Catherine said: <blockquote> You lie under an old myrtle and you just go, ‘wow - so what have you seen in your lifetime?’ Shitloads more than me. </blockquote> That’s why the loss of the Sycamore Gap tree has upset seemingly the entire United Kingdom. The tree was famous for its appearance: a solitary tree in a <a href="https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/places-to-visit/hadrians-wall/sycamore-gap/">photogenic dip</a> in the landscape. Its loss means a different future for those who knew it. It’s as if you were reading a book you know – but someone changed the ending. <h2>Loss of connection</h2> We respond very differently when humans do the damage compared to natural processes. In one study, UK homeowners found it <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13698570802381162">harder to accept</a> their house being burgled than for it to be flooded, seeing flooding as more natural and thus less of a blow to their sense of security. This is partly why the sycamore’s death hurt. It didn’t fall in a storm. It was cut down deliberately – something that wasn’t supposed to happen. The sycamore was just a tree. But it was also not just a tree – it was far more, for many of us. It’s more than okay to talk about what this does to us – about how the loss of this thread of connection makes us grieve. Yes, we have lost the Sycamore Gap tree, just as we lost El Grande and many others. It is useful to talk about this - and to remember the many other beautiful and important trees that live on. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214841/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebecca-banham-830381">Rebecca Banham</a>, Postdoctoral fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/it-wasnt-just-a-tree-why-it-feels-so-bad-to-lose-the-iconic-sycamore-gap-tree-and-others-like-it-214841">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

"You can't forgive that": Teen arrested after felling of iconic 200-year-old tree

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in northern England after what police describe as the "deliberate" felling of the iconic Sycamore Gap tree. The tree had stood next to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hadrian's Wall for nearly 200 years before it was tragically vandalised. Both locals and tourists have frequently stopped to capture a photo and appreciate the stunning tree ever since it gained fame for its appearance in Kevin Costner's 1991 film, Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. Now, photographs from the scene on early Thursday showed that the tree had been cut off near the base of its trunk, and the locals are fuming. "The tree is a world-renowned landmark and the vandalism has caused understandable shock and anger throughout the local community and beyond," Northumbria Police said in a statement. "This is an incredibly sad day," they added. "The tree was iconic to the North East and enjoyed by so many who live in or who have visited this region." Alison Hawkins, was the first person to spot the damage while she was walking on the Hadrian's Wall path. "It was a proper shock. It's basically the iconic picture that everyone wants to see," she said. "You can forgive nature doing it but you can't forgive that." The Northumberland National Park authority have asked the public not to visit the iconic tree, which was voted as English Tree of the Year in 2016. Police report that the teen has since been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage, and has been assisting officers with their inquiries. Images: Getty

Legal

Princess of Wales shows off her tree-decorating skills

The Princess of Wales has given fans another glimpse into her Christmas spirit ahead of the holiday season. A few hours before her second annual Royal Carols: Together at Christmas concert, the Princess shared a video of herself decorating a tree. "Final touches before the #TogetherAtChristmas' Carol Service tomorrow," the caption read. The video shows a cheerful Kate dressed in a white turtle neck as she decorates a festive fir at Westminster Abbey. Fans commented on the video, wishing the Royal Family a Merry Christmas. “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Prince and Princess,” someone wrote. “Season greetings your RH Catherine Princess of Wales,” another commented. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Final touches ahead of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherAtChristmas?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherAtChristmas</a> Carol Service tomorrow 🎄 <a href="https://t.co/mixjI8d5TD">pic.twitter.com/mixjI8d5TD</a> — The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1603129389927071749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2022</a></blockquote> “What a beautiful video. I’m so excited,” someone else wrote. The concert was a family affair with the support of Prince William, King Charles and the Queen Consort. The concert also celebrated the life of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8. There were several choir performances of Christmas classics, including readings by the Prince of Wales and an introduction from The Princess of Wales. Royal Carols: Together at Christmas is set to air on ITV on Christmas Eve. Images: Twitter

Beauty & Style

Your chance to finally live in a tree house!

A lot of homes are described as “once in a lifetime opportunity” but this one certainly takes the cake. An actual tree house just three hours from Los Angeles is up for grabs after hitting the market for a solid USD $3.8 million (AUD $5.4 million). Sitting on 6.69 acres in Pismo Beach, the house has parts of the tree it's built on enveloping the main living area, twisting from beneath and through the ceiling like the fictional Kraken. Despite being built in the 1960s, the different home has been perfectly maintained to ensure its intricate features remain. The land contains five different dwelling units that include one bedroom, one bath tree house, a large museum with a studio and one bedroom apartment. There is also a carriage house with a two bedroom apartment, and a studio apartment-with two car garage. And a main house with two bedrooms, one and a quarter baths with rock fireplace and wrap around decking, a shed/studio with full bath-each one with private views. Each of the homes contains wooded settings and private yards and decks thanks to the glorious oak tree. If that’s not enough to entice you, the properties include two sea train containers that are perfect as workshop areas as well as a Zen yoga platform to reclaim your inner peace. Images: Zillow

Real Estate

Man fined thousands for unsolicited pruning in neighbourly dispute

When one New Zealand man’s quest for extra sunshine in his bedroom saw him turn his neighbour’s line of trees into stumps, he didn’t expect that it would come with an eyewatering fine. The devastated neighbour took the imprudent gardener to small claims court, where it was found the man, referred to as HL, had trespassed on his neighbours property. The recently released Disputes Tribunal decision said HL had “practically removed” seven Ake Ake trees and several Elaegnus shrubs from his neighbours’ property, the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/man-ordered-to-pay-neighbours-7k-for-cutting-their-trees-without-permission/ZFSMBS3EUKKE7AEMEWQKQCQO4I/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a> reported. HL was ordered to pay his neighbours, referred to as LG and KG, a hefty $NZD 7478 ($AUD 6800) to replace the trees and cover legal costs. The man admitted he cut the trees but claimed he did it after he and LG agreed they needed to be topped, adding that LG had picked the height at which HL should cut. But LG strongly denied the exchange, stating he had only acknowledged that the trees were hanging over HL’s property and needed trimming. “LG said there was a discussion about how they were to do it, that HL had a chainsaw and that LG would help him trim the overhanging branches and pay the tip fees,” the court decision said. Instead, the tribunal found that HL cut the trees and shrubs without the permission of LG and KG, and did so while they were away from their property for about 45 minutes. With HL unable to prove his version of events, the tribunal accepted LG’s evidence that he only discussed trimming back the overhanging branches with HL. “It does not make sense that LG would agree to taking height off the top of the trees, as that would result in a loss of privacy for him and his wife. THe only party who benefitted from the trees being topped was HL.” Photographs were also submitted to the tribunal, which said that it was impossible for the trees to have simply been topped based on the images. “Topping denotes the removal of the top part of the trees, but implies that some, or perhaps most, of the tree is left to grow. The pictures show that in some cases there are only stumps left, while other trees show some longer level of trunk with trimmed branches. “The pictures do not show that the trees have been trimmed, but rather practically removed.” Image: Getty Images

Legal

It's in the trees: Climate change could hamper carbon absorption

From rainforests to savannas, ecosystems on land absorb <a href="https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbonbudget/21/files/GCP_CarbonBudget_2021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">almost 30%</a> of the carbon dioxide human activities release into the atmosphere. These ecosystems are critical to stop the planet warming beyond 1.5℃ this century – but climate change may be weakening their capacity to offset global emissions. This is a key issue that <a href="https://www.ozflux.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OzFlux</a>, a research network from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, has been investigating for the past 20 years. Over this time, we’ve identified which ecosystems absorb the most carbon, and have been learning how they respond to extreme weather and climate events such as drought, floods and bushfires. The biggest absorbers of atmospheric carbon dioxide in Australia are savannas and temperate forests. But as the effects of climate change intensify, ecosystems such as these are at risk of reaching tipping points of <a href="https://theconversation.com/existential-threat-to-our-survival-see-the-19-australian-ecosystems-already-collapsing-154077" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collapse</a>. In our latest <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.16141" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research paper</a>, we look back at the two decades of OzFlux’s findings. So far, the ecosystems we studied are showing resilience by rapidly pivoting back to being carbon sinks after a disturbance. This can be seen, for example, in leaves growing back on trees soon after bushfire. But how long will this resilience remain? As climate change pressures intensify, evidence suggests carbon sinks may lose their ability to bounce back from climate-related disasters. This reveals vital gaps in our knowledge. Australian ecosystems absorb 150 million tonnes of carbon each year Between 2011 and 2020, land-based ecosystems sequestered <a href="https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/carbonbudget/21/files/GCP_CarbonBudget_2021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">11.2 billion tonnes</a> (29%) of global CO₂ emissions. To put this into perspective, that’s <a href="https://www.iea.org/news/global-co2-emissions-rebounded-to-their-highest-level-in-history-in-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">roughly similar</a> to the amount China emitted in 2021. OzFlux has enabled the first comprehensive assessment of <a href="https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/10/851/2013/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia’s carbon budget</a> from 1990 to 2011. This found Australia’s land-based ecosystems accumulate some 150 million tonnes of CO₂ each year on average – helping to offset national fossil fuel emissions by around one third. For example, every hectare of Australia’s temperate forests absorbs 3.9 tonnes of carbon in a year, <a href="https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/13/5895/2016/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to OzFlux data</a>. Likewise, every hectare of Australia’s savanna absorbs 3.4 tonnes of carbon. This is about 100 times larger than a hectare of Mediterranean woodland or shrubland. <hr /> <iframe class="flourish-embed-iframe" style="width: 100%; height: 600px;" title="Interactive or visual content" src="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/9129848/embed" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-scripts allow-downloads allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe> <div style="width: 100%!; margin-top: 4px!important; text-align: right!important;"><a class="flourish-credit" href="https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/9129848/?utm_source=embed&utm_campaign=visualisation/9129848" target="_top"><img src="https://public.flourish.studio/resources/made_with_flourish.svg" alt="Made with Flourish" /> </a></div> <hr /> But it’s important to note that the amount of carbon Australian ecosystems can sequester fluctuates widely from one year to the next. This is due to, for instance, the natural climate variability (such as in La Niña or El Niño years), and disturbances (such as fire and land use changes). In any case, it’s clear these ecosystems will play an important role in Australia reaching its target of net-zero emissions by 2050. But how effective will they continue to be as the climate changes? How climate change weakens these carbon sinks Extreme climate variability – <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-of-the-most-extreme-disasters-in-colonial-australian-history-climate-scientists-on-the-floods-and-our-future-risk-178153" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flooding rains</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/flash-droughts-can-dry-out-soil-in-weeks-new-research-shows-what-they-look-like-in-australia-161286" target="_blank" rel="noopener">droughts</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-angry-more-often-march-heatwave-signals-a-new-normal-13068" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heatwaves</a> – along with bushfires and land clearing, can weaken these carbon sinks. While many Australian ecosystems show resilience to these stresses, we found their recovery time may be shortening due to more frequent and extreme events, potentially compromising their long-term contribution towards offsetting emissions. Take bushfire as an example. When it burns a forest, the carbon stored in the plants is released back into the atmosphere as smoke - so the ecosystem becomes a carbon source. Likewise, under drought or heatwave conditions, water available to the roots becomes depleted and limits photosynthesis, which can tip a forest’s carbon budget from being a sink to a carbon source. If that drought or heatwave endures for a long time, or a bushfire returns before the forest has recovered, its ability to regain its carbon sink status is at risk. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/454278/original/file-20220325-17-1u3m5n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/454278/original/file-20220325-17-1u3m5n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/454278/original/file-20220325-17-1u3m5n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/454278/original/file-20220325-17-1u3m5n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/454278/original/file-20220325-17-1u3m5n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/454278/original/file-20220325-17-1u3m5n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/454278/original/file-20220325-17-1u3m5n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/454278/original/file-20220325-17-1u3m5n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Regrowth after bushfires return forests from carbon source to carbon sink. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> Learning how carbon sinks may shift in Australia and New Zealand can have a global impact. Both countries are home to a broad range of climates – from the wet tropics, to the Mediterranean climate of southwest Australia, to the temperate climate in the southeast. Our unique ecosystems have evolved to suit these diverse climates, which are underrepresented in the global network. This means long-term ecosystem observatories – <a href="https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/13/5895/2016/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OzFlux</a>, along with the <a href="https://www.tern.org.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network</a> – provide a vital natural laboratory for understanding ecosystems in this era of accelerating climate change. Over its 20 years, OzFlux has made crucial contributions to the international understanding of climate change. A few of its major findings include: <ul> <li> the 2011 La Niña event led to a <a href="https://theconversation.com/droughts-and-flooding-rains-it-takes-three-oceans-to-explain-australias-wild-21st-century-weather-56264" target="_blank" rel="noopener">greening of interior Australia</a>, with ecosystems flourishing from increased water availability </li> <li> <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-heatwave-conditions-tasmanias-tall-eucalypt-forests-no-longer-absorb-carbon-176979" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heatwaves</a> can negate the carbon sink strength of our ecosystems, and even lead to carbon emissions from plants </li> <li> <a href="https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/13/6285/2016/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">land clearing</a> and the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720369412?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">draining of peatland</a> systems add to Australia’s and New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions </li> </ul> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/454281/original/file-20220325-22-sef4kn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/454281/original/file-20220325-22-sef4kn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/454281/original/file-20220325-22-sef4kn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/454281/original/file-20220325-22-sef4kn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/454281/original/file-20220325-22-sef4kn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/454281/original/file-20220325-22-sef4kn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/454281/original/file-20220325-22-sef4kn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/454281/original/file-20220325-22-sef4kn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Each hectare of Australia’s savanna’s sequesters, on average, 3.4 tonnes of carbon every year. Bryn Pinzgauer/Wikimedia, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY-SA</a></figcaption></figure> Critical questions remain Plans in Australia and New Zealand to reach net zero emissions by 2050 strongly depend on the ongoing ability for ecosystems to sequester emissions from industry, agriculture, transport and the electricity sectors. While some management and technological innovations are underway to address this, such as in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/us-scheme-used-by-australian-farmers-reveals-the-dangers-of-trading-soil-carbon-to-tackle-climate-change-161358" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agricultural sector</a>, we need long-term measurements of carbon cycling to truly understand the <a href="https://theconversation.com/forests-cant-handle-all-the-net-zero-emissions-plans-companies-and-countries-expect-nature-to-offset-too-much-carbon-170336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">limits of ecosystems</a> and their <a href="https://theconversation.com/existential-threat-to-our-survival-see-the-19-australian-ecosystems-already-collapsing-154077" target="_blank" rel="noopener">risk of collapse</a>. Indeed, we’re already in uncharted territory under climate change. Weather extremes from <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-heatwave-conditions-tasmanias-tall-eucalypt-forests-no-longer-absorb-carbon-176979" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heatwaves</a> to heavy rainfall are becoming more frequent and intense. And CO₂ levels are more than <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/state-of-the-climate/documents/State-of-the-Climate-2020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">50% higher</a> than they were 200 years ago. So while our ecosystems have remained a net sink over the <a href="https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/18/5639/2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last 20 years</a>, it’s worth asking: <ul> <li> will they continue to do the heavy-lifting required to keep both countries on track to meet their climate targets? </li> <li> how do we protect, restore and sustain the most vital, yet vulnerable, ecosystems, such as “<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-12176-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coastal blue carbon</a>” (including seagrasses and mangroves)? These are critical to nature-based solutions to climate change </li> <li> how do we monitor and verify national carbon accounting schemes, such as Australia’s <a href="http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/ERF/About-the-Emissions-Reduction-Fund#:%7E:text=The%20Emissions%20Reduction%20Fund%20is,technologies%20to%20reduce%20their%20emissions." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emissions Reduction Fund</a>? </li> </ul> Critical questions remain about how well Australia’s and New Zealand’s ecosystems can continue storing CO₂.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179554/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caitlin-moore-1186446" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Caitlin Moore</a>, Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The University of Western Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-campbell-1328524" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Campbell</a>, Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-waikato-781" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Waikato</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-cleugh-155096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Helen Cleugh</a>, Honorary Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian National University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jamie-cleverly-238170" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamie Cleverly</a>, Snr research fellow in environmental sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/james-cook-university-1167" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Cook University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jason-beringer-1327013" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Beringer</a>, Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The University of Western Australia</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lindsay-hutley-157810" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lindsay Hutley</a>, Professor of Environmental Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-darwin-university-1066" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles Darwin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-grant-1195593" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Grant</a>, Science Communication and Engagement Manager; Program Coordinator, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The University of Queensland</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-20-years-of-studying-how-ecosystems-absorb-carbon-heres-why-were-worried-about-a-tipping-point-of-collapse-179554" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Domestic Travel

Trees get sunburnt too – but there are easy ways to protect them, from tree ‘sunscreen’ to hydration

We all know how hot and damaging the summer sun can be in Australia and most of us are only too willing to take sensible precautions, and slop on sunscreen. It’s not only humans that suffer from sunburn and its consequences. <a href="https://www.rspcasa.org.au/protect-white-pets-from-sunburn/">Some pets</a>, such as cats and dogs, can get sunburnt in some of their less furry places, and pig farmers have long known <a href="https://vetmed.iastate.edu/vdpam/FSVD/swine/index-diseases/photosensitization">the damage</a> sun can do to their prized stock. But have you ever wondered about sun damage to plants? Can trees be sunburnt? It may surprise you to know the answer is actually yes! Tree sunburn tends to occur during hot spring days or in early summer, when trees are full of moisture. So let’s explore why it happens, and the easy ways you can protect your trees from damage. <h2>Sun scorch on leaves</h2> Many of you may be thinking of sun scorch, which occurs on the leaves of some of our favourite garden plants on a hot summer’s day: the brown, wilted hydrangea leaves or the large blotchy brown patches that appear on camellia leaves that weren’t there at the beginning of the day. This is sun damage, but is not the same as sunburn on trees. Leaf scorch can occur because leaves are exposed to high levels of solar radiation. The damage is often exacerbated by a low level of <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/evapotranspiration-and-water-cycle?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects">soil moisture</a>, which reduces the cooling effect of transpiration (when water evaporates from leaves). <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436565/original/file-20211209-149721-1jv9r93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436565/original/file-20211209-149721-1jv9r93.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Sun damage on leaves is more likely to occur if the plant isn’t well hydrated. Shutterstock One popular and widely published cause of sun scorch on leaves is water droplets on the surface acting as a lens that focuses the sun’s rays and intensifies the heat – a bit like a magnifying glass. But this is a myth. There is <a href="http://allgreensod.ca/the-myth-of-hot-weather-watering/">little evidence</a> it occurs and considerable evidence that it doesn’t. So what does cause leaf scorch? Well, we’re not sure. However, it’s possible and <a href="https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2009.03161.x">perhaps likely</a> very high levels of radiation increase temperatures within some of the leaf cells. This damages the cells’ metabolic processes and limits the ability to photosynthesise in a process called “photoinhibition”. If enough cells are damaged, you can get general brown or dead leaf tissue. <h2>Sunscald and sunburn</h2> When dealing with trees, sunburn is also referred to as “sunscald” – which is unfortunate as there are two different processes at work, but even scientists often use the terms sunburn and sunscald interchangeably. In the northern hemisphere, sunscald usually occurs towards the end of winter, when a warm day is followed by a freezing night. The cells in the bark of the trunk or branches have become active during the warm day, and are then badly damaged as they rupture during the cold night. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436577/original/file-20211209-140109-1wjt10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436577/original/file-20211209-140109-1wjt10.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> A sunburnt tree trunk. Shutterstock Damage can be extensive, or even fatal, for some young trees and is nearly always greatest on the south and <a href="http://pubs.cahnrs.wsu.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/publications/fs197e.pdf">southwest facing</a> tissue. Short term temperature differences in Australia aren’t usually as extreme, so this sort of sunscald rarely occurs here. However, we do come across sunburn in trees when the sun causes serious damage to the bark of the trunk or branches. If the damage is severe enough, sunburn kills the bark causing necrosis – the death of cells or tissue. It’s usually a problem for trees with smooth and thin bark, such as several fruit tree species (stone fruits like apricot, plum and peach), birches, plane trees and some eucalypts. Trees with thick, fibrous or rough bark, such as oaks, elms, conifers and thick, rough barked eucalypts are usually insulated and protected. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436597/original/file-20211209-27-rft1nr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436597/original/file-20211209-27-rft1nr.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> A sunburnt plane tree. Greg Moore, Author provided In Australia, sunburn nearly always occurs on trunks facing north or northwest, where exposure to the sun is hottest. Sunburn can <a href="http://pubs.cahnrs.wsu.edu/publications/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/publications/fs197e.pdf">also occur</a> on the upward facing side of branches of a tree directly exposed to the sun, and is common after pruning exposes previously shaded branches, such as on thin-barked street trees pruned for powerline clearance. <h2>Why does it happen?</h2> Sunburn tends to occur in <a href="https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/environmental/scorch.aspx">late spring and early summer</a>, when bark tissues are full of moisture and actively growing. Cells in the bark <a href="https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/environmental/scorch.aspx">are damaged or killed</a> by high levels of radiation and high temperatures. While high temperature can directly kill plant tissues, photoinhibition is another probable contributor. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436580/original/file-20211209-15-1bnxf66.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436580/original/file-20211209-15-1bnxf66.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Oak tree" /></a> Trees like oak, with thick rough bark aren’t vulnerable to sunburn. Shutterstock Sunburn damage may take time to manifest, but in smooth-barked trees, lesions may be over 1.5 metres in length, and over 100 millimetres wide. The tree tissue browns, dies, dries and splits, with the bark peeling back to expose the wood below. The wound can give access to <a href="https://joa.isa-arbor.com/article_detail.asp?JournalID=1&VolumeID=44&IssueID=1&ArticleID=3436">pests and diseases</a>, and slow growth in young trees. Likewise, sunburn damage <a href="https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/flowers-shrubs-trees/heatwave-garden-how-identify-prevent-heat-stress-plants">to fruit</a> is common and often causes it to rot. In younger trees, it may <a href="https://fruittreelane.com.au/general/sunburn-damage-in-fruit-trees/">prove fatal</a>. <h2>How to slip slop, slap for trees</h2> The risk of both sunscald and sunburn has left an enduring legacy in Australia, as many post-war migrants to Australia from the Mediterranean region – particularly those from Italy and Greece – would routinely whitewash the base of their fruit trees. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436573/original/file-20211209-68670-lelh0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436573/original/file-20211209-68670-lelh0s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Fruit trees with painted trunks" /></a> Whitewashing tree trunks and branches can help keep your tree feel and look cool. Shutterstock Sunscald may not have been much of a problem in their new home, but the whitewash was, and remains, a protection against sunburn – a literal slip slop, slap for trees! The whitewash shields the bark from the sun, reflects radiation and keeps darker coloured bark cooler. Other ways of <a href="https://www.sgaonline.org.au/protecting-plants-in-hot-weather/">protecting trees</a> from sunburn include wrapping them in light coloured paper, cardboard or cloth, planting susceptible trees in shadier parts of the garden and, for some trees, retaining lower branches that will naturally shade the trunk. But one of the best ways to avoid tree sunburn is to make sure your trees are properly irrigated ahead of very hot days as transpiration, like sweating, keeps tissues cooler. And of course, <a href="https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/leaf-scorch-2-911/">a good mulch</a> around the base of the trees maximises efficient water use and keeps soils cooler. So while you protect yourself from the sun this summer, remember to take care of your trees, too, and keep them well hydrated.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172953/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gregory-moore-1779">Gregory Moore</a>, Doctor of Botany, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/trees-get-sunburnt-too-but-there-are-easy-ways-to-protect-them-from-tree-sunscreen-to-hydration-172953">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Domestic Travel

Natalie Barr's hilarious Christmas tree clanger

Image: Sunrise Beloved Sunrise co-host Natalie Barr has once again shown how professional she can be in even the most embarrassing situations, as she effortlessly laughed off a hilarious Christmas tree decoration mishap on the popular breakfast show. Eagle-eyed viewers noticed a huge festive ornament that simply said ‘HO’ hanging on a tree right behind the television star as she presented the news. The inadvertently R-rated glittering red decoration was swiftly removed when viewers wrote in – but not before Nat had posed for a funny photo to share on various social media profiles. “Really loving our studio Christmas decorations this year.. #hohoho,” she wrote on Instagram along with a photo of herself grinning next to the gorgeously decorated tree. The light-hearted moment comes before Nat joins her fellow Sunrise star David ‘Kochie’ Koch to host the Woolworths Carols in the Domain in Sydney. The pair will be fronting the festive event at Sydney’s Domain on Saturday December 18, before it’s broadcast on Channel Seven five days later. Samantha Jade, Penny McNamee, Carrie Underwood, The Voice winner Bella Taylor Smith, Human Nature’s Phil Burton and more artists will be performing at the event.

The do’s and don’ts of Christmas tree decorating

With the festive season quickly approaching, more of us are putting up the Christmas tree and stringing up lights. But, making your Christmas tree truly shine isn’t as easy as you might think, and there are some common <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bhg.com.au/christmas-tree-decorating-mistakes" target="_blank">do’s and don’ts</a> to follow when hanging baubles and lights on your tree this year. Don’t: Use too much tinsel As fun as it is to cover everything in tinsel of various colours, it can have a tendency to overwhelm whatever it’s draped over. Instead, treat tinsel like a garnish and use it sparingly to have the best effect. Do: Pick a colour theme For a more sophisticated-looking tree, choose a colour theme for your ornaments, tinsel and lights. Picking a pair of colours, such as white and gold, or silver with either red, green, blue or even purple, can help take your tree decorating to the next level. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CW_uH5nlQuS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CW_uH5nlQuS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by J O R G E Z A P A T A (@jorgezapataev)</a> </div> </blockquote> Don’t: Use too few baubles To dress your trees to the nines, make sure you layer baubles on the inner and outer branches. This will help your decorating look more layered and intentional. When it comes to buying baubles, opting for glass, fabric or timber rather than plastic can also add that air of sophistication. If you do go for plastic decorations, opt for those with a nice finish. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CW_2CyMB8Da/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CW_2CyMB8Da/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Thenailbarbrisbane (@thenailbarbrisbane)</a> </div> </blockquote> Do: Match your lights to your tree With Christmas lights now coming in every colour imaginable, it’s easy to choose colours that don’t stand out from your tree. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CW_ZytKrTtE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CW_ZytKrTtE/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by @caringtoshareyourfeed (@caringtoshareyourfeed)</a> </div> </blockquote> To help them shine through, try white lights if your tree is white, or a warm light for green trees Image: Getty Images

Home & Garden

See the view from the trees in Switzerland

The longest treetop walk in the world has just opened in Switzerland and lets visitors walk among the towering pines. At its highest point, the Senda dil Dragun is 28 metres above the ground - roughly the height of four double decker buses. Spanning over 1.5 kilometres, the Senda dil Dragun walkway connects the two alpine villages of Laax Murschetg and Laax Dorf. The walkway also features viewing platforms where visitors can stop to take in the scenic mountain views, as well as information boards sharing facts about the local flora and fauna. The boardwalk is made entirely out of regionally-sourced wood, helping it blend into the surrounding landscape. But the highlight of the new attraction has to be the 73-metre-long slide, offering a fun alternative route back down to ground level. Images: Flims Laax Falera, Laax / Instagram

International Travel

Adorable koalas rehomed after over-eating trees

Over 90 koalas have settled nicely into their new home after they ate all of their food sources in parts of Victoria. The marsupials were bundled into washing baskets and crates by wildlife rescuers, to be released into their new home in the Great Otway National Park, off the Great Ocean Road. 54 female koalas also received fertility control in order to slow population growth, during the relocation. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842328/koalas.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/086991c842e4458582969b2792c50ce1" /> Images: Yahoo Australia Victoria's environment department (DELWP) only allowed 32 koalas to remain on site, however a total of 46 male and 46 female koalas were trucked to the nearby land north of Lorne. They have been distributed throughout the land in lower numbers. DELWP has moved koalas in the region to avoid over-browsing of their favourite food, manna gums for six years. “It’s encouraging to see the manna gum trees at Cape Otway starting to recover – they’re in their best condition in ten years, with foliage returning and new saplings starting to grow,” a DELWP spokesperson said. “The health of the koala population is tracking well, much better than in previous years when the koalas had significantly depleted their food source, by stripping many manna gum trees of their leaves.”

Travel Tips

Petty neighbourhood dispute over tree

As much as we all want to get along with our neighbours, it can be tough when they resort to petty acts. A Reddit user from the UK has shared their story of their extremely petty neighbour, with photos to prove it. In one of the photos, a large tree can be seen that sits on the border between two properties. On one side, the tree has branches covered in leaves and looks like it needs a bit of a trim. On the other side, the tree has been trimmed down to the trunk so not even a leaf or branch encroaches on the neighbour’s property. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQe4cZwg4g-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQe4cZwg4g-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by thetodayshow (@thetodayshow)</a> </div> </blockquote> The user captioned their post, saying: “Some traditional British pettiness on display”, and the post has received more than 30,000 likes from other users, with some sharing their recognition of the kind of dispute the two houses were experiencing. “The wrought iron gate really sets it off nicely,” one user commented. “Feel like I know the exact guy.” Another said: “He asked if he could cut down the ivy on the front of my house. I said no. He tried to do it when he thought I was out.” Image: The Today Show / Instagram

Relationships

Sacred tree felled while the rest of Victoria celebrates

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been praised for relenting on his intense lockdown regime during the coronavirus pandemic. However, on the exact same day, his Government green-lit a decision that has since been slammed as "shameful" and "callous". The Victorian Government gave permission to bulldoze a tree, which is reported to have been where Djag Wurrung women have traditionally gone to give birth. The tree was removed to clear land for a highway in Western Victoria, despite an alternative route being provided that avoids deviation through the sacred country. The tree removal was something that the Andrews Government had wanted to do for two years, with the Djag Wurrung people fighting during that time to stop it from happening. Sissy Eileen Austin, a Djab Wurrung woman and member of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, said the community’s trust in the “progressive” Andrews Government is broken. “Victoria claims to be progressive in its relationship with Aboriginal people and communities,” she wrote for <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/27/the-destruction-of-a-sacred-tree-on-djab-wurrung-country-has-broken-our-hearts?fbclid=IwAR0giIcxanFUYQO_Mz-zAg0LWlAoa5BelaA1k6RSNtWJpenk5Dv7LLQllik" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink">The Guardian</a> <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/oct/27/the-destruction-of-a-sacred-tree-on-djab-wurrung-country-has-broken-our-hearts?fbclid=IwAR0giIcxanFUYQO_Mz-zAg0LWlAoa5BelaA1k6RSNtWJpenk5Dv7LLQllik" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink">.</a> “There are conflicting agendas here, one where the Government is supporting the progression of the treaty and the other where they’re comfortable in proceeding with the irreversible destruction of significant cultural heritage.” Victoria’s first Aboriginal senator, Lidia Thorpe, said that the actions of the past two days had undone any prospect of a meaningful compromise. “We wanted a peaceful outcome,” Ms Thorpe said. “We came with peace and in good faith, and were willing to negotiate. But heavy-handed politics from the Andrews Government has faded any hopes of that, or anything else into the future. The inherent violence of the system is being perpetrated against us on every level.” Media commentator Jan Fran compared the felling of the tree to Notre Dame burning down in Paris last years. “You may say there is no comparison between the two. There is,” she wrote on Facebook overnight. “We have made very clear the history we value and the history we are prepared to destroy. And for what? A shorter commute? “I don’t know a lot about Djab Wurrung history. I have not had the privilege to learn. No. I have been ROBBED of the privilege to learn. We all have. “What I do know is this: Aboriginal history IS the history of this country. It is our history too and what has been taken from the Djab Wurrung people has been taken from all of us. "We are too blind, too callous, too arrogant to see it.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> It's not a good day when your government allows the Directions Tree to be destroyed on your watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Djabwurrung?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Djabwurrung</a> #<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DjabwurrungTrees?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DjabwurrungTrees</a> <a href="https://t.co/hhBzBIy1kM">pic.twitter.com/hhBzBIy1kM</a> — PassTheMSG (@kiIIyridoIs) <a href="https://twitter.com/kiIIyridoIs/status/1320679259635998720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2020</a></blockquote> Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the tree that was cut down had been assessed as was found to not be culturally significant. This was after multiple cultural surveys and she expressed that no trees would be removed without the consent of the Djab Wurrung elders. “The tree that was identified in media reports on Tuesday, usually referred to as the ‘Fiddleback Tree’, has been involved in multiple cultural surveys involving Djab Wurrung elders and has not been assessed as being culturally significant,” Ms Allan said in a statement. “In fact, the tree has been assessed by an arborist as being “maybe over 100 years old” and is highly unlikely to predate European settlement. “The Directions Tree that was identified in the Federal Court proceeding is at the northern end of the alignment almost 10km away. It has not, and will not be removed.” </div> </div> </div>

Legal

Genius mum’s inspired Christmas tree goes viral

A Sydney mum has left thousands of Facebook users in awe over her “outstandingly genius” Christmas tree. While most people choose to use fancy ornaments and tinsel to decorate their trees, Marissa Velarde came up with a unique idea - she used 200 family photos, which immediately caught the attention of social media users. The mother-of-two said she didn’t know just how popular her tree would be after it racked up 5000 likes and hundreds of comments on Facebook. “I was so surprised. Oh my gosh. I just didn’t think people would react that way,” Ms Velarde told news.com.au. <img style="width: 321.04557640750676px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838248/screen-shot-2020-10-13-at-33106-pm.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/67979c5f77c54c2bbebb2fd724d1c04d" /> The process took five days to complete as she looked through family albums to pick out images to cut up and hang on to her tree. After hand-picking 200 images she then saved it to a hard-drive and printed it off at her local Kmart. “I had 6 X 4 photos printed in Kmart, then I cut them to the size I wanted,” Ms Velarde said. “I also bought gold and light brown cardboard paper, cut them both up a bit bigger than the picture, and stuck them on top of each other. “I glued gold ribbon between the photo and cardboard paper.” The 50-year-old said the main reason she decided to hang up photos on her tree was due to a recent health scare. She also has not been able to visit her extended family in the Philippines due to coronavirus restrictions. “A lot has happened health wise for me since last year. I had a stroke and have had a few operations since then where they had to insert a defibrillator into the left side of my chest,” Ms Velarde told news.com.au After suffering from a stroke last August, doctors came to discover that Ms Velarde had Cardiomyopathy, a hereditary disease of the heart muscle. “So they put in the defibrillator to jolt me if my heart stops,” she said. Ms Velarde said if it wasn’t for the stroke, she wouldn’t have known she had a weak and enlarged heart. “I wouldn’t have known I had a heart issue because I never felt anything, I actually didn’t realise I was having a stroke,” she said. “I have been in and out of hospital and I thought, oh my gosh, with COVID we can’t even go anywhere and visit our family overseas which we do every year at Christmas. “So I thought maybe I could do this (photo Christmas tree) and have them ‘here’ with us,” Since posting the photo of her tree, Ms Velarde has received hundreds of comments praising her for the idea.

Home & Garden

When to prune

Ever wondered when the best time is to prune your garden or to grow fruit? This calendar should help you out. <h4>Pruning calendar</h4> Late winter Dormant-prune deciduous fruit trees such as peach, nectarine, apple, pear (always lightly), cherry and European and Japanese plums. Cut back autumn-fruiting raspberries to within a few centimetres of the ground. Begin pinching back cordons and espaliers and rubbing out unwanted vegetative buds to maintain the desired shape. Prune blueberry bushes from the end of harvest through to the following bud break by removing or cutting back old canes. Late winter pruning is ideal. Cut back canes of any newly planted raspberries and hybrid blackberries. Spring Prune apricots in very early spring and before blossom opens. Prune citrus; remove dead or diseased wood and crossed rubbing branches. Remove one limb every three to four years to improve light penetration (the flower bud loss has little effect on yield). Prune passionfruit vines in mid- to late spring. Continue to shape cordons and espaliers during spring by rubbing out vegetative buds that would form unwanted branches and spoil the established shape. Thin the small fruits on early stone and pome fruit trees to improve harvest quality. Summer In the early part of summer, continue judicious fruit thinning on late-season deciduous fruit varieties. Prune gooseberry bushes and white currants after fruiting has finished. Carry out summer pruning on deciduous fruit trees after harvesting in late summer. Only do dwarfed varieties if necessary. Cut out raspberry canes that have fruited. Autumn Complete any summer pruning of deciduous pome and stone fruit trees in early autumn. Cut down the shoots of blackberry hybrids that have fruited. Complete pruning of white currant and gooseberry bushes, and prune red and blackcurrant bushes. Other Tropical trees are usually pruned immediately after fruiting. In the first year this will simply consist of cutting back the leader to about 1 m high. Thereafter, make one thinning cut annually by removing a single limb; this will keep the tree at a manageable size. Bananas are cut to the ground after fruiting. Each plant will be replaced by an emerging sucker. Avocados are pruned lightly immediately after harvest. In the home garden trim only one side or the top of the tree annually. Rotate the part that you trim each year to maximise fruit production. Written by Reader's Digest Editors. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/gardeing-tips/when-to-prune">Reader’s Digest.</a> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA93V">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.

Home & Garden

The apple doesn’t fall from the tree! Israel Folau’s cousin loses job over religious comments

The cousin of rugby star Israel Folau has reportedly left his job at a Catholic school days after he was reportedly quoted speaking against the Catholic Church. Josiah Folau was an employee at St Gregory’s Catholic College in Campbelltown in South West Sydney and attends the same church as his elder cousin. The 20-year-old was recently quoted saying the Catholic Church was the “synagogue of Satan.” Ben Fordham, 2GB radio show host, reported Folau’s religious beliefs was part of the reason he decided to part with St Gregory’s. “I’m told his employment came to an end,” Fordham said. <img style="width: 500px; height: 282.23270440251576px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7829170/dailies-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/435a190e2e1f418d8bd188e3b3be7a23" /> Folau is a member of The Truth of Jesus Christ Church in Kenthurst in north west Sydney - the same as Israel. He is often seen translating his uncle’s Tongan preachings into English. His latest Instagram posts are similar to his famous rugby star cousin’s who posts religious remarks often. Recently he posted a graphic that read: “If it was a sin 100 years ago, it’s still a sin today. Don’t water down the gospel for this offended generation.” Last month, <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/" target="_blank">Sydney Morning Herald</a> reported Josiah saying: “Any devout Catholic person IS NOT A SAVED CHRISTIAN WHATSOEVER (his capitals). Look at Catholic doctrine, almost 100 per cent of it is false and is filled with lies.” He was also reported to have said, “Roman Catholicism is masked devil worship” and the Catholic Church was the “synagogue of Satan.” Fordham said Folau and St Gregory’s have made it unclear why they severed their relationship. “We don’t know if Josiah’s Instagram post or his comments on the Catholic Church are what led to employment coming to an end at St Gregory’s,” he said. The Catholic school released a statement that has come from the headmaster Lee MacMaster. “We have met with Josiah recently and in our discussions, Josiah has made the decision to discontinue his casual employment at St Gregory’s College. We respect Josiah’s privacy in this matter,” Ms MacMaster said.

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