Conservation and Research on Cattai & Little Cattai Catchment
The platypus is one of our native mammals that need help as the water-ways in which they live, such as the Cattai creek, aren’t in the best condition to support their population growth.
Though we are in isolation there are still ways we can help our native and local wildlife from home!
So here are some ways we can help them, even during this period!
Most commercial dish washing liquids, laundry powders and soaps are actually very harmful to our local environment. The surfactants, phosphorus levels, dyes, bleaching agents, scourers, polishes, softners, and scents that are contained in these products get carried into our sewage system and into our local waterways, contaminating them.
There are some brands out there however, that consider the environment when creating their product and therefore contain ingredients that are environmentally friendly. Some brands include Ecologic, Koala Eco or Eco-Store.
After searching for some cheap, effective and eco-friendly products online, I came across something that blew my mind away. It was eco-friendly in every way, from its packaging material and ingredient list to its disposal process, it leaves no harmful trace to this world but only benefits it and us!
It is a thing called Soapberries. Soap berries (also referred to as soap nuts, although not actually a nut) are the fruit of the Sapindus Mukorossi tree. This tree grows primarily in the Himalayas as well as several other regions of the world. The fruit is harvested under ethical conditions by small communities. By purchasing these berries, you are supporting the ‘Grow Nepal’ initiative which helps the Nepal people create an income and protecting these tree’s helps reduce deforestation in the Himalayas.
How do they work?
The berries contain a very high level of a particular ingredient called ‘saponin’ that acts as a cleaning agent, it has been called ‘Nature’s soap’. Soapberries work to reduce the surface tension in water to remove dirt and clean almost anything around the home.The berries contain nothing more then themselves, which means there are no chemicals, no packaging, they are grey water safe and can be composted at the end of their use. They come with a small cotton bag that is reused and nothing more!
Image from https://soapnuts.co.nz/natural-and-eco-friendly-detergent/soapnuts/what-are-soapnuts
LAUNDRY DETERGENT
Using Soapberries as a laundry detergent is the easiest way to use them as you simply put five soap berry shells in the small cotton bag provided, add a few drops of essential oils for desired smell (optional), throw into the washing machine with your clothes, and remove when finished. Those 5 shells can actually be used for 4-5 washes as well. They will slowly become thin and brittle, to which you can throw out, or better yet, add them to your compost bin to break down naturally.
MULTI-PURPOSE SPRAY
Soap berries can also be used as a multi-purpose spray. To do this, boil the berries for 15 minutes, drain the remaining liquid with a nut milk bag, pop it into a reusable spray bottle and your done!
ECONOMICAL
Eco-friendly cleaning products can be more expensive then your usual go-to cleaning product which is a shame as it is an important factor consumers consider when choosing cleaning products. That is why I love Soap berries all the more! They are very economical, costing only 10 cents per wash.
Get Yours Here from Biome or That Red House!
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and educate yourself on being more environmentally conscious in your home. Let me know what you think of these berries in the comment section below. I would love to know if you have used them and how they went!
Sources:
https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/how-toxic-are-your-household-cleaning-supplies
https://www.thatredhouse.com.au/
https://www.biome.com.au/soap-nuts/15377-soapberry-shells-250g-799439052888.html
By Jacqueline Britton
Cattai Aware Project Officer (Rural)
Australia has over 700 species of eucalypts but did you know we have our very own species of eucalypt found only in the Cattai catchment, called Eucalyptus species Cattai. The species is very rare and has been listed under New South Wales and Commonwealth environmental legislation as Critically Endangered as it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction.
It has been recorded in Glenorie, Annangrove, Kenthurst, Glenhaven and Kellyville.
It is a small, mallee-form tree that can grow up to 4.5 m with thick, furrowed and fibrous bark. Adult leaves are dark green and glossy, and paler on the underside. It can grow individually or in small clustered groups usually around sandstone ridgetops in scrub, heath or low woodland.
Some of its threats are clearing, urban development and altered fire-regimes. Fire is essential for seed germination.
I recently visited for the first time, the Eucalyptus species Cattai population in Heath Road, North Kellyville. At this location there are a number of trees growing along the ridgetop in a pocket of bushland close to urban development.
One of CHEN’s goals is to increase awareness in the local community of this rare and unique species and to aid its protection.
Information Sources:
NSW Office of Environment & Heritage (OEH) (2019). Eucalyptus sp. Cattai – profile. Available at: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedSpeciesApp/profile.aspx?id=10317
Teresa James (2018) Rare and threatened flora of the Hills Shire Council
Based on a true story
Two of our newly arrived residents from overseas were clearing privet on their property. This is their story.
One crisp spring morning we finally came to the bank of the creek. In wonder we gazed at the water running between the rocks and the cool dark pools. Suddenly we saw a flash of fur and a rounded beak. We had never encountered such a strange looking animal before and called our neighbour.
It was a platypus!
Scientists have joined forces with tech giant Google to build an app that allows Australians to gather information about one of our most unique and elusive animals, the platypus.
Key points:
It is not clear how many platypuses are living in the wild, but conservationists say the star of the 20-cent coin is facing an uncertain future due to urban sprawl and river pollution.
There is a lot of talk nowadays about how we can better manage our waste more responsibly whether that is concerning single-use plastics, recycling or composting our waste.
It is talked about more undoubtedly due to the severe impact waste ending up in landfill has on our environment, specifically the significant amount of green house gas emissions landfill sites produce.
Not only that, but the population in Sydney, Australia and the rest of the world is rapidly increasing, with a global population estimate of 9 billion by 2050. When the population increases, so does our waste.
Finding where we can individually make small but meaningful changes in our day-to-day lives can make a big difference, especially if we help and educate one another.
In the Hills District, there is concern about the amount of waste we are contributing to landfill. The Resilient Sydney Report by The Hills Shire Council using data collected from 2016/17 found that The Hills Shire were contributing more residual and green waste per capital then the NSW average. To be more specific, residents within the Hills District generate 17% more residual waste per capital and 28% more green waste.
CHEN is offering the chance to be a part of a Landcare Group at the Fred Caterson Reserve in Castle Hill.
This group aims to provide bush regeneration services to the Cattai creek and its surrounding bush land. This may include some days focused on tree planting and weed removal, while other days may be focused on providing citizen science data to numerous organizations. One example of this is working with Streamwatch to collect water quality data from the Cattai creek. Another may include using the FrogID app to collect data on the frog species in the area and submitting it to the Australian Museum for research.
Her Eco-tip was Worm Farming! This enabled her to divert her household food waste from landfill and instead use it for her worms.
We are very excited to give away our Eco- Bundle to Leanne and we thank her for sharing with us her Eco-tip.
Read more!Happy Earth Day Everyone!
Today’s last and final Eco-tip is concerning the plastic endemic again!
When out food shopping, instead of using plastic bags to hold your fruit and vegetables, bring with you some Reusable Produce Bags!
The ones I have, from EVERECO are actually made from Recycled plastic water bottles! So that is another Eco bonus
These Produce Bags come with our Eco-bundle too, so be sure to post a photo of you helping your environment on our page by 5pm today to WIN our Eco-bundle!
Best of luck!
Today’s Eco Tip is about reducing our purchasing habits.
Clothing is a great example of an item that we purchase regularly, and it has been getting more regular as fast-fashion becomes more prone in our society.
The production of clothing uses a lot of our natural resources such as land and water.
‘In fact, it takes on average 10,000 litres of water to cultivate just one kilogram of raw cotton Read more…
The Eco tip of the day is Recycling your Soft Plastics!♻️
Collect your soft plastics and return them to Coles or Woolworths, where they will be a bin waiting for your waste to be recycled!
Having ONE Bin in the household was the norm, where all our waste went straight to landfill. Nowadays there are other ways we can dispose of our waste more thoughtfully. 😁
Soft plastics include:
– Shopping bags including ‘green’ bags
– Fresh Fruit and Veggie bags and wrappers
– Bread bags
– Cereal box liners
– Biscuit wrappers and confectionary packaging
– Rice and pasta packets
– Frozen food bags
Day 12 of the 14 Day Cattai Challenge! The Eco tip of the day is Recycling your Soft Plastics!♻️ Collect your soft plastics and return them to Coles or Woolworths, where they will be a bin waiting for your waste to be recycled! Having ONE Bin in the household was the norm, where all our waste went straight to landfill. Nowadays there are other ways we can dispose of our waste more thoughtfully. 😁Soft plastics include: – Shopping bags including ‘green’ bags- Fresh Fruit and Veggie bags and wrappers- Bread bags- Cereal box liners- Biscuit wrappers and confectionary packaging- Rice and pasta packets – Frozen food bags
Posted by Cattai Hills Environment Network CHEN on Sunday, 19 April 2020