Help Ban Fracking in Western Australia

It’s been such a beautiful week.  We are so lucky to live in an area incredibly rich in outdoor activities.  We spent time at the beach, swimming at the pool, enjoying a picnic with a friend and ran amok in the yard as the sun began to set each night.

That being said – beyond our personal activities; today is an important day for the region.  The Inquiry into Fracking has now closed it’s scientific submission period.

I’ve written a personal submission and also helped local group P.O.W.E.R Eneabba with their group submission as well.  Many other concerned citizens across the region have also picked up pens, and participated in Lock the Gate workshops to prepare and submit for themselves.  It’s encouraging to see people have hope and passion to keep on protecting this special place.  A statement in the press claimed there were approximately 8,500 individual submissions received by the panel.

The loosely regulated gas industry has been causing disruption in the community since 2012 and are well poised to roll out the invasive gas wells across the region in as near as 2020.

Things are now coming to a head.

We now wait with baited breath to see what the results will be.

Here’s hoping that there are advocates for farmers, the environment and water rights amongst the policy makers sitting in office.

One way you can still help influence positive change, is to sign this petition/.

It calls on the government to impose a full ban on fracking to protect all citizens in the State of West Australia from the risks of water contamination, disruption to the local commerce, agriculture and ecology.

Can you help?

Heres to being open.

Life on the farm is simple, minimalist and starting to shape itself toward being a sustainable little treasure.  We’re excited to now see progress as we take the small but inevitable steps toward a life with less and more good wholesome home grown food.

Our chicken coop is nearly finished, the lawn is drought hardy, the compost is heaped to the brim and the plans for the next phase are nearly under way.

Lately I’ve helping the community rally together against the Fracking Industry (as that fight is unfortunately still ongoing and will be a long process) in partnership with Lock the Gate, immersing myself in the joys of raising Wesley, copywriting from home and learning alongside Mike that the potential to make inner change is huge.

We have both been reading a number of books on mind development, cognitive decision making and positive communication.

Do you ever read books like this?  What’s a book you’ve read and felt really resonated with you?

For me the #1 is The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer – it’s simply given my mind a real shake up.

This is another year that is going to be filled to the brim with love, adventure, open hearts, cuddles, dancing, singing, photos, hiking and plenty of learning.

New Spider Discovered – Tharpyna (Crab Spider) Western Australia

Yesterday I sent off a brief email detailing the behaviours of this unusual red and black spider.  It was found about a month ago at the front of our home here in Warradarge.  I first noticed it as it was scrambling in the sand (quite frantically) as soon as the sun started to dip toward the horizon.  It was new to me at the time.  Initially I thought it was an orb spider as I’d been referencing an Australian spider field guide and it was the only image that seemed to match my red and deep black spider.  Being the curious person that I am, I decided to contact the author to see if he knew what it might be.

The author (Robert Whyte) confirmed with me this morning that “It is an as yet unknown, at least as far as live photos are concerned, species of Tharpyna, you are the discoverer! It looks like it is a mature male, so it may have been frantically out and about for a quick shag before bedtime. Many crab spiders are daytime spiders, but Tharpyna are often under bark and may be night hunters. It is one of the prettiest Tharpyna I have seen. ”

So my first question to Robert was a little egotistical: Could I name it?  He wrote me back saying that technically I could but it would need to be scientifically named and also peer reviewed.  I let him know that I’m no scientist – and he was able to share with me the details of another expert based in Poland who might be able to help.

I also asked how he was able to distinguish that it was a crab spider and not the orb I’d originally guessed at.  He informed me that there were several identifying features that clued him into the species.  You see, I am a literal amateur.

“The eye tubercles, eye arrangement, general flatness and shape, shape of male palpal (sex) organs, arrangement of legs (laterigrade).”

I’m quite thrilled to share this news with you all.  It is a really great to know that there are new species out there for discovery, and that there are resources out there to help novices like myself.

I’ll update you if this little beauty gets a name.

If you have a love for spiders, or want to look at some examples of them from across Australia this book is worth every penny.  I also want to thank Robert for being so kind and taking the time to help me with identification and steering this newbie in the right direction.

-Holly

Western Australian Spiders

Here is an assortment of spiders that I’ve managed to photograph of the past couple of years from Perth, to Coorow and Warradarge.  They come in all shapes and colours…  Stay tuned I’ve got some exciting news about spiders to share with you in my next post.

Robert Whyte, author of the field guide “Spiders of Australia” has kindly helped me identify these beautiful spiders.  From top to bottom:

• Lycosidae A Wolf Spider
• Sandalodes scopifer
• Thomisidae Tmarus sp.
• Araneidae Araneinae Araneus arenaceus relative
• Thomisidae Zygometis xanthogaster
• Thomisidae Stephanopis ornata or close relative
• Salticidae Apricia jovialis female

The comprehensive field guide he wrote has been incredibly useful, and comes with very clear images of each spider and categorises them in a straightforward and practical manner.  I imagine even people with spider phobias would enjoy the maratus jumping spider section!  If you’re looking for a copy take a peek at it here.

Flat Jumping Spider, Lycidas scutulatus – Western Australia

Each day (or nearly each day) I’ve discovered a number of curious little bugs that live near our house.  The West facing side particularly has yielded a number of jumping spiders and strange critters.  It’s a bit like a treasure hunt, Wesley will go down for a nap and I have limited time to get on my knees and start peering at the sand and soil.

The images above are only from the past couple of days.

The grey flat jumping spider looks almost like his tush was squished.  It was found by Mike in the kitchen.  Keeping it safe from harm (Wesley) I transported it to the yard and took a few snaps as it scuttled away.

The lycidas scutulatus was found in the front yard on a warm sunny morning. I think it might be a female, but it’s an uneducated guess at this stage!