Hello and welcome! Thanks for dropping by.

While some naturalists travel far and wide, most of my nature observations happen in our garden and neighbourhood. I hope you'll enjoy some of my sightings through this site; whether you're already an avid nature watcher yourself, or perhaps you'll be encouraged to look more closely.

Things I like to note include the native bees I encounter, happenings in the garden, backyard beekeeping (they started the insect obsession!), and sources of inspiration.
If you attended a talk I gave, or were referred to this site, l trust you'll find the resource, video or post you're after. Please get in touch if you're not sure.

There's nothing particularly special about our place - nature's wonders are everywhere, awaiting anyone who cares to look. When I venture further afield it's often to Nail Can Hill in Albury and to Chiltern - Mt Pilot National Park (both are within 20 minutes drive!). It's very special to have those, and other, incredible places right at my doorstep. Plus locally there's an impressive array of both professional and amateur scientists and naturalists who generously share their knowledge with the wider community.

Backstory

This site began as a place to note adventures at our 'Little House on the Hill', with a focus on Do-It-Yourself (DIY) solutions, appropriate technologies, permaculture and a healthy dose of trial and error. In the older posts, particularly, there's a mix of tales about stuff happening at our place, people and events that inspired us, and things we learnt along the way (also known as mistakes!).

As you'll see, my partner Ralph does all the clever and hard stuff around here, while I (Karen) write this blog, keep records, spy on native bees and hang out in the garden whenever I can. If you read about Ralph's handiwork at our place, it probably won't come as a surprise to learn that he builds, welds and fixes things for a living. I work a variety of jobs relating to sustainability and education as well as being active in several local community groups.

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