General Information
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is a
treasure trove for naturalists, despite being without a coastline, without
rainforest or without deserts. A wealth of biodiversity is found there, due to
the close proximity of three major habitat types.
The great western woodland grassy plains bump up
against the inland edge of the coastal hinterland mountain forests, while the
whole south-eastern Australian Alps system reaches its northern limit in the
Brindabella Ranges. Each of these habitats has its own rich suite of plants and
animals, so a great diversity of life can be found within an hour's drive of
Parliament House.
A Bush Capital Year introduces the
fauna, flora, habitats and reserves of the ACT and includes the most recent
research available. It also emphasises often unappreciated or even unrecognised
urban wildlife.
For each month of the year there are 10 stories
which discuss either a species or a group of species, such as mosses and
mountain grasshoppers. While never anthropomorphic, many of the stories are
written from the organism's point of view, while others are from that of an
observer. Beautiful paintings complement the text and allow better visualisation
of the stories and the subjects.
Both the author Ian Fraser from Environment
Tours, Vertego Environmental Consultancy and the illustrator Peter Marsac
will chat about their work.
Autographed copies of A Bush Capital Year
will be on sale for A$49.95.
For more information, visit CSIRO PUBLISHING's
A Bush Capital Year: A Natural History of the Canberra
Region [external
link].
