From Loch Ness to South Bruny Island
I think I'm going to blame my parents. I grew up on the shore of Loch Ness in Scotland and they own a garden nursery, so I was permeated with plant names since day one, says specialist bird and nature guide Cat Davidson, of her early connection to nature.
Nature as music
A lot of our music is very much to a beat that's super regular, and it feels quite grid-like. Through Nature, you can start to feel a pulse, writes Bruny Island composer and guitarist Julius Schwing. It's more like a cycle. The sound of Nature is as incredible as the visual aspect.
A thriving island arts community
Growing up on Bruny Island was incredible. There's a strong community of people engaged in making art that is kind of born of the island. And a lot of people come here and it just ignites something in them to make art. Different art, Bruny art, writes resident composer and guitarist Julius Schwing.
Bruny Island: eastern quoll stronghold
Bruny Island is an amazingly special place. Someone once said to me that Bruny Island is a shining example of what Tasmania could be. And I just think that's so beautiful, says bird ecologist and guide Dr Catherine Young. The ecosystem here is so intact.
A place of wild diversity
Bruny Island - an island, off an island, off an island - is home to a phenomenal array of wildlife, says specialist guide with Inala Nature Tours, Cat Davidson. It's not just the more well-known species; everywhere you go, everywhere you look, is teeming with biodiversity. For nature lovers, it's an island paradise.
The magic of Bruny Island
"It's just a place that you feel very alive and you feel nature feeling very alive around you," says specialist guide with Inala Nature Tours, Cat Davidson of Bruny Island in southern Tasmania. It has amazing, diverse habitat types, specialist birds and animals and a strong community. It is home.
Rare and elusive: the two Bruny birds on visitor wish lists
We will often be sent a wish list by someone before they even arrive on Bruny Island, Inala Nature Tours guide Cat Davidson says of visiting bird-watchers. Nearly every single time the critically-endangered swift parrot or the endangered forty-spotted pardalote is high on the list.
Species, emotion and place
Take a moment to think about a species you care about, and the emotions you feel when you think about the interactions you've had. You might feel a sense of magic or a loss of words. Ecologist and PhD student Edith Shum wants to understand that feeling and how it connects to place and environmental change.
A tiny transhemispheric migrant
Tasmania is the stronghold for the short-tailed shearwater, writes bird ecologist Dr Eric Woehler. But they are also a remarkable transhemispheric migrant, flying to Antarctica in two days to find food for their chicks, before travelling north to Japan, Russia and Alaska for the northern summer. Then, they'll do it all again.
Protecting Bruny's beach-dwellers
Dog management on Bruny Island is a big issue, writes bird ecologist Dr Eric Woehler. He has many photos of dogs predating on vulnerable eggs, chicks and adult nesting birds - and he's urging dog owners to put them on a lead.
Little penguin paradise
Bruny Island is a special habitat for so many birds, including Tasmania's 12 endemic species and the amazing little penguin, says Dr Eric Woehler. They nest in a range of habitats, including under garden sheds and overturned boats - and so far, they've adapted to climate change.
An irreplaceable connection to place
I really enjoy watching it all happen. Just slowly, observing the cycles. I really notice the bird life, because that comes to your door. Then, there's a lot of marine life. It's a big part of every day, reflects composer and guitarist Julius Schwing, on his connection to Nature and a childhood spent "amongst it all" on Bruny Island.