Sustainability and Ecology

Let the land speak

A fascinating and fresh interpretation of Australian history, focusing on how the land itself, rather than social forces, has shaped the major events that led to modern Australia. to understand the present, you need to understand the past. to understand Australia's history, you need to look at how the land has shaped not just our past, but will continue to shape our future.

Illustrated by Sue deGennaro

A timely picture book about a young prince who is determined to rule over a country where the future is filled with environmental hope - and practical solutions, such as common usage of solar and wind power. Lively, fun and positive, this book serves to give young people information about their world and shows them that a lot of environmental solutions are simple and relatively easy to put in place. Produced on recycled paper to reflect the message within, this is a beautiful book.

Illustrated by Bruce Whatley

Companion non-fiction title for the bestselling Diary of a Wombat. A non-fiction book that explores everything you've ever wanted to know about wombats. Jackie French loves wombats. She's been living with and studying them for over 30 years, and they have been featured characters in many of her books. Now her beloved wombats take centre stage, as Jackie reveals everything you have ever wanted to know about them - from their zoological history to habitation and habits. Jackie also shares some personal stories from her experiences living with these wonderful creatures. there are also wombat Q&As and wombat jokes sprinkled throughout the book.

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HOW HIGH CAN A KANGAROO HOP?

Illustrated by Bruce Whatley

Take a closer look at Australia's best-known marsupials. Why does Australia have animals that are so different from others anywhere else in the world? Why do 'roos and wallabies have such big tummies? Who were the kangaroos with fangs that lived 10 million years ago? What's the best way to become invisible (to kangaroos, at any rate)? Which wallaby is a 'living fossil' - the same as the wallabies that grazed 10 million years ago? Why do joeys eat their mother's droppings? Fnd out in this fascinating new book! PS: What do you call a kangaroo with a flower behind their ear and a big grin? A happy hippy hoppy.

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Natural control of garden pests (Aird Books)

The result of decades of research into who eats what in the garden and orchard, with techniques to control pests without poisoning yourself and other creatures. Note: Summaries of these techniques are in the The Wilderness Garden and The Best of Jackie French; this book is aimed at those who want to know 'why', as well as 'how'.

Organic control of common weeds (aird Books)

Weed control without herbicides. (Yes, of course it can be done.) For an excerpt from the book, click here.

Backyard Self Sufficiency

Most of us don't have time to tend a garden - nurture it and coax it along. Luckily you don't have to break your back or dedicate your Sunday afternoons to be able to grow most of your own food. For more about this book, click here.

Ask your local bookshop to order this for you.

The Wilderness Garden

We’ve had three months at times of gale force bushfire winds, during an eleven month period with only 47 mm of rain... and yet our garden had no watering. And it survived. (Well, most of it, anyhow. I’m not sure I coped quite as well as my trees...)
So how do we do it?
By designing a gardening system that suits Australian conditions.

To read even more about this book, click here.

Ask your local bookshop to order this for you.

The House that Jackie Built

This is the story of how Jackie built her own stone house, even though she couldn't hammer in a nail straight. (She still can't). It cost $3000 to lock up stage, about $10,000 in today's terms.

If she can do it, almost anyone can.

NB: no floor is quite straight, no door frame 90 degrees. But every piece of wall contains a memory.