When Susan Downes bought an old farmhouse in York, Western Australia, she had imagined a quiet life in the countryside, with a small garden to look after. Instead, she found herself the owner of a 200-hectare property, including a hill where old native trees had survived more than a century of grazing but much of the vegetation beneath them had disappeared.

Nearly two decades later, the 76-year-old retired general practitioner has turned a substantial part of the land into a conservation project. About 120 hectares have been restored, around 45,000 native seedlings have been planted, and 45 plant species have returned naturally from seeds already present in the soil. As reported by The Guardian, Downes is now working to ensure that the work continues long after she is gone.

Downes was in her 60s, widowed and with her children grown up, when she began looking for a home in the countryside. The farmhouse in York appealed to her, but the size of the property initially seemed impractical. A second visit changed her mind. At the back of the farm, she discovered Mount Mackie, a 295-metre hill where ancient York gums and wandoos had survived about 150 years of grazing. Much of the understorey had vanished, leaving the old trees as some of the most visible remnants of the original landscape.

“I felt a great connection to the land,” Downes told The Guardian.

She decided to buy the property and began looking for ways to restore it. Her first step was to obtain a small local grant to control foxes and feral cats. She then secured funding for 24,000 trees over three years, giving her the means to begin planting on a larger scale. Downes had started her professional career as a botanist, but restoring a large property required more than an interest in plants.

The work involved managing invasive animals, removing weeds, planting seedlings and organising the practical details of a long-term conservation effort. Today, the restoration covers 120 hectares of her working farm. The return of 45 plant species through the soil's natural seed bank has also contributed to the recovery of the landscape.

For Downes, restoring the land is only part of the task. She also wants to ensure that the area cannot be cleared again in the future. She is working to place the restored land under a conservation covenant, a legal arrangement that can protect land from certain forms of development or clearing. The project is supported by Friends of Mt Mackie, a local volunteer group with a core team of about eight people and more than 80 others who take part in organised planting and seed-collection days. Downes has also been thinking about who will look after the property in the future.

The deaths and dementia diagnoses of friends have made her more conscious of how uncertain the time available to complete a long-term project can be.

She told The Guardian that she wants the arrangements for the land's future responsibility to be firmly established. Her hope is that her children and grandchildren will be inspired by the work, while the wider community will continue to have access to the place. The project also has a cultural dimension.

Ballardong women from York visit Mount Mackie several times a year for cultural healing sessions. Downes is working with Ballardong elders to find an Aboriginal name for the hill. Planning is also under way for a reconciliation event in 2030, marking 200 years since European arrival in the region.

Before, it was so beautiful, so many trees, and now they are taking it off ! It's not a road. it's a place people go to admire the beauty of nature ! What is wrong with those people! What can I do?

Hey, please can you sign this urgent petition. The nature and wildlife we all love: birds, bees, hedgehogs - are being silently poisoned by a group of powerful chemical companies making billions selling toxic pesticides and fertilisers. The UK government can stop this, but they’re failing to act, so we have to build enough pressure to force them to step up and save UK wildlife. It only takes 2 minutes. Thanks!

Save Boca Chica Beach: surfrider.org/campaigns/Save%20Boca%20Chica%20Beach

Here's a related petition: Stop the SpaceX Takeover of Texas Wildlife Refuge Land: change.org/p/stop-the-spacex-takeover-of-texas-wildlife-refuge-land

Video is Oct 7, 2026. Savannah Fortune reporting for More Perfect Union. Here it is on YouTube: THIS is what it's like living next to SpaceX and Elon Musk - More Perfect Union - Oct 7, 2026 (YouTube)

Description: Elon Musk has taken over the town of Brownsville, one of the poorest and economically disadvantaged communities in America. ~:~ This is what it looks like on the ground. ~:~ Video by: Savannah Fortune

More Perfect Union is an Emmy-winning, nonprofit newsroom whose mission is to build power for working people. Here’s what that means: We report on the real struggles and challenges of the working class from a working-class perspective. We attempt to connect those problems to potential solutions. We report on the abuses and wrongdoing of corporate power. And we seek to hold accountable the ultra-rich who have too much power over America’s political and economic systems.~:~ perfectunion.us ~:~ Donate: secure.actblue.com/donate/mpu-splash

Oct 7, 2026. Here it is on YouTube: Big Oil Wants Wants a "Get Out of Jail Free Card" — The Supreme Court Can't Let That Happen - Public Citizen - Oct 7, 2026 (YouTube)

Description: Learn more citizen.org ~:~ On October 5th 2026, Big Oil made its case to the Supreme Court that companies like ExxonMobil cannot be held accountable under state laws for misleading the public about climate change and its resulting harms to health and property. But should Big Oil companies get a “get out of jail free” card for all the death & destruction they’ve caused? ~:~ Music credit: "Investigative News Documentary" by pinkzebra — Licensed through Envato Elements

Aaron Regunberg is Director of the Climate Accountability Project for Public Citizen: citizen.org/about/person/aaron-regunberg

References:

* Climate Lawsuit (Main Page) - Boulder County, Colorado (.gov)

* Court filing (PDF) - Boulder County, Colorado (.gov) (PDF)

* Boulder, fossil fuel companies face off at the Supreme Court in high-stakes climate case - Colorado Newsline - Oct 5, 2026 (article)

* Colorado governments launch legal fight against Suncor and ExxonMobil, say producers should pay for impact of climate change - The Denver Post - April 17, 2018 (article) ~:~ Archived: archive.is/i3mE1

* Republican lawmakers attempt to shield big oil from climate lawsuits in 'alarming’ bills - The Guardian - April 23, 2026 (article)

* Supreme Court blocks thousands of suits claiming Roundup causes - The Washington Post - June 25, 2026 (article) ~:~ Archived: archive.is/TRpMY

* U.S. Supreme Court Hears Boulder County Climate Case - Boulder County, Colorado (.gov) - October 5, 2026 (.gov article)

* U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Boulder Climate Case Monday - Boulder County, Colorado (.gov) - Sept 28, 2026 (.gov article)

we wanted to capture the feeling of bringing a dying ecosystem back to life through this game! do you think we got the theme right? what would you add or change?

Hey everyone,

I currently work at a Latvian university's environmental research institute and a part of the job is developing a podcast for the purpose of engaging regular people who have an interest in environmentalism, but rarely seek out that kind of content.

Currently, I'm brainstorming ideas for the next episode batches and I'm asking for more opinions. Looking at the engagement numbers, certain topics like climate denialism show higher interest than general science topics.

This is why I am reaching out to you!

What topics bring a higher interest from the general public in climate, global warming and the field's scientific progress?

Thank you very much in advance, I really appreciate it!