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Visiting Belgian medical graduate Louis Wauters reports on the recent visit by medical students from the Rural Clinical School of Notre Dame University to the Blue Mountains Planetary Health precinct in Katoomba, and what they learnt about the connection between human health and planetary health.

A Belgian doctor has journeyed to Lithgow and the Blue Mountains to learn more about Planetary Health and has also explored Lithgow Hospital’s use of geothermal ground-source heat pump technology as part of its strategy to provide ‘green power for health’.

The Forged by Fire Festival was not the ‘usual’ Bushfire recovery or resilience event. Instead of focusing on consequences of fire, the Lithgow City Council event focused on human relationships with fire. Tracie McMahon ran a storytelling booth at the event, asking, what does ‘Forged by Fire’ mean to you? The answers were surprising, uplifting and sobering.

“At first, I thought this wouldn't have been my thing but that one day changed that. I encourage everyone to seriously give this a go and see what the outcome is.” Mikayla Chadwick

A trip to Newnes is unforgettable - from the locked gate ensuring safe egress down the newly constructed Donkey Steps to the extraordinary views and sounds of a landscape recovering from fire and flood.

What do an Archibald prize finalist, an industrial ruin and aquatic insects have in common? At Lake Pillans it was an opportunity to document the extraordinary world of our waterways, including a real time underwater survival challenge.

During Frog ID Week in late 2023, a record number of recordings were submitted to the Frog ID app. Join a group of froggers on a Frog ID outing in Lithgow to learn how to contribute to this important (and fun) citizen science project.

The Black Summer bushfires were devastating in Lithgow. Where once there was birdsong and rustling eucalypts there was silence and sticks. Many asked, “What can we do to help?” Lithgow Environment Group was listening, and together with Lithgow Area Women’s Shed, they did something: they created habitat for endangered Eastern Pygmy Possums.

In September each year, rural fire sheds across NSW host Get Ready days to help their communities prepare. We visited the Hartley brigade to learn what you can do to prepare your property and family for fire season.

In Lithgow, the once common call of the Gang Gang Cockatoo has become a rarity. On Threatened Species Day 2023, Lithgow and Oberon Landcare volunteers banded together at Farmers Creek to see what could be done to address their decline.