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Donald Knowler

Dancing on the Edge of the World

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New Nature Writing

I strayed from the path of traditional, or pastoral, nature writing years ago when I discovered not only urban landscapes rich in wildlife, but anthropomorphism, irony, and bottles of red wine and bourbon with birds on their labels. As a young reporter, I had been impressed by the New Journalism of the 1960s which took reporting into the realm of the novel and short-story and a few decades on I found what were termed New Nature Writers breaking with tradition and exploring similar territory.

Although I still treasure the book that was my introduction to words about nature, Gilbert White’s The Natural History of Selbourne published in 1788, I now find inspiration in one of the new journalists, Hunter S Thompson. Thompson might not have written of nature as such but his words “I write with rage and ink” have an irresistible resonance that carries far beyond the suburbs to the wooded hills of the horizon.

Passport to birdland

January 31, 2022 Don Knowler

Birdland is a magical place where it’s possible to escape all the pressures and stresses of the environment of the city created and inhabited by one species – humans – and immerse yourself in a less one-dimensional world. Birdland is nowhere in particular, and does not have to be special or noteworthy. It could be in the wildest of wild forest, or in suburbia. It could be a pristine beach, a few hectares of eucalypt woodland, or a neatly manicured city park. It could be a … [Read more...] about Passport to birdland

New Nature Writing

Peregrine’s spirit still soars

April 4, 2021 Don Knowler

The Tasmanian tiger was still roaming the Tasmanian grasslands and the swift parrot flew in its thousands when Mercury writer Michael Sharland put pen to paper 100 years ago to start what has become one of the longest-running nature columns in the world. The motivation for the column had two aims – to draw attention to wildlife’s wonders and to highlight threats facing our fauna and flora. “These nature notes are introduced with the object of arousing an interest in, and … [Read more...] about Peregrine’s spirit still soars

New Nature Writing

Shorebird emergency hits Tasmania

March 3, 2021 Don Knowler

THE Cinderellas of the bird world - the migratory shorebirds that usually hide from view in inaccessible and sometimes remote wetlands - are vanishing at an unprecedented rate from the state's shores. Two of the species known for their remarkable transcontinental journeys each year from Tasmania to the far northern hemisphere have now been declared "extirpated" in Tasmania and others have seen populations reduced by up to 90 per cent in recent years. The waders have … [Read more...] about Shorebird emergency hits Tasmania

New Nature Writing

Threatened kea firmly in the picture

December 2, 2019 Don Knowler

The rise of the selfie has finally put New Zealand’s mercurial mountain parrot, the kea, in the picture. For long considered a pest by many New Zealanders, particularly farmers, the threatened kea is basking in the spotlight of celebrity. New Zealanders are learning to live with the super-intelligent kea – the only bird known to seek out humans for play – at a time when its numbers are falling. In many ways the promotion of the kea has a parallel with the Tasmanian devil, … [Read more...] about Threatened kea firmly in the picture

New Nature Writing

Imagine if our birds fell silent

October 10, 2019 Don Knowler

Don Knowler returns home to the welcome sound of resident songbirds - and news of an avian crisis A GREEN rosella sung a tuneful melody on my return from the Sunshine Coast this month, where I had travelled to escape the tail-end of winter. Together with my feathered friends, some of my other neighbours were also in tune as I made the rounds of my street to thank members of the Neighbourhood Watch for keeping an eye on my house while I was away, and the neighbour over the … [Read more...] about Imagine if our birds fell silent

New Nature Writing

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PUBLISHED BOOKS

The Shy Mountain

shy mountain

Silent and brooding, the Shy Mountain does not have to speak her name. We know she’s there, watching … [Read More...]

The Falconer of Central Park

Although written more than 30 years ago, The Falconer of Central Park has remained popular ever … [Read More...]

Riding the Devil’s Highway

Tasmania might be known internationally as the home of the Hollywood cartoon character, Taz, based … [Read More...]

Dancing on the Edge of the World

Dancing on the edge of the World by Donald Knowler

Dancing on the Edge of the World is a collection of essays that had their genesis in the “On the … [Read More...]

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Recent Posts

  • A patch of paradise
  • One swallow makes a summer
  • It’s all in the family for fairy-wrens
  • A winter haven on this side of the ‘ditch’
  • Peregrines score goals of their own
  • Warm welcome for early striated pardalotes
  • Beware rodenticide danger to birds of prey
  • Wisdom, knowledge flies on silent wings
  • Mollymawks sing a sad song
  • Bird card game has hikers in a spin

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