The importance of invisible things

Newstead Landcare presentation by Patrick Kavanagh

Every day, we walk through another world hidden from our naked eye. A tiny world, on a scale of millimetres, best seen through a macrophotographer’s lens.

Join Newstead Landcare for a glimpse into this secret world, in the capable hands of our very own Patrick Kavanagh. Many will know Patrick from his blog posts on Natural Newstead, where he shares close-up photos of invertebrates, tiny plants and fungi, and breathtaking images of the starry night sky.

Patrick’s talks are known as a journey of storytelling, getting to know the critters and moments in time captured through each photo. Understanding more about the intriguing lives of invertebrates and their interactions is a joyful, comedic, and yes sometimes horrifying experience akin to the drama of a soap opera!

Peeking into this micro-world underlines the importance of these tiny forms of life most of us know nothing about, some of which are completely unknown to modern science. They are the foundation food for many of our more visible wildlife that we know and love, such as birds and mammals. Their importance to our ecosystems is sometimes forgotten, due to a lack of knowledge and opportunities to connect. Here is your chance to learn just how charismatic they can be when aided by a macro lens.

Patrick has lived near Newstead in Strangways for over two decades and has been Newstead Landcare’s invaluable secretary for the same duration. Many of his photos are taken right at home on his bush block, showing how much biodiversity can be found in one well cared for patch.

The presentation will be on Tuesday 16 July at 7.30 pm at Newstead Community Centre. All are welcome to attend and gold coin donations would be appreciated.