The Lithgow Environment Group seeks to preserve the balance of nature in our region.

This is especially important given the impacts of the area's industrial heritage.

The Lithgow region contains some of the most biodiverse bushland in the Greater Blue Mountains.

We would like to promote this rich natural heritage, especially given that it has often been under recognised.

Here's more about LEG - its meetings and activities

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Lithgow Environment Group acknowledges the scientific credibility of the independent CSIRO and AEMO and agrees with their conclusion that renewable energy, not nuclear, is the way for future power generation.

For more information see our Nuclear Watch webpage.

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“How is our natural area Gardens of Stone SCA travelling after 2019-2020 fire”.

The event is a Lithgow Environment Group Inc initiative commissioning our local fauna ecologist Andrew Lothian – Biodiversity Monitoring Services who has been monitoring records for over a decade.

His knowledge extends prior to the 2013 fire and 2019-2020 documenting evidence base records in the natural areas and within the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area.

Lithgow Environment Group has worked with Andrew since 2020 after the fires placing the Eastern Pygmy Possums tubes in various locations and continues to monitor on a regular basis. LEG initiated connecting Andrew with Lithgow District Women Shed volunteering his time to assist with making the tubes. Andrew will present his knowledge with how native flora and fauna are travelling since the fires.

Andrews credentials: Principal Ecologist/Director Biodiversity Monitoring Services
B. Science/B. Commerce Hons. Ecology (UNSW), BAM Accredited Assessor (BAAS18110), NSW AUSRIVAS Accredited, ECANSW Certified Practicing Ecological Consultant, President ECANSW, MRZSNSW, MAMS, MABS, MNSWBA

Here's a poster of the event.

Here's details about Eastern Pygmy Possum Project

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In 2019/2020 twelve air pollution monitors in Lithgow & the Blue Mountains gave vital real time readings on the web to everybody in the community.

Over 500 signatures were collected on a petition submitted to Parliament on our behalf by Member for the Blue Mountains Trish Doyle, calling for the program to be extended beyond the initial 12 months.

Now, after a 5 year campaign by the Blue Mountains Unions & Community (BMUC), you can quickly find out the real time quality of the air you breathe via PurpleAir monitors installed across the mountains and around Lithgow using the PurpleAir map.

Bush fire smoke is a known killer. Across the country, more than 400 people died and over 4,000 people were admitted to hospital suffering the effects of bush fire smoke during the Black Summer fires.

There are four live sites in the Lithgow area.

• Portland
• Greenspot Wallerawang
• the UWS Transformation Hub (cnr of Mort St & Bridge St, Lithgow)
• Dargan.

Note. A reading of 0-50: Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk with 24 hours of exposure.

Contact for more Information: Blue Mountains Planetary Health - Ann-Maree McEwan on 0434 180 721 or Blue Mountains Union Council - Peter Lammiman on 0410 153 157.

More about Purple Air Monitors

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A recent edition of the Lithgow Area Local News carries the story of the Lithgow Environment Group - its history and achievements.

Here's Quintin Handley's story

Lithgow Area Local News is part of a collaboration to reduce the risk of future disasters by expanding local communications – from the Lower Mountains to Lithgow.

This project is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.

Lithgow Area Local News was founded by the registered charity The Big Fix Ltd with funding from Wentworth Healthcare and the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network.

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The Lithgow Environment Group (LEG) conducted its 4^th Eastern Pygmy Possum & Nature Walk in the Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area. The aim of the walk was to monitor the Eastern Pygmy Possum nest tubes installed after the Black Summer bushfires.

LEG and local fauna expert Andrew Lothian shared their knowledge of the native flora and fauna in this area.

The first tube inspected contained an Eastern Pygmy Possum; the last tube a Feathertail Glider.

It was later deduced by Judy Smith, The Australian Museum and Andrew that it was a Narrow-Toed Feathertail Glider. The Broad-toed Feathertail Glider has not been recorded in this particular location.

Another distinguishing feature of the Narrow-Toed Feathertail Glider is the white fringed edges of the tail.

Judy & Peter Smith provided an identification document and commented that "to date, we have records of only the Narrow-Toed Feathertail Glider in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area".

Photos from the day  (photos by Julie Favell)
(click the image to see a larger one)

Eastern Pygmy Possum - 14gm female in good health

The next seven tubes were empty. But the last one contained a male Feathertail Glider also weighing 14gm and in good health.