Cameron Smith has a huge chance to win the opening PGA Tour FedEx Cup playoffs tournament and claim the world No 1 ranking, as he surges into the final round two shots from the lead.
As speculation continues to swirl about whether he’ll jump to the rebel LIV Golf circuit, Australian world No 2 Smith birdied two of the last three holes to shoot a three-under 67 at the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis on Saturday.
Already the winner of the Tournament of Champions, Players Championship and British Open this year, 28-year-old Smith trails only American leader JJ Spaun (68) and second-placed Austrian Sepp Straka (68) and is in a three-way tie for third with Americans Will Zalatoris (65) and Trey Mullinax (66).
He is keenly aware that a victory would take him to the world No 1 ranking for the first time after current No 1 Scottie Scheffler missed the cut on Friday.
“That’s been one of my goals probably since the start of the year is to try to get to that top spot,” Smith said. “Try and chase it down.”
Fellow Australian Adam Scott fell to tied 25th, six shots from the lead, after a round of 70, while countryman Cam Davis (67) is tied 36th at five under.
Spaun had a two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th and holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the next hole to claim the 54-hole lead a 13-under 197. Straka was right there with him until he failed to save par from the bunker on the 18th.
Both are first-time winners on the PGA Tour this year, and a victory in a FedEx Cup playoffs even carries even more weight – $A3.78 million to the winner and a guaranteed spot at East Lake for the FedEx Cup finale.
But there are a host of players in contention, with 16 within four shots of the lead, including stars Sam Burns and Tony Finau. But no one stands out like Smith, for so many reasons.
Not only is it Smith’s first start since being introduced at St. Andrews as the “champion golfer of the year,” the UK’s Daily Telegraph reported on Tuesday that the Queenslander had signed with LIV and would join the defectors outside Boston after the PGA Tour playoffs are over.
Smith has steadfastly refused to talk about it, only to say he’s only thinking of the FedEx Cup. “I’m a man of my word and whenever you guys need to know anything, it’ll be said by me,” Smith said on Tuesday. That was shortly before a California federal judge denied a request by three LIV golfers to play in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Distractions don’t seem to be an issue, and there is no shortage of them. “There’s definitely been a few more, but for me, I’m just trying to hit the best shot I can,” Smith said. “That’s what I’m here to do is to hit good golf shots and make birdies.”
According to Standford and NVidia researchers, VR adoption is slowed by the bulky headsets required. They want to offer a slim solution. A SIGGRAPH paper earlier this year lays out their plan or you can watch the video below. There’s also a second video, also below, covers some technical questions and answers.
The traditional headset has a display right in front of your eyes. Special lenses can make them skinnier, but this new method provides displays that can be a few millimeters thick. The technology seems pretty intense and appears to create a hologram at different apparent places using a laser, a geometric phase lens, and a pupil-replicating waveguide.
The original method uses a beam splitter to divert light to the eye, but the novel part of this is the use of a waveguide instead of the beamsplitter. Of course, there are drawbacks, many of which you can mitigate using techniques discussed in the paper and video.
Of course, these are a long way from practical, although there are some small glasses that have giant ribbon cables that would get you some raised eyebrows. In fact, they look like comically raised eyebrows themselves.
If you want to build it yourself, you might be better off with something more traditional. We will admit, though, to being fascinated with the whole idea of holograms.
Interim Tigers coach Brett Kimmorley did not miss when criticizing the decision to disallow Brent Naden’s try in Saturday’s 36-12 loss to the Sharks.
The Tigers had a chance to make the scoreline a little less grim when Sharks forward Teig Wilton was sin-binned for a late shot on Daine Laurie.
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It looked as though they had capitalized off the penalty and one-man advantage when Naden ran through several Sharks players to score under the posts with just over 10 minutes to go.
However on-field referee Ben Cummins sent it up to the bunker to check for an obstruction.
Bunker official Gerard Sutton ruled that Tigers prop Zane Musgrove had obstructed Cronulla’s Royce Hunt.
“The Tigers player is in front of the ball, Royce Hunt has to then push around him to try to defend. The Tigers player is not entitled to be in front of the ball and in the line,” Sutton said.
Fox League commentator Dan Ginnane wasn’t too pleased, saying “oh goodness,” while Steve Roach added: “they had a free grab on him.”
Kimmorley acknowledged in his post-game press conference that the Sharks simply wanted the win more and their ruck speed “was the difference” in the game.
However he also took aim at the obstruction call, without being prompted, saying he was a “bit curious” to know what Musgrove was meant to do given he had ran through the line as part of a shape the Tigers were running.
“I’m not too sure where a front-rower is meant to go when we run some shape and he goes through the line and then gets back because the ball is behind him to get ready for the next play-the-ball,” Kimmorley said.
“Bit curious to know how he’s got to disappear from a game of football when he’s actually gone through and not ran into a defender as the first phase of the play… and then we go out the back and the ball goes backwards.
“We ask these players to get in shape for the next play-the-ball, which means he’s got to run backwards and all of a sudden you have to disappear.
“So I don’t know how that decision is awarded or adjudicated but I’d love to know how a player can disappear when he’s trying to get back on side to be a part of the next play-the-ball.
“Because if they’re not in shape I’m going to be criticizing them over why they’re not in shape.”
Originally published as ‘Love to know how a player can disappear’: Tigers coach tees off over obstruction call
The wait for the second major post-launch update to Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker,titled Patch 6.2: Buried Memory is almost upon us. In an early morning Letter from the Producer LIVE broadcast, Producer and Director of final fantasy XIV (and final fantasy xvi) Naoki “YoshiP” Yoshida confirmed that fans will be able to dive into the new content starting 23 August 2022. With the next wave of 8-player raids, a continuation of the new MSQ, continued improvements to older content AND the newly introduced Island Sanctuary, hopefully there will be enough to keep fans casual and hardcore alike, entertained for a while going forward.
Content introduced in Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.2: Buried Memory includes:
Island Sanctuary: A new type of casual solo content which allows players to build and customize their own personal farm on a deserted island by gathering materials, building facilities, caring for creatures, and more, without the need for prior crafting or gathering experience.
New Main Scenario Quests – The story continues in this latest chapter.
New Side Story Quests – Experience the continuation of Tataru’s Grand Endeavor.
New Dungeon – New challenges await in the Fell Court of Troia.
NewTrial – Band together with other players in a new trial with Normal and Extreme difficulties.
Latest Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.2 Screenshots
New 8-Player Raid – Pandæmonium: Abyssos will be available in both Normal and Savage difficulties to challenge the most seasoned players. The Savage difficulty raid is planned for release one week following the launch of Patch 6.2.
New Unreal Trial – Battle against Sephirot in Containment Bay S1T7 (Unreal).
PvP Updates – PvP Series 2 and Crystalline Conflict Season 3 will begin with the release of Patch 6.2. Hidden Gorge will also summarize, along with adjustments to PvP actions and the Crystalline Conflict ranked matching system.
Continued Improvements to the Main Scenario:These include
The Duty Support feature will be expanded to include main scenario dungeons from the 2.x series to 3.0 (Snowcloak, The Keeper of the Lake, Sohm Al, The Aery and The Vault).
The Steps of Faith trial will be reworked into a solo quest battle.
The Thornmarch trial will be revamped.
Miscellaneous Updates – Additional content including, updates to adventurer plates and portraits, glamor dresser capacity expansion from 400 to 800 slots, and more.
and who’s a happy little Lalafell with the expansion of the glamor dresser capacity?
Australian man-mountain Jordan Mailata leapt to the defense of teammate Jalen Hurts following an ‘egregiously awful’ late shot from New York’s Quincy Williams during the team’s first preseason game ahead of the season proper, which gets underway September 9 AEST.
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Mailata, the Eagles left tackle who signed a four-year $89 million extension last season, stormed over to the sideline to confront Williams, in a hit that even had New York coach Robert Saleh less than impressed.
Jordan Mailata charges over to confront Quincy Williams. (NFL)
The incident, which happened in the first quarter, saw Hurts forced to scramble towards the sideline on a third-and-5 play for no gain.
With Hurts clearly heading for the sideline, Williams charged at the Eagles quarterback hitting him late with his helmet down as Hurts crossed the white stripe.
That prompted a heated reaction from Mailata and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, who seemed to shout the words “what the f— Saleh?” with the Eagles awarded a 15-yard penalty which ultimately led to them scoring the opening touchdown of the game.
NBCS Philadelphia journalist Dave Zangaro wrote post match: “Jordan Mailata said he was “seeing red” when Jalen Hurts took that shot on the sideline. He wouldn’t repeat what he said at the moment.”
Jets coach Saleh admitted to reporters after the game that it was a bad look and something Williams needed to address.
“Egregiously awful by Quincy,” Saleh said. “He knows that. He knows better. Those are the plays Quincy has to get out of his game if he wants to become the linebacker that we all think he can be.”
The Jets scored a 24-21 win.
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The backstories and controversies that have ignited feuds involving athletes
Developed by Hotta Studios and published by Level Infinite, tower of fantasy is an open-world MMORPG that features a beautiful anime art style. There aren’t a lot of anime-themed MMO games on the market, so this one definitely shoots up to the top in this genre.
RELATED: Best MMORPGs For Solo Players
The game starts you on the planet of Aida where the human race has taken shelter because they couldn’t save Earth. But, being greedy and ambitious as humanity is, they tried to abuse the materials on this planet, which lead to disastrous effects. Just like every MMO, this game can be quite overwhelming at the start, even though the developers have done a great job at keeping things simple.
THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY
10 Select Less Busy Servers
While this is a basic tip for people who have experience with MMOs, a lot of players are trying this genre for the first time with Tower Of Fantasy. When you log in to the game, you can customize your own character, and select your region and server from the starting screen.
The choice of server is important, as this can impact your immersion in the game. Try your best to go for the servers with a green colored circle beside them. This means that the server is mostly free. If you join a yellow or red server, there is a high chance that you’ll be waiting in queue for a long time.
There are certain instances where you’d want to go to one of these busy servers. For example, your favorite streamer could be on the server, and you can go meet them.
In any case, be aware that you’ll likely face a long queue every time you try to get in.
9 You Can Interact With Animals
Arguably one of the best decisions made by the developers was to let players interact with stray dogs and cats. They even gave a name to each one of them. While they’re rare to find, you can get close to one of these animals and press the Interact button.
This will take the screen closer to the respective animal. At this point, you can constantly tap on them to get a cute animation while they make cute dog and cat noises to absolutely melt your heart.
8 Look For Hidden Nucleus As You Go
Black, Gold, and Red Nucleus are the currency used for summons in Tower Of Fantasy. The banner for Black Nucleus doesn’t have any mercy/pity system, so they’re very common in the world. On the other hand, Gold Nucleus are harder to find and there’s hardly any way to find Red ones in the open world.
Black Nucleus are spread across the world, and they’re marked with distinct symbols on the map. make sure you claim them all as fast as you can, as some of them actually have a chance to reset. As you’re exploring, you can also come across some Gold Nucleus that are used on the Standard Banner with pity system.
7 There Are Multiple Ways To Prevent Fall Damage
Turns out your character’s legs, are highly vulnerable to fall damage in ToF. You can take damage by falling from a very small height. As minimal as it is, this can be very annoying for people who like to keep things in order. However, there are quite a few ways to avoid fall damage.
there is a double jump
in the game, so whenever you reach close to the ground, you can simply press the jump button
to negate all the falling distance and avoid damage.
All the weapons can be used to attack in the air, but this requires stamina. If you have some leftover stamina, you can just normally attack with your weapon as you get close to the ground
.
You can perform up to three dodges at a time in Tower Of Fantasy. Use the dodge when you’re close to the ground
to avoid fall damage once again.
6 Look Out For Goodies In Open-World
Nucleus puzzles aren’t the only exploration item in the game. there are different kinds of chests scattered all across the map that aren’t marked like the Nucleus puzzles. To find these, you need to rely purely on your exploration skills, or outside help.
Further, there are some lockers, drawers, closets, etc. that can be searched when you get close to them. Usually, these would drop nothing, but they have a chance of dropping rare items.
5 Use Relics Sparingly
Relics are special items that you can equip, and they’ll heavily aid you in battle, exploration, and quests. You have two relic spots at the start, and you unlock a jetpack at the beginning of the game. Most of the relics have a huge cooldown to them.
For example, the jetpack has two charges, and it goes on an almost two-minute cooldown if they’re used up. So, make sure you use your relics only when you need them the most. These can be upgraded using relic crates to make them more viable and easier to use.
4 You Can See The Unclaimed Chests
The developers have made it easier to track your exploration progress, so you don’t have to run around aimlessly without a clue of where you missed that final chest to get 100 percent exploration. When you open the map, you can click on an enemy stronghold to get this information.
Once you do that, a dialog box will appear where you’ll be able to see if you’ve claimed the chest at that stronghold at the bottom. the stronghold mark also grays out when you acquire the chestso that’s another way to keep track.
3 You Can Test Out Different Simulation
Once you reach a certain point in the story, you’ll unlock story quests where you’ll embark on a journey to retrieve the lost data of the SSR Simulacra. The only way to acquire these characters in the game is by summoning them and getting lucky, unless you’re rich.
Thankfully, there is a way you can test out these Simulacra with their weapons, and that’s through the story quests. Head over to the character screen and click on Simulacra. Here, you’ll find an option called Story on the left where you can access their quests.
As you progress in the story, more and more quests unlock allowing you to test out all the SSR characters, possibly including the new ones that will be released over time.
two It’s Possible To Pin Points Of Interest
While pinning a point of interest is a general mechanic in open-world games, it can be extremely easy to miss this in Tower Of Fantasy. Unlike other games, this game doesn’t really tell you how to pin areas on the map, nor does it make it obvious in any way.
To pin a certain location, head over to your map after making sure you’re safe and nothing will attack you. Here, press the arrow on the right side of the screen. When you have this arrow open, press anywhere on the map to open the pin menu.
Here, you can select the kind of pin you want and write a short description for it. The description has to be super small though, as the game only allows a few characters in that box. You can place a total of 99 pins on the map overall.
1 Daily Activities Are Necessary
Upon reaching a certain part of the story, you’ll unlock all the mechanics that you can repeat daily to get a decent amount of rewards. Thankfully, Tower of Fantasy has a lot to do even after you’ve spent the main energy acquiring different items.
Your daily mechanics will usually consist of Sign-in, Mia’s Kitchen, and Daily Bounty. You can also progress in World Exploration and finish ruins, but these aren’t limited, as long as you have enough energy and time for them.
Chris Hemsworth showed off his famous Thor physique as he peeled off his wetsuit during a surfing session with his brothers in Byron Bay on Thursday to celebrate his 39th birthday.
The Hollywood hunk slipped his board between his thighs and pushed the upper half of the suit down around his hips to get more comfortable before walking along the beach.
Chris took to the waves on his big day to do what he loves best – surfing with his equally handsome brothers, Luke and Liam Hemsworth.
Chris Hemsworth (pictured) celebrated his 39th birthday by going surfing in Byron Bay on Thursday
Chris pulled off a few tricks on his white and maroon board, later bonding with his eldest brother Luke, 41, as they walked along the beach.
Meanwhile, Liam, the youngest at 32, was seen casually gliding through a much larger wave.
The Hunger Games star came wading back to shore with a big smile on his face and laughed with one of the friends the trio had brought along with them.
However, it seemed his wetsuit became uncomfortable as he was seen adjusting himself a little later in the outing.
Chris showed off his famous Thor physique as he peeled off his wetsuit during a surfing session with his brothers
The Hollywood hunk slipped his board between his thighs and pushed the upper half of the suit down and around his hips to get more comfortable before walking along the beach
Chris flaunted his rippling back muscles as he adjusted his surfing attire
Chris turned 39 and Thursday and spent the day doing what he loves the best
The Thor star looks nowhere near his 39 years as he edges closer to 40
While Luke joined in on the fun, he seemed content to wade in the shallows with his board and walk along the beach with Chris as they finished up for the day.
It comes after Chris’s wife Elsa Pataky celebrated his birthday by posting a seemingly nude photo of the star in the bath with a parrot on his head.
The Spanish model and actress, 46, shared the snap to Instagram in celebration of her husband’s birthday.
Chris pulled off a few tricks on his white and maroon board
He later bonded with his older brother Luke as they finished up for the day
Chris glided through the water with ease as he spent a few hours in the surf
‘Happy birthday to my favorite parrot trainer, kids handler and wife tamer,’ she captioned the post.
She continued, ‘There’s nothing you can’t do. We love you to the moon and back,’ before writing more in Spanish.
Elsa uploaded the photo alongside two others, including one of the Thor star wrestling with their three children: daughter India, nine, and twin boys Sasha and Tristan, both eight.
Meanwhile, Liam, the youngest Hemsworth, was seen casually gliding through a much larger wave
The Hunger games star came wading back to shore with a big smile on his face and laughed with one of the friends the trio had brought along
However, it seemed his swimsuit became uncomfortable as he was seen adjusting himself a little later in the outing
Liam was seen checking out the waves as he headed into the water
He pushed back his picture perfect hair as he glanced at the photographers
The third picture was a black and white still from Thor: Love and Thunder, in which Elsa cameoed as a ‘wolf woman’ who was a former lover to Chris’s character.
The lovebirds started dating in early 2010, and they tied the knot in a low-key ceremony in December that year.
Together with their children, they now reside in a $30million mansion in Broken Head, near the celebrity enclave of Byron Bay.
Older brother Luke had a laugh with the boys as he took a break from the surf
The brothers grew up in Phillip Island and are all keen surfers
Chris and his wife Elsa, along with their children, reside in a $30million mansion in Broken Head, near the celebrity enclave of Byron Bay
OPINION: Although the All Blacks uncorked their magic to beat the Springboks 35-23 on Sunday morning, it remains unclear if it was enough to repair the fractured relationship between Ian Foster and NZ Rugby.
It’s an issue that, one way or another, must be resolved with haste. NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson is scheduled to talk to media on Sunday (5.30pm NZT), but whether an announcement on Foster’s future is imminent is anyone’s guess.
Until then, we can only ponder the outcomes.
There’s little time to dither because in a fortnight the All Blacks will play Argentina in their next Rugby Championship match in Christchurch. Everyone – the coaches, players and fans – deserve clarity.
Christiaan Kotze/Photosport
Halfback Aaron Smith of All Blacks coach Ian Foster take a moment to celebrate the 35-23 win over the Springboks.
Immediately after the win in Johannesburg, Foster seemed uncertain whether he still had a job. Or perhaps he was keeping that information to himself.
Regardless of who does, or doesn’t, know about what lies in store, one thing is clear: the All Blacks produced their greatest performance under Foster since he took control of the team in 2020.
Yet it remains a mystery whether the magnificent win at Ellis Park was enough to convince NZ Rugby it has got the right man in charge of its flagship team ahead of the World Cup in France next year.
Having lost five of their previous six tests, the most recent the 26-10 defeat to the Springboks on Mbombela a week earlier, Foster and his All Blacks were forced to take a deep breath and accept only they could shovel their way out of the mess that had been created.
It doesn’t get more daunting than playing the Springboks in front of 62,000 fans at 1730 meters above sea level. Yet the All Blacks, despite all the uncertainty about the future of Foster and Captain Sam Cane, displayed their character to duck, dive and counterpunch before delivering a devastating uppercut on the chin of the world champion Springboks.
Kim Ludbrook/EPA via Photosport
The All Blacks were in good spirits after the 35-23 win against the Springboks in Johannesburg.
Foster, having brought fresh props Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax and blindside flanker Shannon Frizell into his pack, and with Richie Mo’unga electrifying the attack at No 10, convinced the team it was good enough to reverse its fortunes.
In the space of 80 minutes the All Blacks went a long way to helping frustrated fans forget the 2-1 series loss to Ireland by displaying courage and a wide array of skills.
Christiaan Kotze/Photosport
First-five Richie Mo’unga helped turn the All Blacks fortunes around after making his first run-on start of the year.
Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber didn’t help his team, either. The decision to bench hooker Malcolm Marx, who created chaos at the breakdowns by making four steals and was the best player on the field in Mbombela, was difficult to fathom.
Yet, even when Marx did take the park late in the 30th minute, his impact was limited by comparison to the mayhem he caused a week earlier.
The All Blacks refused to buckle, even though the Springboks charged back to take the lead for the first time after Beauden Barrett was yellow carded for obstruction in the 67th minute.
It was as if the rarified air in Jo’burg fueled the All Blacks with the confidence and zest that was so badly lacking in the first test against the Springboks, as they surged back to put David Havili and Scott Barrett in a position to score late tries.
Argentina, having humiliated the Wallabies 48-17 in San Juan after a loss a week earlier, will soon fly to Christchurch to get set for a battle in the chilly climes of the Garden City.
It just remains to be seen whether Foster will still be in charge of the All Blacks.
Cane and his mates delivered for Foster when he needed them most. Providing Foster still wants the job, the players have helped paint NZ Rugby into a corner. They have, possibly, saved Foster’s career from him.
On the stark tablelands in the Monaro region just east of the NSW Snowy Mountains, a group of dedicated volunteersis working hard to restore the ghostly landscape to its former glory.
The Upper Snowy Landcare Network is working with volunteers, landholders and researchers to get native trees back into the dieback-ravaged landscape. (Supplied: Upper Snowy Landcare Network)
The grassy plains were once dominated by towering ribbon gums (Eucalyptus viminalis), but in recent years, a mysterious dieback event has reduced nearly all the trees to brittle skeletons.
“It just left a huge scar on the landscape,” says Margaret Mackinnon, volunteer and chair of the Upper Snowy Landcare Network (USLN).
A mysterious dieback event has killed off most of the eucalypts in the region.(Supplied: Upper Snowy Landcare Network)
The root cause of the dieback is still a mystery, but that hasn’t stopped Dr Mackinnon from pitching in to help reverse the devastation.
Since she joined the USLN in 2016, Dr Mackinnon has been working with landholders, community volunteers and researchers to get native trees back in the ground, including eucalypts, wattles and small shrubs.
“We can’t just leave it to business and landholders to spend the money on repairing the environment; we’ve got to get individuals involved and doing it in their own backyards,” she says.
theirefforts are beginning to pay off.
Over the past five years, around 100 volunteers have planted roughly 1,000seedlings in each of 36 plots across the region.
Dr Mackinnon says one of the most rewarding things about tree planting is watching the results grow before her eyes — literally.
“The satisfaction of seeing them grow is quite contagious.
“It’s a long-term legacy that will be there forever.”
friends worth keeping
Wherever we live, trees take care of us in more ways than one. But it’s easy to forget that we need to take care of our woody friends too, says Kylie Soanes, a conservation biologist at The University of Melbourne.
“I think we can take them a little bit for granted.”
In urban areas for instance, trees are nature’s air conditioners, cooling the air by releasing moisture through pores in their leaves and providing us with shade.
Taking care of trees is important as they provide us with clean air and shade, especially in cities. (Getty Images: Steve Waters)
“Having an urban forest is such a big part of making a city a liveable, comfortable, pleasant space,” Dr Soanes says.
Even small patches of native trees in urban areas — particularly massive old ones — are like “wildlife hotels” for birds, mammals, and insects on the move, says Rebecca Jordan, a conservation scientist at the CSIRO in Hobart.
“It’s not just about having the trees in the big forests,” she says.
“All those other trees can provide connections so that our wildlife can move through the landscape and connect to other big areas.”
In cities along the east coast, gum trees are a favorite roadside pit stop for endangered swift parrots (Lathamus discolor), which fly from Tasmania during the winter months.
“That’s just a really big testament to how valuable even supposedly scrappy, isolated patches of trees are,” Dr Soanes says.
Native trees in cities allow wildlife—such as the endangered swift parrot—to hopscotch their way between different locations.(Wikimedia Commons: JJ Harrison)
bush in the burbs
If urban trees are wildlife hotels, then Harry Loots’s garden is a five-star resort.
On a quiet street dominated by box-hedged front gardens in Sydney’s Cremorne, Mr Loots has created a slice of urban bushland in his backyard.
Mr Loots’s native haven is packed with around 200 species of Australian plants and trees, including eucalypts, banksias, and grass trees.
Harry Loots has created a piece of the Australian bush in his backyard in Cremorne, Sydney. (Supplied: Harry Loots)
This bush in the ‘burbs spills out onto the street. On the nature strip, an old yellow-flowered water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina) towers over thick shrubs, such as a vibrant netted bottlebrush (Callistemon linearifolius) planted by Mr Loots’s mother half a century ago.
The flourishing native garden extends out onto the street and includes around 200 species of Australian trees and other plants. (Supplied: Harry Loots)
The flourishing garden is a favorite hangout for possums, blue-tongued lizards, water dragons, and native bees. It’s also popular among walkers, who often stop to admire Mr Loots’s handiwork.
“They get to walk through a bit of Australian nature,” says Mr Loots, who is treasurer of the Australian Plants Society NSW.
An avid bushwalker, Mr Loots says taking care of the trees in his backyard has given him a greater appreciation for the biodiversity in the bush.
“It’s a real education about how the bush functions, how it works, how the total environment works.
“It’s only with education and understanding that you really appreciate why different areas are important.”
Forests on the farm
For forest scientist and farmer Rowan Reid, taking care of trees on farmland is an investment that can pay dividends for future generations.
“The most degraded part of Australia is the agricultural landscape,” Mr Reid says.
“Trees are clearly going to have a role to play in repairing that damage, and doing it in a way that the farmers are in control and can also become more productive.”
Forest scientist Rowan Reid (right) is helping farmers like Andrew Stewart (left) learn tree-growing techniques to increase their land’s productivity while also taking care of the environment. (Supplied: Cormac Photography)
Just west of Geelong, Mr Reid owns and runs Bambra Agroforestry Farm, a 42-hectare property with around 70 species of native and exotic trees.
Each tree plays several roles in keeping the wheels turning. Along the once-degraded creek running through the farm, eucalypts and native rainforest trees stave off soil erosion, shelter livestock, provide timber, and offer habitat for wildlife.
Mr Reid’s tree-dotted farm doubles as an “outdoor classroom”, where he shares his agroforestry knowledge with landholders who want to explore how tree-growing can support their farming and benefit the land.
It’s less about telling farmers why they should plant trees, and more about giving them the growing techniques they need to meet their goals, Mr Reid says.
“We’re trying to see what happens when you give them the knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm to go and do it themselves.”
Some farmers are interested in growing more trees to address soil problems like salinity, while others might want to grow timber and provide wildlife habitats that can help control crop-destroying pests.
Whatever the goal, cultivating a diversity of trees can future-proof a farmer’s livelihood.
For instance, if a disease wiped out a dairy farmer’s cattle, they could switch to selling timber, seeds, or flowers to keep their business afloat, Mr Reid says.
“You can make your whole farming system more resilient to the shocks that are potentially coming through.”
But there’s more to it than simply planting more trees or saving every last one. It’s really about managing an ever-changing system. As climate change looms, farmers need to consider which species will fare best over the next few decades.
Bambra Agroforestry Farm is also an “outdoor classroom” for people who want to learn about growing trees on farmland. (Supplied: Bambra Agroforestry Farm)
Rather than planting tree species that have grown naturally in a particular spot for hundreds of years, Mr Reid now plants species that are more robust against hot, dry conditions, such as Australian red cedar (Toona ciliata).
While managing trees on farmland is a constant work in progress, watching the degraded landscape transform into a flourishing, diverse ecosystem makes it all worthwhile, Mr Reid says.
“That’s really important for a lot of families because they talk about passing their family farm onto the next generation in a better state.”
How to take better care of trees
So, what can we do to take better care of the trees in our communities?
Local tree-planting and bush regeneration groups, such as Landcare and Bushcare, are good places to start for people who enjoy getting their hands dirty out in nature.
In addition to planting trees, it’s important to protect the ones we already have, Dr Jordan says.
In addition to planting new trees, we must also take care of our elderly friends. (Getty Images: Gallo Images)
“It’s really important that we keep the big old guys in the landscape while that revegetation planting catches up,” she says.
“It can take up to 70 years to get all that habitat rebuilt.”
This means thinking twice before cutting down a large old tree that’s causing problems. If a tree has just a few limbs that are causing danger, it’s best just to remove those rather than chopping the tree down altogether, Dr Soanes says.
Even the gnarly stumps of dead trees are worth protecting, as they continue to provide homes for insects, lizards, frogs, birds and small mammals long after their leaves drop.
“There’s this real misconception that once a tree has died then its life is over,” Dr Soanes says.
“That’s really far from the case.”
For those who enjoy bushwalking, another easy way to take care of trees is to clean your bushwalking boots and equipment when moving between forests, Dr Jordan says.
“Making sure you’re not carrying any soil or plant material between our forests can help protect them and notspread those diseases that might threaten our trees.”
Ultimately, our relationship with trees needs to be a two-way street, Dr Soanes says.
“If we take care of trees, trees are helping to take care of us.”
Twitch has changed its COVID-19 guidelines for TwitchCon, with attendees now required to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test, as well as wearing a face mask while indoors.
TwitchCon is set to take place next month in San Diego, with players able to meet streamers and take part in “legendary cosplay contests, rivals tournaments, meet and greets, rare loot, panels, artist alley” and witness an “epic” musical performance .
However, following criticism from some fans about the lack of COVID-19 safety precautions, Twitch has now updated the entry requirements for the three-day event.
“We’ve heard from many of you that you want a safer TwitchCon, so we’re updating our policy,” said Twitch in a Tweet. “Masks will be required indoors, as well as either proof of vaccination or a negative covid test. Let’s make the ultimate squad up safe and accessible for everyone.”
We’ve heard from many of you that you want a safer TwitchCon, so we’re updating our policy.
Masks will be required indoors, as well as either proof of vaccination or a negative covid test.
Let’s make the ultimate squad up safe & accessible for everyone: https://t.co/RKeBF6oVzd pic.twitter.com/MI4lMZ1Jdh
A statement went on to explain how “many of you – especially those who are immunocompromised and the people who support them – want stricter health measures in place to help you feel safe attending TwitchCon San Diego in person.”
“We agree that we can do more to help keep people safe. We want TwitchCon to be a place where our entire community can come together and celebrate each other. It should be an inclusive event for everyone, and that means taking steps to ensure as many people as possible feel comfortable with the safety precautions we’re taking.”
Twitch is also offering refunds for anyone who is uncomfortable with the new requirements. Earlier this year, Twitch updated its community guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 misinformation on the platform.
“We’re proud that we can bring people together – but we do not believe that individuals who use online services to spread false, harmful information, have a place in our community. While these individuals are not prevalent on Twitch, they could cause significant harm if allowed on our service,” Twitch said, announcing the changes.
In other news, Twitch streamer Clara ‘Keffals’ Sorrenti woke up to armed police raiding her home last week – which she says is the latest in a campaign of transphobic harassment she has experienced whilst streaming.
