Adrian Nathaniel

Remember your first encounter with someone who is now very close to you. You probably had an impression of them. Perhaps you liked them immediately. Perhaps you didn't. Either way, that first impression probably bears little resemblance to how you know them now, after countless conversations, shared experiences, misunderstandings, laughter, difficult moments and all the ordinary time spent together. It takes time to really know someone. And even after many years, there is always more to...

I still remember the first time I encountered fireflies. It was about thirty years ago, climbing Wollumbin in the darkness of night. I had never seen them before, and there was something almost mystical about those tiny lights appearing and disappearing amongst the trees. Like little sparks of magic floating through the forest. These days, unfortunately, fireflies are becoming harder to find. Their numbers are believed to be declining in Australia and around the world, as the places they...

The other day I was sitting beneath my favourite Moreton Bay Fig, not far from home, when I noticed one of its fruits lying on the ground. Curious, I picked it up and opened it to look at the seeds. I was surprised. The seeds were tiny. Yet somehow these tiny seeds have the potential to become one of the largest trees in the forest. One day they will spread a canopy wider than a house, shelter birds, insects and animals, drop thousands more seeds, and still be standing long after I'm gone. I...