Oil, wood, bark, exploitation: a new exhibition explores human relations with the Eucalyptus

By Prudence Gibson, Author and Research Fellow, UNSW

The Eucalyptus tree smells like minty life. Its branches bend and wrap like human arms, its scribbly or papery bark cries out to be touched and it emits a blue, oily haze. It would be hard to find an Australian who hasn’t sat beneath its shady canopy, tugged at its leaves to squeak out a tune, or used its oil to minimise a congested cold.

Eucalyptusdom, a multi-sensory exhibition of museum collection objects and new artworks at Sydney’s Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, is a testament to the utilitarian and cultural life of the tree.

Plant science tells us that

Read complete article

~	How Africa is harnessing space technology for early warning systems against climate disasters

~	Why Texas Hill Country, where a devastating flood killed dozens, is one of the deadliest places in the US for flash flooding

~	Landscape with healing herbs: An essay by Ukrainian writer Yulia Stakhivska

~	The sentencing of Bahruz Samadov and the rise of post-war paranoia in Azerbaijan

~	Ukraine’s Chernobyl disaster gives birth to new expressions of folklore

~	Serbia: Authorities must end unlawful use of force against protesters and investigate reports of police violence

~	How the myth of ‘Blitz spirit’ defined and divided London after 7/7

~	A surprisingly effective way to save the capercaillie: keep its predators well-fed – new research

~	The NHS ten-year health plan is missing a crucial ingredient: nature

~	The ‘Mind’ diet is good for cognitive health – here’s what foods you should put on your plate