http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/caro-webster/ Caro Webster is the mother of two young children, a freelance writer, passionate gardener and author of the recently released Small Fry Outdoors – inspiration for being outside with children (ABC Books).  She is also Past President of the Friends of the Botanic Gardens in Sydney.  You can contact her via twitter at: @salisburydowns, or visit her websit, http://www.smallfryfun.com en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/trick-treat-or-opt-out/ Halloween is almost upon us.  On October 31 thousands of children and adults around the globe will don strange costumes and wander the streets.  Tricks will played, treats will be given …. but will Australians ever really embrace the day? I love Halloween and in one form or another have celebrated it all my life. However, many in Australia do not.  Descriptions such as “glammed-up celebration of ghoulishness”, “over-commercialized clap trap”, “a celebration of lollies and terror”, “Americanization by stealth” all spring to mind.  So when a friend from the US asked me whether Australians celebrate Halloween like they did, I had to tell her that sadly, the short answer was no. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Caro Webster) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/trick-treat-or-opt-out/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/trick-treat-or-opt-out/#item1562 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:50:07 +0000 Caro Webster | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Chooks-and-chokos-are-more-fun-than-mondo-grass/ There’s a quiet revolution going on in the suburban backyards of Australia.  Rather than sitting back and admiring our perfectly manicured “outside rooms”, gazing lovingly at our mondo grass, perfectly coiffed hedges of murraya, buxus or newly acquired rows of trendy agaves, we are choosing to head outside armed with buckets of kitchen scraps, water collected from baths and showers while we attempt to figure out where we should build a chicken coop, locate the veggie patch, compost heap and herb garden.  Suffering a slow death (and not for lack of water) is the passive, over-structured garden.  Instead we are rediscovering how much fun it is to actually interact with Mother Nature and the vital lessons she has to impart to us and our children about nourishing ourselves and our environment. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Caro Webster) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Chooks-and-chokos-are-more-fun-than-mondo-grass/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Chooks-and-chokos-are-more-fun-than-mondo-grass/#item982 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:55:29 +0000 Caro Webster | Author bios | The Punch