The science of Ecology has no clear beginning but its roots can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. The word Ecology was coined by a German zoologist (Ernst Haeckel) in the 1860's. Ecology is now commonly regarded as "the study of organisms and how they interact with each other and with their environment". The Encyclopedia Britannica and Wikipedia provide further information on this fascinating branch of science. The pages under this heading illustrate some of the ways ecological knowledge is applied today to protect and manage biodiversity in the state of NSW, Australia.

The threatened (Vulnerable) Glossy Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami) feeding on cones of the Black She-Oak (Allocasuarina littoralis).