dr. anne jensenbiologysocietysa.com/files/newsletters/issue41.pdf · dr anne jensen will talk about...

JOINT BSSA & NCSSA

GENERAL MEETING

featuring

Dr. Anne JENSEN

Environmental Consultant, Wetlands and Natural Resource Management

Are river red gums being pushed to the edge?

Thursday, 5th November, 2009

6.00pm

Benham Lecture Theatre, Benham Building,

The University of Adelaide, North Terrace Campus

Issue 41: November 2009

This issue: This issue: This issue: This issue:

• The President

speaks

• Upcoming events

• Meet the 2009/10

BSSA Committee

• Creature Feature

• Laura & Lib’s trip

to Argentina

• The 2009 Annual

Penguin Census

• Volunteer Oppor-

tunities

Do you need

volunteers?

Email your project

details to:

biolsocsa

@gmail.com

(that’s right, we changed our email

address—again!)

What would you like to see in future BSSA

newsletters?

Email [email protected] with suggestions.

Biology Society of South Australia, Inc.

C/- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences ,

DX650-312, THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE, SA 5005, AUSTRALIA

Website: www.biologysocietysa.com E-mail: [email protected]

The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Biology Society of South Australia, Inc.

River red gums, the iconic tree of the Australian landscape, are in trouble in many re-gions. Instead of majestic green and shady canopies, sad skeletons and wispy tufts of leaves bear witness to trees doing it tough. Why is this? Surely red gums are adapted to drought. Why are so many red gum communities showing signs of stress? What would happen if we lost our red gums? What is the future for a tree species that so strongly represents the Australian scene? Dr Anne Jensen will talk about emerging signs of de-clining resilience in this important species.

I SSUE 41 PAGE 2 THE B IOLOGY SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA INC

The President Speaks!

Hi all,

Welcome to our last newsletter of the year. Thanks to Dragos for again putting in a sterling effort to bring

the newsletter to you; we hope that you enjoy it.

The interluding period of time since our last newsletter has been (as always!) busy for BSSA. In our AGM in

early August, we welcomed a new BSSA committee. While some of the faces have stayed the same, al-

beit some in new positions, and also we gained some new recruits in the form of treasurer Jiajia, secretary

Phil and undergraduate rep Ranjani. My sincerest thanks to the committee members who stayed on for

another stint. The line-up of your new committee can be seen on pages 5 and 6. Sadly, we also lost some

committee members; particularly, our indefatigable Grace Chan. Grace has been with us as a committee

member for over 5 years in a plethora of positions, from treasurer and membership officer to quiz night

maestro. Our sincerest gratitude goes to Grace for all of the behind-the-scenes work that she’s done, most

often without even being asked. Supremely organised, she has certainly kept me on track and we’ll sorely

miss her!

We also have new website and email addresses! Thanks goes to Liberty to organising what has turned out

to be a rather complicated task. The switch aimed to make our website and email addresses less awk-

ward and more memorable. As such, our new website address is www.biologysocietysa.com and our new

email address is [email protected] . The website is still a work in progress but please peruse!

Finally, the summer volunteering season is about to kick off and I encourage you all to take advantage of

the summer holidays to broaden your experience through volunteering. A selection of current opportuni-

ties is on page 16. We also hope to see you at our final talk for the year on November 5th, when Dr Anne

Jensen will be discussing the pertinent issue of river red gum dieback and water management.

Have a fantastic summer and we look forward to seeing you at our November meeting, and next year!

Regards, Laura

Laura Ruykys

BSSA President

UPCOMING EVENTSUPCOMING EVENTSUPCOMING EVENTSUPCOMING EVENTS

Last BSSA & NCSSA joint meeting for 2009 - November 5 SA HERP GROUP MEETING, ROYAL SOCIETY ROOMS, 7.30PM (ON 2ND TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH)

BIRDS SA GENERAL MEETINGS, 7:45PM ON THE LAST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH (EXCEPT DECEMBER)

AT THE CHARLES HAWKER CONFERENCE CENTRE, UNIVERSITY

OF ADELAIDE - WAITE CAMPUS

SO DON’T FORGET5

Last 2009 Joint BSSA & NCSSA General Meeting, Thursday 5 November 2009

Guest Speaker: Dr Anne Jensen

6.00 pm drinks & nibbles, talk starts at 6.30 pm

Benham Lecture Theatre, Benham Building, Adelaide Uni, North Terrace Campus


What’s On?

Reef Watch is a community environmental monitoring project run by the Conservation Council of South Australia, overseen by a community steering committee and supported by a number of sponsors. (www.reefwatch.asn.au)

1. Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Asso-

ciation AGM

Presentation by local historians: Mr Terry Sim & Mr Ken Strother: Talking Histroy – the stories of Lakes Alexan-drina and Albert as told by the people who made it!

Strathalbyn Community Centre, 1 Colman Terrace, Strathalbyn. Wednesday 11th November at 7:30 pm.

RSVP: Tony Randall by Friday Nov. 6th on 85364551, or 0427917511 or by email: [email protected]

2. SARDI Aquatic Sciences Open Day

Discover the secrets of world-class SA freshwater and marine research. Interactive science displays � seminars � children's activities � touch tanks. Talk to our scientists and find out how their work helps manage South Australia’s fisheries and aquacul-ture industries, and protects our precious aquatic environments. Sunday, 22 November 2009 10am to 4pm. SA Aquatic Sciences Centre, 2 Hamra Ave, West Beach

3. World Ocean Census: a global survey of marine life By Darlene Trew Crist, Gail Sowcroft and James Harding Jr. (Foreword by Sylvia Earl) Filled with over 250 breathtaking photographs of the sea’s wonders, World Ocean Census explores what once lived in the global ocan, what is living there now and what the future holds. This is an insider’s de-scription of the comprehensive Census of Marine Life and what it reveals about a seriously threatened ecosystem. $55 plus postage (hardback), Web orders www.uwap.uwa.edu.au

4. ARKive. Images of life on Earth www.arkive.org ARKive is calling on the global diving community to help in the ongoing search for films and photographs of the world’s most endangered marine species. With many hundreds of the world’s ocean-dwelling animals and plants now threatened with extinction, ARKive is looking to the world’s divers to help in the quest to audio-visually profile as many of these as possible, enabling ARKive users to dive beneath the waves and come face to face with some of the rarest and most amazing creatures imaginable, without even getting wet. The ARKive team is searching for a huge variety of marine imagery, from the mightiest great white shark down to the tiniest pygmy seahorse. If you are a diver and have images from your underwater adventures, then ARKive would like to hear from you.

Email us at [email protected] or upload to www.flickr.com/groups/arkive using the tag ‘marine’.


What’s On? (cont)

Calling all hot shots!

Announcing the Art of Nature Photo Competition

If you’re a budding photographer and love the great outdoors,

this is the competition for you!

We’re looking for photos that celebrate South Australia’s natural landscapes, seascapes and native plants

and animals.

The 12 highest ranking photos, as voted by the public, will be displayed at the next Stirring the Possum

community event and will feature in a 2010 Art of Nature calendar.

Enter online at www.artofnature.sa.gov.au for your chance to share in a heap of prizes including a Sony

digital SLR camera,

Hilton Adelaide accommodation pack, Snowy’s vouchers, Parks Passes, Haigh’s chocolate and more!

Proudly brought to you by the Department for Environment and Heritage.

South Australia

Channel 9 Young Achiever Awards

The purpose of the Channel 9 Young Achiever Awards is to acknowledge, en-

courage and most importantly promote the positive achievements of young

South Australians aged between 14 and 28 years of age.

The Awards recognise the achievements of South Australia’s youth in nine categories, which are:

• Arts

• Community Leadership

• Driving Force Leadership

• Environment

• Outstanding Young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Achiever

• Regional Initiative

• Rural Health

• Science & Technology

• Sports

Nominations close Wednesday 2nd December 2009

For details visit: http://www.awardsaustralia.com/YAA_sa.html


Meet the 2009/10 BSSA Committee!

President - Laura Ruykys Hi, I’ve been a member of BSSA since 2005, when I was undertaking my Hon-

ours at the University of Adelaide. I was recruited by a very enthusiastic Mem-

bership Officer and have been a part of the Society since then. I joined the

BSSA committee in 2006 as Newsletter Editor, then moved on to Publicity Offi-

cer, and now President. I am undertaking a PhD studying the ecology of the

black-footed rock-wallaby in the APY Lands of SA.

Vice President - Joel Allan Hi all. I’m doing a PhD at Adelaide Uni with the society’s patron, David Paton.

I am looking at habitat use by woodland birds in the revegetation at Monarto

that was established in the 1970s. The aim of this work is to develop guidelines

to maximise the effectiveness of future revegetation programs at providing habi-

tat for declining bird species. Through my work I have also developed a broad

interest in plants, especially Eucalypts. I also keep native freshwater fish.

Secretary - Phil �ortheast As a mature-age student, I had previously spent 20 years in the workforce,

mainly in the Railways. When the opportunity came along to follow a lifelong

passion for the environment, I was ecstatic to be accepted by The University of

Adelaide for their Bachelor of Science Degree. Since then, I have majored in

Ecology and Environmental Geoscience and completed Honours studying habi-

tat use of robins at Monarto. At present, I am undertaking a PhD studying habi-

tat use of declining woodland birds within the Mount Lofty Ranges. Results

from these types of studies aim to help guide restoration and revegetation policy,

with the intent of producing better quality habitats for declining species.

Membership Officer - Matthew Vasey G’day my name is Matthew Vasey and I am currently studying a BSc at the

Adelaide Uni. I was bred in the Riverland before moving to Adelaide in 2008 to

undertake tertiary study and lived in a small town called Loveday. My interests

are basically all outdoors and I enjoy fishing, camping and a wide range of

sport. I have volunteered with local action planning groups and have done vari-

ous voluntary stints with DEH. When I found out about BSSA and what they are

about I knew straight away it was for me.

Treasurer - Jiajia Fan I am Jiajia Fan, from China. I am a PhD candidate at the School of Earth and

Environmental Sciences. My research interest is water treatment. It is

fantastic to be a member of BSSA in my first year at Adelaide and I am now

also the treasurer of this committee. I will enjoy this experience during my

life at Adelaide University.


Meet the 2009/10 BSSA Committee! (cont’d)

Publicity Officer - Josh Coldwell Mornin' all. My name’s Josh and 2009 is my second year at Adelaide Univer-

sity, with 2008 being my first year, straight out of High School (I know, "so

young", right). Anyhoo, I'm currently undertaking a Bachelor of Science/Arts

Double Degree (For those who have no idea what they want to do with their life)

and I will probably do a Diploma of Education after it. Biology is one of my

main passions and one of my majors will be Environmental Biology. When I'm

not "working" I can usually be seen wandering down the banks of the River Tor-

rens marveling at nature.

Undergraduate Representative - Ranjani Rajenthiran Hey all! I am a new member of BSSA and I am looking forward to opportunities

to volunteer and help out in anyway as biology has always been a passion of

mine. I am currently pursuing Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences at the Univer-

sity of Adelaide and almost nearing the completion of the first year. My other

passion has always been netball and I do play other sports in my free time.

Volunteer Officer - Amanda De Waal I am an undergraduate student at Flinders University currently undertaking a

Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology. As a member of the BSSA committee I

am looking forward to the opportunity to get involved in research and gain

knowledge and experience. Part-time I work in fashion and I love it! In my spare

time, which is very rare, I like to go snorkeling or sit back and read a good book.

�ewsletter Officer - Dragos Moise Hi there, it’s Dragos (again). I’ve been the Society’s Newsletter Editor last year,

quite enjoyed it, and I’ll be the Newsletter Editor this year too!

Quite a few things happened since my previous blurb, one of them being getting

(finally!) my PhD degree (see, if you persevere you’ll eventually get there!...).

I am working for DEH now, at Urban Biodiversity Unit.

Website Officer - Liberty Olds Hi! I’m undertaking a PhD at Adelaide Uni, but my research is based up in the

Kimberley, W.A. I’m studying the ecology and life history of small mammals,

such as bandicoots, dasyurids and native rodents. I’m interested in all sorts of

things, from mammals to reptiles and everything in between. I’m having a crack

at designing and running a website for the first time in a long while, so I’d love

any comments!


Creature Feature: The Coatis Laura Ruykys

Coatis are members of the raccoon family found in a broad range of habi-tats, including woodlands, desert grasslands, mountain slopes and for-ests. Their geographical range extends from Arizona in the US to northern Ar-gentina.

Four species have been described and individuals can be distinguished by their range, size, pelage and voice;

• South American coati Nasua nasua • White-nosed coati Nasua narica • Nelson's coati Nasua nelsoni • Andean Coati Nasuella olivacea Adults weigh 3-8 kg and, unlike most members of the raccoon family, coatis are diurnal. Females and young males travel together in gregarious, noisy bands of 4-25 individuals, foraging on ground litter invertebrates and fruit. Small vertebrate prey such as lizards and rodents are also consumed. Coatis’ long, somewhat pig-like snout, with its formidable sense of smell, enables coa-tis to unearth their prey. Chirping, snorting and grunting are used to communicate, as is their long, prehensile tail. Due to aggression from females, males over 2 years of age are solitary and only rejoin the troupe during the breeding season. There is a polygynous mating system and pregnant females separate from the group to build an arboreal or rocky nest. Litters of 3-7 young are born and approximately 6 weeks after birth, females and their young rejoin the band.

Coati species are kept as pets in various parts of North, Central and South America. In Central and South America, coatis face threats from unregulated hunting. A lack of population studies of the species in the wild is also probably leading to a severe underestima-tion of their declines. Coati species are also threatened by habitat de-struction as, unlike raccoons in North America, they unlikely to be able to successfully adapt to life in close proximity to humans.

(Photos: Laura Ruykys)


Notes on an Argentinian trip

Laura Ruykys, BSSA President

I think that it’s fair to comment that

most Australians who haven’t trav-

elled to South America would know

little about Argentina. Liberty, your

website officer, and I most certainly

fitted into this category but fortui-

tously, a recent trip has provided a

snippet of illumination.

Liberty and I were extremely privi-

leged to receive Holsworth Wildlife

Research Endowment grants that

supported our attendance at the 10th International Mammalogical Congress in Mendoza, the

“land of sun and wine” (who can go wrong with that tagline??!) in central Argentina. Being self-

respecting ecologists (read nerds), we of course also took the opportunity to briefly travel in the

ecological wonderland that is South America. Although, at only 3 weeks, the trip was brief, it

provided an insight into the roles and

challenges of biology and conserva-

tion in a developing country.

First stop was Santiago, Chile, where,

armed with the rudimentary basics of

Spanish, we acquainted ourselves with

South American wildlife by visiting the

Santiago Zoo. An awe-inspiring trip

across ‘Los Andes’ then followed;

Santiago and Chile are roughly at the

same latitude so all that stood in the

The Andes

Black caiman at Esteros del Ibera


way to our destination were

some mountains approximately

6000 m high! On the trip, we

passed Cerro Aconcagua, the

tallest peak in the Andes at 6

959m. Perhaps most amazing

was the realisation that ecolo-

gists actually do fieldwork in

these ranges. On the Argentin-

ean, lee side of the Andes, the

conditions were surprisingly arid

and, although just slightly higher,

rather akin to some central Aus-

tralian inland ranges.

Never before held in South America, the conference was both eye-opening and inspirational.

The opportunity to mingle with biologists from all corners of the globe was exciting, and certainly

made Lib and I realise how fortunate we are to work

in a developed, stable country. For example, one

lady informed Liberty that her fieldwork in Russia had

been progressing well until a civil war disrupted her

work for 10 years! Hearing first-hand about such

wide-scoping mammalogical work was also amazing

– physiology, ecology, systematics, parasitology, re-

production and, of course, management and con-

servation for a plethora of mammals; from canids,

peccaries and neotropical deer to camelids, bats

and aquatic mammals.

Our post-conference touring then enabled us to see

first-hand some of the species and issues discussed

during the week in Mendoza. After literally a 3 day

bus trip, we arrived in Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, the

provincial town of 200 people which acts as a gate-

way to Esteros del Ibera, arguably one of the best

places to see wildlife in South America.

Capybara and one of the 350 species of birds found at Esteros del Ibera

Marsh deer at Ibera


Notes on an Argentinian trip (cont’d)

Ibera is a rainwater-fed wetland

that is the size of Belgium and,

as a mere starting point, is home

to 350 bird species, including

hummingbirds, herons and

spoonbills (twitcher alert!). As

yet unspoilt by rampant tourism,

Laguna Ibera constitutes a large

series of open-water lagoons on

which float an uncounted num-

ber of dense islands, called em-

balsados, formed by vegeta-

tion. These provide a perfect

land-water medium for an incredible array of bird, reptile, mammal and avian species. I had

never seen wildlife in such abundance! On multiple occasions, taking a photograph of one spe-

cies would inevitably lead to a sec-

ond, at first-unseen species also be-

ing included. Being a fellow biodi-

versity hotspot, the experience pro-

vided me with a new perspective

of exactly how much fauna Austra-

lia once had, and how much we

are continuing to lose. For me, the

most memorable ‘ticks’ provided

by Ibera were those of howler mon-

keys, capybara, marsh deer, king-

fishers, woodpeckers, caimans,

black vultures and cardinals.

After the glorious isolation of Ibera, it was time to head back to the much touristier destination of

Foz do Iguacu, on the border of Brazil and Argentina. One of the seven natural wonders of the

An embalsados with a flock of terns overhead

Howler monkey in the forest canopy at Ibera


world, Iguacu Falls consti-

tute the junction of the

Brazilian Iguacu and

Parana Rivers and are the

world’s widest falls

(overtaking Niagara Falls,

which nevertheless have

a higher average volume

of water per second). In-

comprehensibly b ig

would the best term to

describe the falls, espe-

cially since we were there

when the rivers were in

flood! ‘Ticks’ here were

those of a river otter, toucan, agouti, ocelot paw prints, coati and some amazing butterflies. Per-

haps more incredible though was the sheer scale of the river ecosystems on display – for two

South Australians, the volume of water in those seemingly never-ending river tributaries was in-

credible!

After Iguacu, it was time to head

to Argentina’s capital, Buenos Ai-

res, with its 13 million inhabitants,

and from there, onwards to

home. Overall, an amazing ex-

perience and I would definitely

recommend that South America

be placed on your ‘to do’ list.

Iguacu Falls in flood

The arid, lee side of the Andes in Argentina

(All photos Laura Ruykys)


The 2009 Annual Penguin Census – Granite Island

Natalie Gilbert

Penguin Research and Conservation

Granite Island Nature Park

The population of Little Penguins

Eudyptula minor has been monitored on

Granite Island since 1991, with an An-

nual Census conducted since 2001. The

Penguin population is counted annually

on Granite Island by volunteers, at five

and six weeks after the sighting of the

first eggs. The census itself consists in

counting the active burrows and re-

cording the breeding activity. The 2009

Penguin Census was held over two days

(9 and 18 September) and a total of 70 volunteers helped out.

Unfortunately, this year’s census revealed that Little Penguin numbers on Granite Island

have continued

to decline with

numbers

dropping to

an all time

low of only

166 penguins,

compared to

1548 in 2001.

Granite Island Penguin Census

1548

828

588 622 586408 358

166

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Year

Nu

mb

er

of

Pen

gu

ins


The question is why are the penguins vanishing? West

Island, only five kilometres away had a thriving colony only five

years ago, it now has little to no penguins remaining.

Tourism, which has impacted on penguins in the past,

does not seem to be the culprit to their decline in numbers.

Management strategies have been implemented that now mini-

mize human impact on the penguins. In fact the highest con-

centration of penguins is now located in areas on the island

where tourism and people are most prevalent.

It would seem the most likely scenario is the increase in seal numbers. The New Zealand

Fur Seal Arctocephalus forsteri are now a com-

mon sight on the island, and although they

don’t eat penguins as a preferred food, they

do consume them from time to time. Having

accused the seals of this horrid deed, there is

no hard evidence to prove them guilty (but I

am highly suspicious they are the cause of the

penguin’s population decline.

On a positive side, the colony itself con-

sists of very healthy penguins. Their body weights and breeding success are at an all time high.

The chicks are well fed, and in the past three

years the actual survival rate of the chicks is the

best it has been since monitoring started in 1991.

Much needed research into the penguin population

decline is needed, but to date no research has

been planned.

The penguins in the photos are from the recovery facility; the one with the blue shoe had its foot injured when

attacked by a dog on the beach. Photos Dragos Moise, September 2009.


Volunteer Opportunities

There are a number of ways to get involved in natural resource management (NRM) activities at a local, regional, state or national level. Australian Government & other organisations that facilitate NRM activities can help people find an appropriate group to join, or support the formation of a new group concerned about the quality of the land & water in their area.

Conservation Volunteers

Conservation Volunteers provides support for a range of practical conservation projects through the volunteers that it attracts. See the conservation connect part of their web site for details of projects for which volunteers are sought. http://cvops.cva.org.au/

Friends of Parks Groups

Volunteers get hands-on work in National Parks & at heritage sites in various parts of the state. Activities include revegetation, weeds management, administration, guiding, trail maintenance & wildlife monitoring. All ages welcome. Need an interest in the environment. May have to supply own transport. Groups meet at various times during the week & on weekends. http://www.communitywebs.org/FriendsofParks/

Earthwatch Institute

Earthwatch provides opportunities worldwide for people to engage in scientific field research to promote the understanding necessary for sustainable environmental outcomes. Visit their web site for details of projects in Australia & how to volunteer. www.earthwatch.org/

Greening Australia

Greening Australia is focused on the health, diversity & productivity of our unique landscapes through the restoration & management of Australia's vegetation. It has offices in all states & territories. Find out about opportunities in your state or territory by visiting their web site. www.greeningaustralia.org.au

Landcare Australia

Landcare Australia works to help individuals, groups & communities to make a positive difference to the environment. It does so through partnerships between the community, government & business that work towards practical NRM activities, including on-ground projects, research & community awareness, to protect & repair the environment. There are more than 4000 volunteer community landcare groups operating throughout Australia across a range of areas. Landcare Australia provides advice on forming new community groups as well as identifying existing groups. http://www.landcareonline.com

There are also a range of community groups working in urban & rural areas on local environmental issues such as conservation & rehabilitation of river systems, coastal areas & urban remnant native vegetation areas. Contact your regional NRM facilitator for additional information about community groups in your region.

Threatened Bird Network

The Threatened Bird Network is a community based initiative of Birds Australia & the Natural Heritage Trust. For details on how to get involved visit the web site http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/our-projects/volunteering-with-tbn.html

WWF-Australia

WWF-Australia maintains a website calendar providing information on volunteering opportunities to support on-ground conservation projects for threatened species throughout Australia. http://wwf.org.au/act/volunteer/


Threatened Species Network

A partnership between the WWF-Australia & the Australian Government, works with communities & other conservation partners to help stop the declining numbers of native plants & animals, particularly those listed as threatened by the Australian or state governments. The network can facilitate contact with local, state & national agencies that can assist with skills training & provision. It also provides grants to community groups for on-ground conservation activities. http://wwf.org.au/ourwork/species/tsncontactdetails/

Reef Check Australia

Reef Check Australia is part of the United Nations' official community-based coral reef monitoring program which operates in over 80 countries around the world. Reef Check Australia provides a globally-accredited training program that enables volunteers to gather high quality data that are useful to coral reef managers. Reef Check Australia volunteers regularly monitor & report on reef health around Australia & the Indo-Pacific. This information is used by community groups, governments, universities & businesses to design & implement ecologically sound & economically sustainable coral reef management. www.reefcheckaustralia.org

Waterwatch

Waterwatch is a community-based initiative operating throughout Australia. It facilitates & coordinates projects to improve water quality in all states & territories. The projects include education, training & water monitoring activities. www.waterwatch.org.au

Student Botanical Internships

Closed for 2008, but a great opportunity: The Student's Volunteer Botanical Internship Program is designed to allow students of botany, environmental science & related subjects the opportunity for substantive scientific work experience in the Australian National Herbarium & Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research ( CPBR ) in Canberra, Australia. The Program runs for seven weeks full-time over January & February & covers a variety of topics. http://www.anbg.gov.au/intern/index.html

SA DEH Volunteer Opportunities & Calendar of Events

To get involved in a range of environmental events & activities select one of the following links on this website: http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/deh/volunteers/index.html:

Check out our Calendar of Events; Take part in the Frog Census; Become a Friend of the Botanic Gardens; Check out the Volunteer News - The Link; Start or join an AirWatch program; Start or join a Waterwatch Program

Arid Recovery

Arid Recovery is an ecosystem restoration initiative working to restore Australia's arid lands. Volunteers may be involved with feral species control, research & monitoring of both native & introduced species & maintenance of the reserve. Volunteers may also be able to assist with other work outside of the reserve, including fundraising & public awareness campaigns. Volunteers should preferably bring their own 4WD vehicle. Some experience with native and/or feral species control would be desirable. Most times of the year. Specific working bees will be listed on the Arid Recovery website. Located near Roxby Downs. http://www.aridrecovery.org.au/


All field trips are carried out under the auspices, supervision and insurance provisions of the organisations offering the work, not the Biology Society. It is your

responsibility to check with the organisation and determine the arrangements you need to make for insurance, liability etc.

Working Bees/Fieldwork OpportunitiesWorking Bees/Fieldwork OpportunitiesWorking Bees/Fieldwork Opportunities

Project Location Activities Contact Dates

One to Five days—see BSSA website for more details

Shorebirds 2020 Along the SA coast Counting shorebirds [email protected] Summer 2009/10

NTSA Natural Heritage

Various SA Bush care,

weeding and planting

Russ Sinclair russell.sinclair

@adelaide.edu.au Various 2009

Threatened Plant Action

Group Various SA Weeding and planting [email protected] Various 2009

One week or more—see BSSA website for more details

Southern Brown Bandicoots

Adelaide Hills trapping and handling

bandicoots & antechinuses

Jasmin Packer [email protected]

(08) 8303 7140 or 0448 122 044

12 Jan - 19 Feb 2010

The role of cracking clays in

maintaining rangeland biodiversity

Billa Kalina Station (approximately

170 km south-east of Coober Pedy

mammal, reptile, and invertebrate trapping, assessing vegetation condition and grazing intensity, measuring

cracking clay properties

Helen Waudby

[email protected]

15 October – 11 November;

7–21 December 2009

(dates may change slightly to suit volunteers)

Climate Refugia for Birds in the

Mallee

Various locations throughout

eastern South Australia

mist-netting Southern Scrub-robins, collecting

morphometric data and blood samples

Jolene Scoble

[email protected]

0413 331 758

September to December

2009, approx. 10 trips of 5

days each over this time

(depending on when volunteers are available to

help)

Fire Ecology in Reptiles

Mallee CPs, Eyre Peninsula SA

reptile trapping, morphometry &

demographic info, DNA sampling, radio-tracking

Annabel Smith [email protected]

(08) 8303 3698 or 0415 539 509

Nov & Dec 2009 Jan, Feb & March 2010

(stay for as long as you like)

Koonamore NE pastoral area, north of Yunta

Gathering veg data & general reserve maintenance

Russ Sinclair russell.sinclair

@adelaide.edu.au

November/ December

2009


The Aims of the Biology Society of South Aus-tralia are:

• To develop and maintain contact between people with an interest in field biology and the conserva-tion and management of natural resources in South Australia.

• Provide fieldwork opportunities, either directly through the society’s own activities, or, more com-monly, by advertising requests for assistance by professional ecologists or conservation organisa-tions.

• Organise field camps to provide additional oppor-tunities for members to assist with field-based bio-logical studies.

• Seek government support for field-based activities relevant to the conservation and management of South Australian biota.

• Provide independent comment on proposals that impact the status of biodiversity.

Membership is open to anyone with an interest in field biology and gaining research skills through volunteering.

General Meetings BSSA meets quarterly at the University of Adelaide. Our meetings are on the first Thursday of every March, May, August, and on the 2nd Thursday of Sep-tember at 5.30 pm. At each meeting there is a guest speaker as well as an opportunity to meet friendly, like-minded people including practising biologists who work in your field of interest. Please join us for beers and nibbles on these relaxing and educational Thurs-day evenings.

Annual Quiz Night

BSSA holds an annual quiz night on the 2nd Friday in October at Burnside Community Centre. See our web-site for further details.

Enquiries Membership enquiries should be directed to the Membership Officer, Matt Vasey at email: [email protected]

Activities suggestions and advertising for volunteers to help with your research should be directed to [email protected]

General enquiries about the society can be made to BSSA at [email protected]

Tel: (08) 8303 7153 or (08) 8303 7269 ,

Fax: (08) 8303 6222

BSSA Membership Form

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Annual Membership $10

Is this a new membership

or a renewal?

Please state your main biological interests (certain taxa, etc.)

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Please send your membership form along with $10 membership fee to:

BSSA Membership Officer

C/- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Earth and Environmental Sciences DX650-312 THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE SA 5005 AUSTRALIA

Phone: (08) 8303 7153 or (08) 8303 7269

Fax: (08) 8303 6222

Email: [email protected]

Sender:

Biology Society of South Australia, Inc. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School of Earth and Environmental Sciences DX650-312 THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE SA 5005

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