Koala Sighted In Kosciuszko National Park
Media release: 5 December 2016 - NPWSA koala has been spotted in Kosciuszko National Park for the first time in more than 70 years.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Area Manager Matt White said the koala was spotted near the Snowy Mountains Highway last month.
“The koala appeared to be a healthy male casually crossing the road in the Blowering section of the Park,” Mr White said.
“It continued towards a stand of eucalypts and was seen climbing up one of the trees where it stayed looking quite content.
“Actual recorded sightings of koalas in this area are very rare with one record from Batlow in 1940 and an unconfirmed record from Talbingo.
“We’re not sure if the sighting is an isolated individual who has wandered in looking for suitable vacant habitat or marks the discovery of a previously unrecorded wild population.
“Even more exciting was that the animal was spotted in an area of the park that has been the subject of a major revegetation program.
“The Blowering Foreshore Revegetation program has seen more than 800,000 trees planted on land that was once cleared for farming.
“The trees that have been planted are suitable food and habitat and the sighting is proof that the project is doing exactly what it intended, restoring a healthy natural ecosystem,” Mr White said.
NPWS has undertaken an integrated pest management program in and around the site for the last 20 years targeting wild dogs and foxes so this sighting could indicate that predators are being controlled to the point where vulnerable species are able to exist in the landscape again.
NPWS officers have been back out to the area to try and locate the animal to confirm its health.
“Our next step is to survey the immediate area for further individuals and possibly extending the survey further afield.
“If anyone comes across a koala in the area we would love to hear about it and ask people to please contact the NPWS Tumut office on 02 69 477000,” Mr White said.
The sighting comes as the NSW Government launches public consultation on a state-wide Koala Strategy that aims secure and eventually increase koala numbers in NSW.
Koala sighted in Kosciuszko National Park - November 2016, photo courtesy OEH
Media release: 5 December 2016 - NPWS
A koala has been spotted in Kosciuszko National Park for the first time in more than 70 years.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Area Manager Matt White said the koala was spotted near the Snowy Mountains Highway last month.
“The koala appeared to be a healthy male casually crossing the road in the Blowering section of the Park,” Mr White said.
“It continued towards a stand of eucalypts and was seen climbing up one of the trees where it stayed looking quite content.
“Actual recorded sightings of koalas in this area are very rare with one record from Batlow in 1940 and an unconfirmed record from Talbingo.
“We’re not sure if the sighting is an isolated individual who has wandered in looking for suitable vacant habitat or marks the discovery of a previously unrecorded wild population.
“Even more exciting was that the animal was spotted in an area of the park that has been the subject of a major revegetation program.
“The Blowering Foreshore Revegetation program has seen more than 800,000 trees planted on land that was once cleared for farming.
“The trees that have been planted are suitable food and habitat and the sighting is proof that the project is doing exactly what it intended, restoring a healthy natural ecosystem,” Mr White said.
NPWS has undertaken an integrated pest management program in and around the site for the last 20 years targeting wild dogs and foxes so this sighting could indicate that predators are being controlled to the point where vulnerable species are able to exist in the landscape again.
NPWS officers have been back out to the area to try and locate the animal to confirm its health.
“Our next step is to survey the immediate area for further individuals and possibly extending the survey further afield.
“If anyone comes across a koala in the area we would love to hear about it and ask people to please contact the NPWS Tumut office on 02 69 477000,” Mr White said.
The sighting comes as the NSW Government launches public consultation on a state-wide Koala Strategy that aims secure and eventually increase koala numbers in NSW.
Koala sighted in Kosciuszko National Park - November 2016, photo courtesy OEH
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Detective Work Across Dingo Fence Reveals New Factor In Woody Shrub Invasion
December 5, 2016: University of New South Wales
The dingo fence -- a 2-meter tall, 5,600-kilometer long fence erected more than a century ago to keep dingoes out of eastern Australia.Credit: Ben MooreExtermination of dingoes and the consequent loss of small mammals -- not just overgrazing by livestock -- have led to a rapid spread of woody shrubs across semi-arid Australia, a new study shows.
Re-introduction of small mammals to desert areas could help prevent further invasion by the woody weeds, the researchers suggest.
The study in outback NSW compared conditions on either side of the dingo fence -- a two-metre tall, 5600-kilometre long fence erected more than a century ago to keep dingoes out of eastern Australia.
Dingoes are common on the western side of the fence, but rare on the other side, due to intensive control measures including poisoning, trapping and shooting over many decades.
"Woody shrubs pose a major problem for farmers and their abundance in semi-arid areas has risen dramatically in recent decades," says study senior author UNSW Associate Professor Mike Letnic.
"These weeds reduce the availability of feed for livestock and hinder access for mustering. But removing them is contentious, because they are classified as native vegetation."
To measure the encroachment of woody shrubs into grasslands, the researchers, led by PhD candidate Christopher Gordon from Western Sydney University, examined aerial photographs of far western NSW and eastern South Australia spanning a 50 year period.
They assessed four sites in the Strzelecki Desert, two on either side of the dingo fence. The results are published in the Journal of Animal Ecology.
"The fence provides a rare, large-scale natural experiment to examine the effects that a top predator such as the dingo has on ecosystems," says Dr Gordon.
"We found that shrub cover had increased on the dingo-free side in both areas, one that had been used for livestock grazing and one that had not been grazed since the 1970s. This suggests overgrazing by livestock may not be the main cause of shrub spread, as had been thought.
"There was also a negligible increase in shrub cover in comparable areas on the other side of the fence, which suggests dingoes help reduce shrub spread," he says.
This led the team to investigate the activity of small mammals and they found they were more common in areas where the shrubs were sparse. They also looked in detail at the feeding habits of one small mammal, the dusky hopping mouse, and found it consumed significant amounts of woody shrub seeds.
The rate of survival of shrub seedlings was greater in areas where dingoes were rare and the rate of removal of seeds was lower there.
"Taken together, our results suggest a cascading effect. A loss of dingoes allows foxes and feral cats to thrive and prey on the small mammals that eat the shrub seeds. Fewer small mammals means the shrubs can spread," says Gordon.
"This is the first study to link shrub encroachment to loss of an apex predator like the dingo, and it could explain shrub spread in many other areas around the globe.
"Rewilding initiatives that aim to conserve or re-establish small mammal populations could help stop the invasion of these pervasive weeds in Australia," he says.
The aerial photographs were collected by government agencies in 1948, 1972, 1983 and 1999. Shrub cover was 26-48 per cent greater in areas where dingoes were rare compared with areas where they were common.
Christopher E. Gordon, David J. Eldridge, William J. Ripple, Mathew S. Crowther, Ben D. Moore, Mike Letnic. Shrub encroachment is linked to extirpation of an apex predator. Journal of Animal Ecology, 2016; DOI:10.1111/1365-2656.12607
December 5, 2016: University of New South Wales
The dingo fence -- a 2-meter tall, 5,600-kilometer long fence erected more than a century ago to keep dingoes out of eastern Australia.
Credit: Ben Moore
Extermination of dingoes and the consequent loss of small mammals -- not just overgrazing by livestock -- have led to a rapid spread of woody shrubs across semi-arid Australia, a new study shows.
Re-introduction of small mammals to desert areas could help prevent further invasion by the woody weeds, the researchers suggest.
The study in outback NSW compared conditions on either side of the dingo fence -- a two-metre tall, 5600-kilometre long fence erected more than a century ago to keep dingoes out of eastern Australia.
Dingoes are common on the western side of the fence, but rare on the other side, due to intensive control measures including poisoning, trapping and shooting over many decades.
"Woody shrubs pose a major problem for farmers and their abundance in semi-arid areas has risen dramatically in recent decades," says study senior author UNSW Associate Professor Mike Letnic.
"These weeds reduce the availability of feed for livestock and hinder access for mustering. But removing them is contentious, because they are classified as native vegetation."
To measure the encroachment of woody shrubs into grasslands, the researchers, led by PhD candidate Christopher Gordon from Western Sydney University, examined aerial photographs of far western NSW and eastern South Australia spanning a 50 year period.
They assessed four sites in the Strzelecki Desert, two on either side of the dingo fence. The results are published in the Journal of Animal Ecology.
"The fence provides a rare, large-scale natural experiment to examine the effects that a top predator such as the dingo has on ecosystems," says Dr Gordon.
"We found that shrub cover had increased on the dingo-free side in both areas, one that had been used for livestock grazing and one that had not been grazed since the 1970s. This suggests overgrazing by livestock may not be the main cause of shrub spread, as had been thought.
"There was also a negligible increase in shrub cover in comparable areas on the other side of the fence, which suggests dingoes help reduce shrub spread," he says.
This led the team to investigate the activity of small mammals and they found they were more common in areas where the shrubs were sparse. They also looked in detail at the feeding habits of one small mammal, the dusky hopping mouse, and found it consumed significant amounts of woody shrub seeds.
The rate of survival of shrub seedlings was greater in areas where dingoes were rare and the rate of removal of seeds was lower there.
"Taken together, our results suggest a cascading effect. A loss of dingoes allows foxes and feral cats to thrive and prey on the small mammals that eat the shrub seeds. Fewer small mammals means the shrubs can spread," says Gordon.
"This is the first study to link shrub encroachment to loss of an apex predator like the dingo, and it could explain shrub spread in many other areas around the globe.
"Rewilding initiatives that aim to conserve or re-establish small mammal populations could help stop the invasion of these pervasive weeds in Australia," he says.
The aerial photographs were collected by government agencies in 1948, 1972, 1983 and 1999. Shrub cover was 26-48 per cent greater in areas where dingoes were rare compared with areas where they were common.
Christopher E. Gordon, David J. Eldridge, William J. Ripple, Mathew S. Crowther, Ben D. Moore, Mike Letnic. Shrub encroachment is linked to extirpation of an apex predator. Journal of Animal Ecology, 2016; DOI:10.1111/1365-2656.12607
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Sea Ice Hit Record Lows In November
December 6, 2016
This is the Arctic sea ice extent: November 2016. Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center (NASA Earth Observatory)Unusually high air temperatures and a warm ocean have led to a record low Arctic sea ice extent for November, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder. In the Southern Hemisphere, Antarctic sea ice extent also hit a record low for the month, caused by moderately warm temperatures and a rapid shift in circumpolar winds.
"It looks like a triple whammy -- a warm ocean, a warm atmosphere, and a wind pattern all working against the ice in the Arctic," said NSIDC director Mark Serreze.
Arctic sea ice extent averaged 9.08 million square kilometers (3.51 million square miles) for November, 1.95 million square kilometers (753,000 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 long-term average for the month. Although the rate of Arctic ice growth was slightly faster than average, total extent actually decreased for a brief period in the middle of the month. The decrease in extent measured 50,000 square kilometers (19,300 square miles) and was observed mostly in the Barents Sea, an area of the Arctic Ocean north of Norway, Finland, and Eastern Russia.
NSIDC scientists said the decrease in extent is almost unprecedented for November in the satellite record; a less pronounced and brief retreat of 14,000 square kilometers (5,400 square miles) happened in 2013. November 2016 is now the seventh month this year to have hit a record low extent in the 38-year satellite monitoring period. The November extent was 3.2 standard deviations below the long-term average, a larger departure than observed in September 2012 when the Arctic summer minimum extent hit a record low.
Arctic sea ice is still in the early stages of winter freeze-up and is expected to continue expanding until it hits its maximum extent around March next year.
NSIDC scientists said unusually high temperatures over the Arctic Ocean, persistent winds from the south, and a warm ocean worked together to drive the record low Arctic extent. Extending from northeast of Greenland towards Svalbard and Severnaya Zemlya, air temperatures at the 925 hPa level (about 2,500 feet above sea level) were up to 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1981 to 2010 long-term average for the month. Sea surface temperatures in the Barents and Kara Seas remained unusually high, up to 4 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) above average around Novaya Zemlya and Svalbard, preventing ice formation. These high temperatures reflected a pattern of winds from the south, which also helped to push the ice northward and reduce the ice extent.
NSIDC scientist Julienne Stroeve was in Svalbard during November and noted the lack of sea ice. "Typically sea ice begins to form in the fjords at the beginning of November, but this year there was no ice to be found," she said.
In the Southern Hemisphere, sea ice surrounding the continent of Antarctica declined very quickly early in the month and set a record low. The average extent for November was 14.54 million square kilometers (5.61 million square miles), 1.81 million square kilometers (699,000 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average. This was more than twice the previous record departure from average set in November 1986 and was 5.7 standard deviations below the long-term average.
NSIDC scientists said that higher-than-average temperatures and a rapid shift in Antarctic circumpolar winds appear to have caused the rapid decline in Antarctic sea ice.
Air temperatures 2 to 4 degrees Celsius, or 4 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than average and an earlier pattern of strong westerly winds worked to create a more dispersed sea ice pack in the Antarctic. A rapid shift to a more varied wind structure, with three major areas of winds from the north, rapidly compressed low-concentration sea ice around Wilkes Land, Dronning Maud Land, Enderby Land, and the Antarctic Peninsula. Moreover, several very large polynyas (areas of open water within the pack) have opened in the eastern Weddell and along the Amundsen Sea and Ross Sea coast.
"Antarctic sea ice really went down the rabbit hole this time," said NSIDC lead scientist Ted Scambos. "There are a few things we can say about what happened, but we need to look deeper."
NASA scientist and NSIDC affiliate scientist Walt Meier said, "The Arctic has typically been where the most interest lies, but this month, the Antarctic has flipped the script and it is southern sea ice that is surprising us."
Materials provided by University of Colorado at Boulder.
December 6, 2016
This is the Arctic sea ice extent: November 2016. Credit: National Snow and Ice Data Center (NASA Earth Observatory)
Unusually high air temperatures and a warm ocean have led to a record low Arctic sea ice extent for November, according to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder. In the Southern Hemisphere, Antarctic sea ice extent also hit a record low for the month, caused by moderately warm temperatures and a rapid shift in circumpolar winds.
"It looks like a triple whammy -- a warm ocean, a warm atmosphere, and a wind pattern all working against the ice in the Arctic," said NSIDC director Mark Serreze.
Arctic sea ice extent averaged 9.08 million square kilometers (3.51 million square miles) for November, 1.95 million square kilometers (753,000 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 long-term average for the month. Although the rate of Arctic ice growth was slightly faster than average, total extent actually decreased for a brief period in the middle of the month. The decrease in extent measured 50,000 square kilometers (19,300 square miles) and was observed mostly in the Barents Sea, an area of the Arctic Ocean north of Norway, Finland, and Eastern Russia.
NSIDC scientists said the decrease in extent is almost unprecedented for November in the satellite record; a less pronounced and brief retreat of 14,000 square kilometers (5,400 square miles) happened in 2013. November 2016 is now the seventh month this year to have hit a record low extent in the 38-year satellite monitoring period. The November extent was 3.2 standard deviations below the long-term average, a larger departure than observed in September 2012 when the Arctic summer minimum extent hit a record low.
Arctic sea ice is still in the early stages of winter freeze-up and is expected to continue expanding until it hits its maximum extent around March next year.
NSIDC scientists said unusually high temperatures over the Arctic Ocean, persistent winds from the south, and a warm ocean worked together to drive the record low Arctic extent. Extending from northeast of Greenland towards Svalbard and Severnaya Zemlya, air temperatures at the 925 hPa level (about 2,500 feet above sea level) were up to 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1981 to 2010 long-term average for the month. Sea surface temperatures in the Barents and Kara Seas remained unusually high, up to 4 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) above average around Novaya Zemlya and Svalbard, preventing ice formation. These high temperatures reflected a pattern of winds from the south, which also helped to push the ice northward and reduce the ice extent.
NSIDC scientist Julienne Stroeve was in Svalbard during November and noted the lack of sea ice. "Typically sea ice begins to form in the fjords at the beginning of November, but this year there was no ice to be found," she said.
In the Southern Hemisphere, sea ice surrounding the continent of Antarctica declined very quickly early in the month and set a record low. The average extent for November was 14.54 million square kilometers (5.61 million square miles), 1.81 million square kilometers (699,000 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average. This was more than twice the previous record departure from average set in November 1986 and was 5.7 standard deviations below the long-term average.
NSIDC scientists said that higher-than-average temperatures and a rapid shift in Antarctic circumpolar winds appear to have caused the rapid decline in Antarctic sea ice.
Air temperatures 2 to 4 degrees Celsius, or 4 to 7 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than average and an earlier pattern of strong westerly winds worked to create a more dispersed sea ice pack in the Antarctic. A rapid shift to a more varied wind structure, with three major areas of winds from the north, rapidly compressed low-concentration sea ice around Wilkes Land, Dronning Maud Land, Enderby Land, and the Antarctic Peninsula. Moreover, several very large polynyas (areas of open water within the pack) have opened in the eastern Weddell and along the Amundsen Sea and Ross Sea coast.
"Antarctic sea ice really went down the rabbit hole this time," said NSIDC lead scientist Ted Scambos. "There are a few things we can say about what happened, but we need to look deeper."
NASA scientist and NSIDC affiliate scientist Walt Meier said, "The Arctic has typically been where the most interest lies, but this month, the Antarctic has flipped the script and it is southern sea ice that is surprising us."
Materials provided by University of Colorado at Boulder.
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Next Generation To Name Antarctic Ship Of The Future
7 December 2016: Media release - The Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP, Minister for the Environment and EnergyChildren across the country will get the chance to be part of Australia's Antarctic future, with a school competition to name the nation's new state-of-the-art icebreaker to be held in term one of 2017.
The competition will coincide with the start of construction of the vessel in February, with the ship scheduled to arrive in its homeport of Hobart in 2020.
The Australian Antarctic Division's school's resource, 'Classroom Antarctica' will include six new units about Antarctic icebreakers tailored to the Australian curriculum. These will complement existing learning units that focus on the significance of Antarctica, science, wildlife and the Australian Antarctic Program.
This is an important opportunity to educate and inspire the next generation of Antarctic scientists and expeditioners.
The Coalition Government has committed a $1.9 billion package to cover the design, build and 30 year operational and maintenance lifespan of the ship.
The current icebreaker Aurora Australis, which has served the Australian Antarctic Program since 1989, is scheduled to depart for the continent tomorrow (8 December) to resupply Casey research station then undertake a marine science voyage.
Scientists on the ship will undertake important climate research along the coast of East Antarctica, seeking to understand changes in the largest glacier in East Antarctica, the Totten Glacier.
The Totten Glacier is a key focus for scientists this season, with research taking place above, on, below and in front of the glacier. The visit to the Totten, which depends on favourable ice conditions, will be the second in the history of the Australian Antarctic Program. The first oceanographic voyage in modern times that has reached the front of the glacier was conducted in early 2015.
A team of around 30 scientists on board the Aurora Australis will monitor the ocean for changes that may be influencing the ice sheet and deploy an array of instruments that will track changes in the ocean in front of the glacier. These oceanographic observations will be combined with measurements made by scientists working on the glacier, to help improve understanding of how a melting Antarctic ice sheet may impact sea level rise.
Details regarding the 'Name our Icebreaker' competition, to be led by the Australian Antarctic Division will be released early next year.
A graphic of the new icebreaker in the ice (Image: Damen/DMS Maritime/Knud E Hansen A/S)
More informationFrequently Asked Questions: Name the Icebreaker competition
When will the competition open?The competition will be held in the first term of the new school year in 2017 and will coincide with the start of construction of the vessel in February.
Who can enter?The competition will have a Junior and Senior category and will be open to students between grades 3 and 10.
How will the name be selected?The Division will shortlist entries, with a judging panel (yet to be selected) to then select the winning entries and make a recommendation to the Minister for the Environment and Energy, the Hon. Josh Frydenberg, MP.
What is the prize?All the details of the competition, including the prize, will be announced in early 2017.
Where can I find more information about the icebreaker?This website provides information about the design specifications, scientific capabilities, cargo capacity and the procurement process for the icebreaker.
Early in 2017 the Australian Antarctic Division’s school’s resource, ‘Classroom Antarctica’ will include six new units about Antarctic icebreakers tailored to the Australian curriculum. These will complement existing learning units that focus on the significance of Antarctica, science, wildlife and the Australian Antarctic Program.
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Do you like to enrich the earth as much as benefit from it?
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7 December 2016: Media release - The Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP, Minister for the Environment and Energy
Children across the country will get the chance to be part of Australia's Antarctic future, with a school competition to name the nation's new state-of-the-art icebreaker to be held in term one of 2017.
The competition will coincide with the start of construction of the vessel in February, with the ship scheduled to arrive in its homeport of Hobart in 2020.
The Australian Antarctic Division's school's resource, 'Classroom Antarctica' will include six new units about Antarctic icebreakers tailored to the Australian curriculum. These will complement existing learning units that focus on the significance of Antarctica, science, wildlife and the Australian Antarctic Program.
This is an important opportunity to educate and inspire the next generation of Antarctic scientists and expeditioners.
The Coalition Government has committed a $1.9 billion package to cover the design, build and 30 year operational and maintenance lifespan of the ship.
The current icebreaker Aurora Australis, which has served the Australian Antarctic Program since 1989, is scheduled to depart for the continent tomorrow (8 December) to resupply Casey research station then undertake a marine science voyage.
Scientists on the ship will undertake important climate research along the coast of East Antarctica, seeking to understand changes in the largest glacier in East Antarctica, the Totten Glacier.
The Totten Glacier is a key focus for scientists this season, with research taking place above, on, below and in front of the glacier. The visit to the Totten, which depends on favourable ice conditions, will be the second in the history of the Australian Antarctic Program. The first oceanographic voyage in modern times that has reached the front of the glacier was conducted in early 2015.
A team of around 30 scientists on board the Aurora Australis will monitor the ocean for changes that may be influencing the ice sheet and deploy an array of instruments that will track changes in the ocean in front of the glacier. These oceanographic observations will be combined with measurements made by scientists working on the glacier, to help improve understanding of how a melting Antarctic ice sheet may impact sea level rise.
Details regarding the 'Name our Icebreaker' competition, to be led by the Australian Antarctic Division will be released early next year.
A graphic of the new icebreaker in the ice (Image: Damen/DMS Maritime/Knud E Hansen A/S)
More information
Frequently Asked Questions: Name the Icebreaker competition
When will the competition open?
The competition will be held in the first term of the new school year in 2017 and will coincide with the start of construction of the vessel in February.
Who can enter?
The competition will have a Junior and Senior category and will be open to students between grades 3 and 10.
How will the name be selected?
The Division will shortlist entries, with a judging panel (yet to be selected) to then select the winning entries and make a recommendation to the Minister for the Environment and Energy, the Hon. Josh Frydenberg, MP.
What is the prize?
All the details of the competition, including the prize, will be announced in early 2017.
Where can I find more information about the icebreaker?
This website provides information about the design specifications, scientific capabilities, cargo capacity and the procurement process for the icebreaker.
Early in 2017 the Australian Antarctic Division’s school’s resource, ‘Classroom Antarctica’ will include six new units about Antarctic icebreakers tailored to the Australian curriculum. These will complement existing learning units that focus on the significance of Antarctica, science, wildlife and the Australian Antarctic Program.
Permaculture Northern Beaches
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Want to know where your food is coming from?
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Newport Community Gardens
Anyone interested in joining our community garden group please feel free to come and visit us on Sunday at 10am at the Woolcott Reserve in Newport!
Keep in Touch with what's happening on Newport Garden's Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/newportcg/
Pittwater's Environmental Foundation
Pittwater Environmental Foundation was established in 2006 to conserve and enhance the natural environment of the Pittwater local government area through the application of tax deductible donations, gifts and bequests. The Directors were appointed by Pittwater Council.
About 33% (about 1600 ha excluding National Parks) of the original pre-European bushland in Pittwater remains in a reasonably natural or undisturbed condition. Of this, only about 400ha remains in public ownership. All remaining natural bushland is subject to encroachment, illegal clearing, weed invasion, feral animals, altered drainage, bushfire hazard reduction requirements and other edge effects. Within Pittwater 38 species of plants or animals are listed as endangered or threatened under the Threatened Species Act. There are two endangered populations (Koala and Squirrel Glider) and eight endangered ecological communities or types of bushland. To visit their site please click on logo above.
Anyone interested in joining our community garden group please feel free to come and visit us on Sunday at 10am at the Woolcott Reserve in Newport!
Keep in Touch with what's happening on Newport Garden's Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/newportcg/
Pittwater's Environmental Foundation
Pittwater Environmental Foundation was established in 2006 to conserve and enhance the natural environment of the Pittwater local government area through the application of tax deductible donations, gifts and bequests. The Directors were appointed by Pittwater Council.
About 33% (about 1600 ha excluding National Parks) of the original pre-European bushland in Pittwater remains in a reasonably natural or undisturbed condition. Of this, only about 400ha remains in public ownership. All remaining natural bushland is subject to encroachment, illegal clearing, weed invasion, feral animals, altered drainage, bushfire hazard reduction requirements and other edge effects. Within Pittwater 38 species of plants or animals are listed as endangered or threatened under the Threatened Species Act. There are two endangered populations (Koala and Squirrel Glider) and eight endangered ecological communities or types of bushland. To visit their site please click on logo above.
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The Winner Of The Digital Portraiture Award 2016 Is...
2 December 2016
Charles (still from video) by Amiel Courtin-WilsonToday, at the National Portrait Gallery, the winner of the Digital Portraiture Award 2016 was announced. Congratulations to Amiel Courtin-Wilson for his submission titled Charles.
Amiel receives $10,000 cash and a residency at The Edge, State Library of Queensland, valued at $15,000.
Gillian Raymond, Digital Manager at the Portrait Gallery and one of the judges for this year’s Award, was moved by the depth of Amiel’s portrait and the outstanding use of the digital medium to convey a story.
‘The Digital Portraiture Award enables the National Portrait Gallery to actively challenge conservative notions of portraiture. Indeed, this is as much an exhibition about the genre of portraiture as it is about digital art,’ said Gillian.
‘This year’s finalists explore the boundaries between performance and portraiture, biology and portraiture, advertising and portraiture. They riff on themes of artistic disillusionment, self-discovery and the development of identity. In the end, the judges were won over by the technical mastery of the winning work combined with the empathetic and poignant depiction of its subject.’
Amiel was extraordinarily touched that his work has been recognised by The National Portrait Gallery and is honoured to be a part of the group exhibition.
‘The portraiture I find most inspiring takes seed in your body and creates a visceral response before the intellect can take hold,’ said Amiel
‘I look forward to being able to continue to create images borne of simple but profound human interactions with this very generous amount of prize money.'
‘I have been making films and working with the moving image for over twenty years and my cinematographer Germain McMicking has been creating work with me for over fifteen years so this award is for Germain as well. I want to thank Charles, the producers Kate Laurie and John Baker as well as everyone who helped contribute to the work.’
‘I am also excited to take part in an upcoming residency at The Edge in Queensland and look forward to a new fertile environment in which to create and forge new creative relationships.’
Amiel’s winning work will be on display with six other finalists in the Digital Portraiture Award 2016 exhibition which is open to the public from Friday 2 December 2016 until Sunday 9 April 2017.
The finalists' works are available to view on the Gallery's vimeo page.
2 December 2016
Charles (still from video) by Amiel Courtin-Wilson
Today, at the National Portrait Gallery, the winner of the Digital Portraiture Award 2016 was announced. Congratulations to Amiel Courtin-Wilson for his submission titled Charles.
Amiel receives $10,000 cash and a residency at The Edge, State Library of Queensland, valued at $15,000.
Gillian Raymond, Digital Manager at the Portrait Gallery and one of the judges for this year’s Award, was moved by the depth of Amiel’s portrait and the outstanding use of the digital medium to convey a story.
‘The Digital Portraiture Award enables the National Portrait Gallery to actively challenge conservative notions of portraiture. Indeed, this is as much an exhibition about the genre of portraiture as it is about digital art,’ said Gillian.
‘This year’s finalists explore the boundaries between performance and portraiture, biology and portraiture, advertising and portraiture. They riff on themes of artistic disillusionment, self-discovery and the development of identity. In the end, the judges were won over by the technical mastery of the winning work combined with the empathetic and poignant depiction of its subject.’
Amiel was extraordinarily touched that his work has been recognised by The National Portrait Gallery and is honoured to be a part of the group exhibition.
‘The portraiture I find most inspiring takes seed in your body and creates a visceral response before the intellect can take hold,’ said Amiel
‘I look forward to being able to continue to create images borne of simple but profound human interactions with this very generous amount of prize money.'
‘I have been making films and working with the moving image for over twenty years and my cinematographer Germain McMicking has been creating work with me for over fifteen years so this award is for Germain as well. I want to thank Charles, the producers Kate Laurie and John Baker as well as everyone who helped contribute to the work.’
‘I am also excited to take part in an upcoming residency at The Edge in Queensland and look forward to a new fertile environment in which to create and forge new creative relationships.’
Amiel’s winning work will be on display with six other finalists in the Digital Portraiture Award 2016 exhibition which is open to the public from Friday 2 December 2016 until Sunday 9 April 2017.
The finalists' works are available to view on the Gallery's vimeo page.
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December 5, 2016: Sydney University
A rare glimpse into four decades of student life at the University of Sydney, from the 1930s to the 1960s, has been captured in a publication of alumni memories.
The Golden Yearbook brings together the fond recollections of 397 alumni together with their achievements and hopes for the University’s future.
The value of education, the critical influence of certain academics, the lifelong friendships, including many marriages, and the importance of contributing to society remain constants throughout these generations’ reflections.
Ann Wilson (BA ’62) speaks for many when she describes her fondest memory of the University of Sydney as “That enquiring, learning, scholarly atmosphere…I loved being challenged, and in turn challenging those around me.”
The Golden Yearbook would not have been possible without the efforts of alumni volunteers.
The Yearbook demonstrates how alumni shape our history. You can help shape the lives of future students by giving to the Student Support Fund.
We are always keen to hear from our alumni. Update your details and shareyour story with us.
To celebrate the release of the book, we invited some of our golden graduates back to campus to reflect on their student days in this short video.
The Golden Yearbook (PDF: 10.9MB)
PNG Fisheries Expresses Great Satisfaction With Progress Of Aquaculture Initiative
December 5, 2016: ANTSO
Members of a collaboration from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Australia and the National Fisheries Authority of Papua New Guinea (PNG) met recently at ANSTO to discuss progress on a major project to improve inland aquaculture in PNG.
After a warm welcome by the Head of Research at ANSTO, Dr Suzanne Hollins, and Dr Henk Heijnis, Leader Environment, the Australian Project Leader, A/Prof Jes Sammut of UNSW Australia, gave an update on the project’s progress. Some members of the group also took part in a series of training sessions to introduce them to nuclear techniques that are applicable to aquaculture research.
The main focus of the four year project, which is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the National Fisheries Authority of PNG, is to resolve constraints on the growth and sustainability of the aquaculture industry in an effort to improve food and income security as well as increase the social benefits from aquaculture in rural areas in PNG.
The ANSTO activities under the project are led by Dr Debashish Mazumder, Senior Research Scientist, who specialises in the use of isotopic techniques on environmental and aquaculture research.
He has been investigating technological bottlenecks associated with food and nutritional requirements for farmed fish that are important for the growth and sustainability of the aquaculture industry in an effort to improve food and income security. In addition the work is expected to increase the social benefits from aquaculture in rural areas in PNG.
The participation of representations from the Department of Fisheries, Department of Agriculture and Livestock, University of Technology, Lae and other institutions in PNG has been a crucial aspect of the undertaking, which includes post-graduate training for project members.
The partnership model also includes the UNSW, ANSTO and other organisations. A number of students are making a contribution.
Ms Lina Pandihau, Aquaculture Officer with the National Fisheries Authority, who represented the PNG Project Coordinator, Jacob Wani, expressed PNG’s appreciation to UNSW and ANSTO for their collaboration and opportunity to learn from other countries to develop the aquafarming industry while avoiding environmental impacts.
Justin Narimbi, a Lecturer at University of Technology, who completed his Master’s at UNSW with the joint supervision by UNSW and ANSTO, will be introducing isotopic techniques in PNG and working with team members to develop feeding strategies for aquaculture in PNG.
A/Prof Sammut, Australian Project Leader, said the project has completed its first year, during which strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to inland aquaculture in PNG were identified.
“In partnership with ANSTO scientist Dr Mazumder, we are moving to a series of trials comparing fertiliser and formulated feed combinations as well as the use of agricultural by-products as ingredients to reduce production costs,” said Sammut.
PNG Aquaculture project group
The project is also scoping the potential to assess the human health benefits from consuming farmed fish in collaboration with the PNG Institute for Medical Research.
Sammut is optimistic that the capacity building, training, high standard of research that have been demonstrated so far will lead to further projects and collaboration in this very important rural industry.
Fish is an important source of animal protein for millions of people worldwide. The longer-term goal is to improve food and nutrition security of the rural population in PNG, whose dietary protein deficiency leads to malnourishment and growth problems. Around 80 per cent of the population is unemployed and live on less than $2 a day.
Sustainable fish farming, in harmony with other rural activities, is expected to provide opportunities for self-employment as well as support the growth of associated industries. Fish farming is also generating significant social impacts, including improving tribal cooperation, and assisting disadvantaged individuals.
Read more about the project: