FENNER SCHOOL SEMINARS

HUMAN ECOLOGY FORUM

Friday August 8, 12 - 2pm, Room 101, Forestry Building

TBA

WELCOME

Ioan Fazey, Visiting Fellow located in room H4.07 ext 51494

Karen Stagoll, PhD Scholar located in H4.07D ext 51494

MORNING TEA

David Salt and Phil Gibbons are the hosts for morning tea next week in the John Banks courtyard (weather permitting)

ABSENCES: THIS WEEK & FORTHCOMING

Cris Brack. 4-29 August. Has been engaged by the Department of Climate Change to assist in the
development of a "Forest Resource Information System" by the Indonesian Government. He will be working with officers from the Indonesian Ministry of Forests, Australian Federal Government, and other experts during 4 – 29 August with periodic returns to the campus to complete lecturing commitments

Lyndall Bull. 18 July – 9 August. Visiting Oregon State University working with the Eric Hansen and the forest products innovation group

Debbie Claridge. 7 July – 1 September. Leave

Rob Dyball. 3-10 August. Attending the Ecological Society of America 93^rd Annual Conference, Milwaukee, USA

Hartmut Holzknecht. 2-15 August. In Papua New Guinea on ACIAR project fieldwork

Sue Holzknecht. 7 August. Leave

Terry Korodaj. 27 July – 5 August. Newport, Oregon (Oregon State University) attending a course on bird movement, migration techniques and study design conducted by MIGRATE (Migration Interest Group: Research Towards Applied Education)

Marit Kragt. 4-14 August. Expert interviews and Landscape Logic Workshops in Hobart

Wendy Merritt. 6-13 August. Conducting workshops at the Great Lakes Council in Forster on the development and use of Decision Support Systems for water quality improvement in the Myall, Smiths and Wallis Lakes

18-22 August. In Darwin attending the Coast to Coast conference

Lachlan Newham. 5-8 August. Attending a meeting in Hobart as part of Landscape Logic CERF Hub

Karl Nissen. 18-20 August. Leave

PUBLICATIONS

Paull, J. & Lyons, K., 2008, "Nano-in-food - Threat or Opportunity for Organic Food?", Proceedings: Cultivate the Future, 16th IFOAM World Organic Congress, Modena, Italy, 16-20 June. Available at: <http://dspace.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/47284/1/NanoIFOAM.pdf>

OTHER MATTERS

Interested in photography?
Then why don't you come along to the Fenner Photo Discussion group! A small group of us get together and discuss all aspects of photography from composition, colour, texture, subject matter and how to use our cameras more effectively. Anyone is welcome to join, regardless of what camera you have - all you need is enthusiasm for, and interest in, photography. Each week we have a theme (can be absolutely anything) and we ask each person to bring along one image (digital or print, old or new) to discuss.
We occasionally may have a field trip on the weekend or have a session of actually practicing taking photos too.
Who: Anyone who is interested
What: Fenner Photo Discussion Group
Where: Hancock Seminar Room
When: Friday 4.30pm each week (for 30min, or more if the group wants)
Why: Because we love taking photos and learning how to improve our shots
If you are interested, please send an email to Debbie.Saunders@anu.edu.au and we will add you to our weekly email list.

Engaging Visions exhibition - Tumut

The Engaging Visions project which was the subject of John Reid's Fenner seminar last Thursday (see http://engagingvisions.com.au) opens soon in Tumut. If anyone is heading Tumut way, you might like to check out the exhibition there – as well as John and his students, our colleague and photographer Charles Tambiah is also involved with the project.

Southern Rivers Local Leaders Program ---

Barry Newell and Katrina Proust are involved in a collaborative program to develop local leaders on the NSW Far South Coast. The text of a flyer that is being used to advertise this program is reproduced below.

The Southern Rivers Local Leaders Program

In the challenging environment of managing our natural resources, the ability to move diverse groups of people effectively from conflict to co-operation is critical. In order to ensure the community has a voice in decision making, we must work at developing and supporting local leaders who are comfortable working within complex conflict situations. Leaders who posses these skills have a vital role to play in ensuring our natural resources are managed appropriately.

The Southern Rivers CMA, Far South Coast Landcare Association and Australian National University have joined forces to develop the Local Leaders Program (LLP). The LLP is an attempt to provide opportunities to leaders within our community to become more empowered and effective. The broad aims of the LLP include:

§          Helping participants to develop their own leadership style and practical leadership skills

§          Developing a greater understanding of NRM systems in the region and how to work more effectively within them

§          Building an active network of researchers, agency staff, local leaders, and community members who can support each others' efforts

In addition to the development of the participants' understanding and skills there will be a strong focus on working as members of community teams. Each participant will:

§            Work as an LLP-team member to contribute to an existing NRM project (the development of the Pambula Lake Estuary Management Plan)

§            Work individually with support to develop an action plan for his/her own NRM project

Undertaking the program will give participants the opportunity to:

§            Explore the concept of leadership and leadership styles

§            Build individual competence, confidence, and personal vision

§            Develop a greater understanding of the causes of conflict in communities and the fundamentals of co-operation

§            Increase understanding of the ecological, social and cultural aspects of NRM

§            Develop practical skills in a systems-thinking approach in NRM

§            Become aware of the kinds of unexpected and unwanted outcomes that can flow from policy and action in NRM

§            Develop skills in NRM advocacy, partnership building and project development

The LLP will involve a small group to be selected through an expression of interest and interview process. The program content will be delivered in a series of workshops spread over six months, commencing at the end of August 2008 and finishing in January 2009. Program participants will be expected to commit themselves to sessions which may occur on weekdays, weekends and overnight. In addition, participants will be asked to undertake some research work between sessions. There is no cost involved with participating in the LLP.

At the commencement of the program a support group will be created to assist individuals beyond the initial six-month period. It is envisaged that this support group will comprise the LLP participants themselves, the LLP facilitators, local community members who have contributed to the program, plus advisors from within government agencies, NGOs, and the universities.

For further information or to register your interest contact: David Newell 6491 8204

Limited places available

Weeds, Wetlands and Wildlife Planting Day
Want to make a difference in your campus community? Join the Sustainability Learning Community to continue the landscape rehabilitation project behind Ursula Hall.
Come along to a planting session on Wednesday 6 August from 12-2pm. You'll learn about the development of the site from a haven for invasive species to an urban wetland promoting biodiversity.
Campus gardeners will be on hand to talk about native plant selection and planting technique. You will have the opportunity to plant a range of species, get some fresh air and meet new people!

When: Wednesday 6 August from 12-2pm
Where: The corner of Clunies Ross Street and Dickson Road - behind the Dickson Road car park and beside the Dickson Parking Station.

For more information contact Jennifer McMillin at 52311 or slc@anu.edu.au