BIRDS BATS & BEASTIES - Community Science and Volunteering

When: Tuesday 16 September, 7-9:30 pm

Where: National Museum Hall, Acton Peninsula Canberra

This informal café style event is part of a research project called ‘Community Detectives’. This project is about how to get more people interested and involved in biosecurity (pest, disease and weed) monitoring to protect Australian livelihoods and landscapes.

Community science and volunteer monitoring complement existing government policy and management on a wide range of natural resource management issues and foster local stewardship.

We invite everyone to come and share their ideas and experiences of volunteer monitoring, in any capacity, from birds and bats to disease, worms and weeds. The evening will start with an open conversation between a panel of experts comprising Denis Saunders, President World Wildlife Fund, Lorraine Higgins, CEO Volunteering ACT, and Drew English, ACT and Southern NSW Regional Manager, Conservation Volunteers Australia. The event will be facilitated by Genevieve Jacobs, presenter ABC Radio Canberra and Jason Alexandra, Director Water Policy Co-ordination, Murray Darling Basin Commission.

We particularly encourage attendance from individuals and/or members of local community
groups with experience in reading landscapes and working with volunteers. You might be a farmer, scientist, retiree, tradesperson, naturalist, government officer, bushwalker, and/or a member of a volunteer, conservation, Landcare, gardening, wildlife or other ‘watch’ and ‘care’ group.

If you would like more information about Community Detectives please do not hesitate to contact us, we would love to tell you more about it.

Contacts:

Dr Jacqueline de Chazal T: 02 6125 5008 E: jacqueline.dechazal@anu.edu.au

Dr Anna Carr T: 02 6272 4929 E: Anna.Carr@brs.gov.au