Activities

Member Competitions

2011 Ecology in Action Photographic Competition

And the Winners Are..............!

The winners of the 2011 Ecology in Action Photo Competition were announced at ESA11. Congratulations to all the award winners and thank you to all the entrants – we received some wonderful images and the judges’ decision was an extremely difficult one. Stay tuned for more in 2012 and the new ESA Calendar featuring images from the 2011 competition. All images are still available for viewing on ESA’s facebook site.

People’s choice – Eats, shoots and leaves – Ecologists in action

First place Fashionable Ecology Jordan De Jong

Second place Test Run Michelle Venter

Third place True naturalists! Henry Maxwell

People’s choice – Beautiful and Bizarre – Biodiversity and landscapes of Australia

First place Fairies in the bush Debra Raymont

Second place Chasing the Eastern Quoll Halley Durrant
Third place Feed Me Jordan de Jong

Judges Awards – Eats, shoots and leaves – Ecologists in action

First place          Radio-tracking dingos and cats    Angus McNab
Second place      Fishing for pygmies                   Stewart Macdonald
Third place          Not blow drying the seedlings      Rachael Nolan

Judges Awards – Beautiful and bizarre – Biodiversity and landscapes of Australia

First place Temperate jetty life Richard Wylie

Second place Kathmandu Beach delta Simon Grove
Third place Pull together Henry Cook

5 Highly Commended Awards

Rising from the ashes                                      Denna Kingdom
Golden stag beetle                                          Simon Grove
A preying mantis eating a cricket                      Johan Larson
Duetting wrens                                              Gina Barnett
Do I have something in my teeth?                     Ruchira Somaweera

Best Portfolio                                               Aaron Greenville

All entries still available for viewing on facebook

The very popular ‘Ecology in Action’ Photo Competition is back! So take off the lens cap and enter under two categories:

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Ecologists in Action

Beautiful & Bizarre: Australian Biodiversity & Landscapes

First prize $1000 (x 2 categories) plus runner up prizes and People’s Choice Awards. Entry is open now, it’s free, and closes midnight Sunday 25 September.

More information and Entry forms and conditions are available here

Research

ESA Research Chapters

The Invasive Species Research Chapter will be launched at ESA11 - download flyer here for more information.

NEW in 2011! Join a Network now!

The ESA Research Chapter initiative was launched at ESA10 with an enthusiastic crowd of ecologists at the 50th anniversary conference.

As a result, Research Chapters are already forming in the following areas:

1. Agricultural Landscapes (contact Kerry Bridle)

2. Arid Ecology (contact Glenda Wardle)

3. Conservation Action

4. Invasive Species (Ben Gooden)

5. Numerical ecology (contact Mathew Crowther)

6. Urban ecology (contact Kris French)

7. Insect-plant Ecology (contact Nigel Andrew)

A Research Chapter provides opportunities

To engage with people who share similar intellectual passions
For new ESA members and students to engage with established researchers in their field
To develop vibrant collaborations
To be part of a group of engaged experts within ESA who can contribute to policy debates on their theme
To host regular thematic events as part of the ESA

Want to know more?

Download Research Chapter FAQ here

All members are invited to join the new networks or consider starting their own! Anyone interested please contact Glenda Wardle, VP3@ecolsoc.org.au or Gail Spina, executiveofficer@ecolsoc.org.au and add your name to the list.

Public Liaison

Public Liaison is a critical component of ESA activity in promoting scientific study and awareness. The following Public Liaison Guidelines have been developed as central guiding principles in any ESA public liaison undertaken by office bearers or members on behalf of the Society.

Download ESA Public Liaison Guidelines here

ESA Expert Media Guide (currently under review)

ESA has developed a media guide of scientific experts across a broad range of ecological sectors - click here

ESA Turned 50 in 2010! Find out how we celebrated!

ESA was officially incorporated in 1960 making the Society 50 years old this year, a significant achievement for any professional society. A number of events and activities were organised to celebrate culminating in our 50th Anniversary Conference in Canberra from December 6-10, 2010.

These events included the 'Ecologists in Action' Photographic Competition, Cameo series, SA Ecology Day, ESA retrospective exhibition and more. Click here to find out more

Scientific Committees

As the peak professional body of Ecologists in Australia, ESA representatives are invited to sit on a number of government and scientific committees around the country. If this is something you would like to be involved in, consider registering your interest on the Member’s database. Please contact your Regional Councillor for more information.

Correspondence or reports from our representatives will be included on the ESA website in the Member's Only archive, and published in the quarterly ESA Bulletin.

Australian Forestry Standards Technical Reference Committee

Dr Ross Peacock
NSW Dept of Environment and Climate Change,

c/o Dept Biological Science, Macquarie University rpeacock at rna.bio.mq.edu.au

Relevant documents to the AFS Technical Reference Committee:

Download: Vegetation Clearance for Plantation Establishment - March 2006

Download: Status Report on the Review of the Australian Forestry Standard - May 2007 see also http://www.forestrystandard.org.au/

National Committee for Plant and Animal Sciences - Australian Academy of Science

Professor Mark Westoby
Dept of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University
mwestoby at rna.bio.mq.edu.au

Alligator Rivers Region Technical Committee

Dr Carl Grant
Alcoa World Alumina
Carl.grant at alcoa.com.au
Independent Member selected by FASTS: expertise in ecosystem rehabilitation. Not representing the ESA.

New South Wales

Dr Doland Nichols
Environmental Science and Management, Southern Cross University
dnichols at scu.edu.au
Private Native Forestry Group

Dr Brad Murray

NSW Scientific Committee

brad.murray@uts.edu.au

The NSW Scientific Committee was established in 1996, following the enactment of the Threatened Species Conservation Act. It is an independent committee of scientists appointed by the Minister for the Environment. The Committee makes determinations about the populations, species, ecological communities and key threatening processes that are listed on the schedules of the Threatened Species Conservation Act. The current Chairperson of the Committee is Associate Professor Lesley Hughes.

Participation of ESA in the Committee’s work occurs through a member of the Society attending regular Committee meetings, and contributing to determinations. Some of the recent work we have been doing includes listing Prostanthera spinosa (family Lamiaceae), and the Red-backed Button-quail Turnix maculosa as vulnerable species. The population of Egernia whitii in the Broken Hill Complex Bioregion has recently been listed as endangered, as has the population of Acacia pendula in the Hunter catchment.

ESA members are encouraged to make nominations to the Committee not only for new listings, but also if they think that the status of any population, species or ecological community that is listed should be changed. For instance, members might recommend an increase or decrease in the threatened status (or removal) of populations, species or ecological communities from the Schedules. Members can also make nominations for Key Threatening Processes.

More information about the NSW Scientific Committee, and their determinations and publications, can be found at: http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/About+the+NSW+Scientific+Committee