29 July 2010

CONFERENCE: The Politics of Biodiversity

2010 NELA National Conference: The Politics of Biodiversity
20-23 October 2010, Canberra

2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity and NELA will be holding its National Conference in Australia's Capital. This will be a unique opportunity to hear challenging presentations on the politics of preserving the world's biodiversity for future generations.

An exciting program has been developed featuring speakers from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. The Hon Greg Hunt MP, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Environment and Heritage and Dr Allan Hawke AC, head of the Government's independent review of the EPBC Act will each be delivering a keynote address.

See http://www.nela.org.au/view/National_Conferences_and_Seminars for more information.

28 July 2010

JOB VACANCY: Senior Threatened Species Officer, NSW North Coast

Senior Threatened Species Officer, NSW North Coast (Coffs Harbour or Grafton, negotiable)

NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW):
Closing date: Friday, 6 August 2010
Temporary Full Time; Environment Officer Class 9
Vacancy Ref: DECCW 223-10

Responsible for providing DECCW's advice into biodiversity planning, regulatory and management [processes in relation to Pacific Highway Upgrade projects].
This is a temporary position for the period to 31 December 2011. Information package contact: Phillip Mitchell (02) 6640 2517 or go to: http://files.jobs.nsw.gov.au/64nabj

CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: NSW Draft Ecological Harvesting Plan Guidelines for Endangered Ecological Communities

Invitation to comment on the (NSW) Draft Ecological Harvesting Plan Guideline for Endangered Ecological Communities

The Private Native Forestry Code of Practice (the Code) has provision for the Director General of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW NSW) to approve Ecological Harvesting Plans (EHPs). An EHP is required when harvesting operations are proposed in Endangered Ecological Communities (EECs). The prescriptions of an EHP are in addition to the conditions set by the Code.

The draft EHP guideline has been developed following input from various sections of DECCW and two independent leading forest ecologists.

The draft EHP guideline identifies the purpose and requirements of an EHP. The EHP guideline will continue to be refined to develop and take account of various ecological harvesting methods as more scientific information becomes available.

To download a copy of Guideline 6: Draft Ecological Harvesting Plan Guideline for Endangered Ecological Communities (50 KB) go to http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pnf/index.htm#CommentEECGuideline

Please provide DECCW with your comments by:

email: pnf@environment.nsw.gov.au
fax: (02) 6641 6643
mail: DECCW PNF officer, Locked Bag 9018 Grafton NSW 2460.
Public comment period closes 16 August 2010.

CONFERENCE: Biodiversity & Mining Impacts

Nature Conservation Council of NSW Regional Conference

NEW DATE: Sat 28 - Sun 29 August, Gulgong NSW.
Red Hill Environmental Education Centre
Conference Theme: “Biodiversity & Mining Impacts”.

Details and Registration: http://nccnsw.org.au or Phone: (02) 9516 1488

CONFERENCE: 23rd Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society Conference - Destination Announced!

The Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society (APWSS) Conference will be held at the Sebel Cairns, in North Queensland from 25 - 30 September 2011. The Conference is proudly supported by the Weed Society of Queensland (WSQ), the Council of Australian Weed Societies (CAWS) and APWSS. The conference returns to Australia for the third time in 2011 and will focus on the theme "Weed Management in a Changing World". There will be presentations on the role of genetically modified organisms in weed management, climate change, water availability, biosecurity, population growth and the utilisation of weeds. For more information or to register at discounted rates please visit the website www.apwss2011.com.

CALL FOR PLANT STORIES: For new Jane Goodall book

Dr Jane Goodall is renowned for her work studying chimpanzees in the wild. This has led her to active promotion of animal conservation around the world through speaking tours (see Jane Goodall Institute website http://www.janegoodall.org/), and through books like her 2009 ‘Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink’ (Grand Central Publishing).

But Jane is also interested in supporting and promoting plant conservation, and is working on a new book devoted to it. Jane is calling for stories from plant conservationists around the world, about “plants being rescued from the brink of extinction, or conservation successes in plant breeding, worthy of consideration for this new publication”.

Jane’s collaborator Gail Hudson writes: “We want stories that involve the saving and/or restoring of endangered plants, trees, grasses, etc. - even sea plants. We would like stories to have a human interest angle. For instance, a plant being rescued because of its sentimental or historical significance, or people risking their lives to save plants—a little human drama. We want stories that involve endangered indigenous medicinal or wild food plants. We want stories that involve people planting plants in order to restore an entire ecosystem or habitat for other endangered animals, insects, etc. We like stories that involve citizen and/or children participation – not just botanists (although we love botanists!)".

Jane and Gail will be accepting and researching new story leads through January of 2011. If you have a case study that you think would work for this book, send a precis (of no more than 1,000 words) to mailto:hg.hudson@cablespeed.com by 15 January 2011. It doesn’t have to be a formal document—just a casual summary of the project. Please include a phone number and email where the authors can contact you if they have follow up questions.

CONFERENCE: Biodiversity and World Food Security

Conserving and using biodiversity sustainably is vital if we are to feed the more than one billion malnourished people in the world. The Crawford Fund’s 2010 international conference is titled “Biodiversity and World Food Security: Nourishing the Planet and its People” and will be held in Parliament House, Canberra over 30 August to 1 September. It will be the key event in the Australasian region related to the UN International Year of Biodiversity and one of very few international events focusing on food security imperatives in relation to biodiversity conservation.

The event involves a number of opportunities to hear from a group of national specialists and international speakers including:

- Dr Cristián Samper, Director, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution;

- Professor Steve Hopper, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew;

- Dr Emile Frison, Director General, Bioversity International.

For more information and registration go to www.crawfordfund.org

MYRTLE RUST: Quarantine Zone enacted for NSW Central Coast

A Myrtle Rust Quarantine Zone has been enacted for Gosford and Wyong Local Government Areas. This pathogen was first detected in Australia on nursery production properties in that area a few months ago (see ANPC News, 5 May 2010). It has not yet been detected on wild bush plants of the area, although monitoring is continuing.

Myrtle Rust (Uredo rangelii) is an exotic fungal disease known to infect a variety of genera in the family Myrtaceae. The current outbreak has been detected on cultivated plants of Callistemon (Bottlebrush), Agonis flexuosa, and Syncarpia (Turpentine). Overseas it has been known to affect Syzygium species, among others. Early identification of this rust is vital to eradication efforts. Information relating to Myrtle Rust (symptoms, host range, management) is available at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/plant/myrtle-rust

In NSW Myrtle Rust is a notifiable pest under the Plant Disease Act, and must be reported to Industry & Investment NSW (I& I NSW). Industry is encouraged to actively inspect all Myrtaceae stock on their property and implement effective biosecurity measures (hygiene, crop protection programs, access restrictions, quarantine) to avoid contracting and potentially spreading the disease.

The quarantine zone “restricts movement of Myrtaceae (Myrtle Rust host) and/or covering, packaging, machinery or items carrying Myrtle Rust or used in the culture, harvest, packing of host plant material out of the Quarantine Zone is prohibited subject to meeting movement conditions”.

I&I NSW is developing Compliance Agreements for nursery businesses growing or supplying Myrtaceae to adopt and become accredited to allow movement of host range material into greater NSW. It must be noted receipt of Myrtaceae outside the Quarantine Zone in NSW will require the receiver to ensure they deal with an Accredited Business to ensure the consignment meets the I & I NSW Quarantine Zone Compliance Agreement.

Industry and others are encouraged to report any suspected detection to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline - 1800 084 881.

18 July 2010

ANPC NEWS: Special ANPC Conference Update

Last Chance for Early Bird Registrations close 28 July 2010


Australian Network for Plant Conservation Inc (ANPC)
8TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Planning conservation to achieving restoration:
A conference for everyone involved in conserving Australia's unique flora and native vegetation


28 September to 1 October 2010, Perth WA

DON'T MISS THIS NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CONSERVING AUSTRALIA'S UNIQUE FLORA AND NATIVE VEGETATION

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Prof Richard Hobbs - University of Western Australia
Dr Kingsley Dixon – Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority Perth

INVITED SPEAKERS

Soil Health

Prof Mark Tibbets – University of Western Australia
Dr Suzanne Prober – CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems

Planning for Climate Change

Dr Colin Yates – Dept of Environment and Conservation WA
A/Prof Grant Wardell Johnson – Curtin University

Seeds and genes for restoration

Dr Linda Broadhurst – CSIRO, Division of Plant Industry
Dr Margaret Byrne - Dept of Environment and Conservation WA
Dr Seigy Krauss - Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority Perth
Dr John Koch - Alcoa

Role of Taxonomy

Dr Kevin Thiele - WA Herbarium, Dept of Environment and Conservation WA
Dr Judy West – Dept of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts

Engaging with Industry

Dr Steven Van Leeuwen - Dept of Environment and Conservation WA
Dr Libby Mattiske – Mattiske Consulting

Conservation Planning

Prof Bob Pressey – James Cook University
Prof Ladislav Mucina – Curtin University


For more information or to register go to the conference website or contact the ANPC office (anpc@anpc.asn.au; ph: 02 6250 9509)

17 July 2010

ANPC CONFERENCE: Call for Workshops - Expressions of Interest by 13 August

Expressions of interest (EOI) are invited (by individuals and organisations) to deliver a Workshop at the ANPC Conference on Friday 1 October.
We encourage Workshops to focus on the following conference themes but other topics will be considered:

Conservation Planning
Seeds and Genes for Restoration
Engaging with Industry
The Role of Taxonomy
Soil Health and Restoration
Planning for Climate Change

Please note that there will be a limited number of workshops run at the conference.The duration of each workshop can be up to a maximum of three sessions with each session being 1.5 hours long.

To submit an EOI please download and complete the Workshop Expression of Interest Form from the conference website.
EOIs close on 13 August and workshop acceptance will be advised by 25 August 2010.

15 July 2010

ANPC: Second Call for Abstracts Extended to 13 August

The ANPC Conference Organising Committee invites you to submit an abstract for a conference paper or poster.

We encourage papers to focus on the following conference themes but other topics will be considered:

Conservation Planning
Seeds and Genes for Restoration
Engaging with Industry
The Role of Taxonomy
Soil Health and Restoration
Planning for Climate Change


For more information on the conference or to submit an Abstract please download and complete the Abstract Form from the conference website.
Abstracts close on 13 August and acceptance will be advised by 25 August 2010.