Managing land through old and new science
Jointly presented by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering (ATSE) Victoria Division and Agriculture & Food Forum
HYBRID EVENT
Thursday 4 May 2023
Time:
> Networking drinks: 6:00pm – 6:30pm
> Presentation (In-person and Online): 6:30pm – 7:30pm
> Dinner: 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Location: Graduate House University of Melbourne 220 Leicester Street Carlton 3053 and online
Sustainable agriculture and protecting biodiversity in our unique and fragile landscape are critically important and linked issues especially as climate change advances.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have successfully managed and lived off this land, sustainably, for tens of thousands of years. During this time they have built up a profound knowledge of the environment, its ecosystems and constituent species, and how to keep them healthy and productive.
Thirty two years old, Bush Heritage Australia (BHA) now helps manage some 11,000,000 hectares of land spread across Australia, most of this in partnership with Traditional Owners on their own lands, but also on reserves that BHA owns. In this work, Bush Heritage aims to bring the latest and best conservation science and technology to manage new and old problems. Working to manage fire, exotic pests, weeds, water movement across landscapes is increasingly difficult in the face of climate change. Western science complements and is blended where appropriate with Traditional Knowledge into each landscape, to restore the landscape to good health. Bringing respect and willingness to listen and share knowledge – old and new – is referred to as right-way science.
In this seminar, Rebecca Spindler and Oliver Costello will outline Bush Heritage Australia’s biodiversity conservation work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the application of right-way science. 2021 ATSE Fellow, Professor Richard Eckard FTSE will summarise our agricultural situation and needs. There will also be a facilitated exploration of how we can bring all this together for the betterment of agriculture and biodiversity in Australia.
Speakers: