National peak body experiences Top End research

Members of Australia’s peak tertiary environmental sciences council have visited Darwin and witnessed a wealth of research being conducted at Charles Darwin University and by its research partners.

The Australian Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (ACEDD) meeting was hosted by its president, Professor Andrew Campbell, the Director of the Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL) at CDU.

Professor Campbell said members gained first-hand insight into topics including the collapse of small mammal populations in Northern Australia, water resource management, pest and weed management issues, savanna fire management, Indigenous livelihoods and carbon emissions abatement.

“The ACEDD members visited the Top End to experience the region’s extraordinary ecosystems and to learn more about the pressures and opportunities arising from the Northern development agenda,” he said.

Members camped overnight at Litchfield National Park during the three-day event, where they were joined by staff from the NT Department of Land Resource Management and the NT Farmers Association for a discussion on Northern development.

Field trip options included a mammal spotlighting tour with CDU PhD candidate Alyson Stobo-Wilson and inspections of the Litchfield Savanna SuperSite and OzFlux facility with site leader, CDU Professor of Environmental Science Lindsay Hutley.

Other RIEL researchers who presented included professors Karen Gibb and Jeremy Russell-Smith, associate professors Alison King and David Crook, Research Fellow Dr Brett Murphy and PhD candidates Amanda Lilleyman and Ben Brown.

Members also attended the Charles Darwin Oration, co-presented by emeritus professors Peter and Rosemary Grant of Princeton University. The ACEDD dinner was held at CDU’s Indonesian Garden with guests including the Grants, Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Maddocks and Pro Vice-Chancellor of Engineering, Health, Science and the Environment Professor Sue Carthew.

ACEDD members include heads of environment and sustainability schools, faculties and institutes from more than 30 Australian universities.