Community solutions for the environment
Linking the community and businesses with the environment is one of the key ambitions of researchers working at the newly formed UniSA Barbara Hardy Centre for Sustainable Urban Environments.
"We want to work with governments, business, other researchers and the public to get results and bring about real change," said Centre Director Professor Chris Daniels.
"We will be looking to promote the application of these solutions in urban communities, through multidisciplinary and collaborative approaches.
"The Centre will focus on the role and interactions between the natural environment and the structure, nature and composition of human communities.
"We have projects under way in areas as diverse as avian influenza in migratory and urban birds, and the future of the electricity distribution network.
"We are developing a biodiversity program for community developments such as Lochiel Park, Gawler-East and the new Clipsal site at Bowden, and will be providing consultancy services to councils, architectural design firms, government and other relevant organisations."
The
Centre’s researchers already have had success with high-profile
projects such as Operation Possum and Operation Bluetongue. Now the
state Department for Environment and Heritage and 891ABC Adelaide
have pledged support for a new venture, Operation Magpie.
Members of the public will be encouraged to log onto the Operation Magpie website, where there will be useful information on magpie behaviour and bird watching, and an online survey to help researchers understand how people interact with wildlife in their backyards.
The research team refer to this as Citizen Science, involving partnerships between scientists and the community.
"Citizen Science-style research will involve the general community, media organisations and our partnering research institutions and allow us to undertake large-scale research programs which could not be resourced in the usual manner," Prof Daniels said.
He said staff at the Centre were honoured Barbara Hardy, agreed to lend her name and reputation to the new initiative.
"Barbara is one of Australia’s environmental leaders and her deeds, approaches and personal philosophy concerning sustainability will provide the framework and ideals for our work," he said.