Southern Bell Frog
Water, the great connector.
Linking freshwater ecosystems at a time of climate change
Ararat, 22 & 23 June 2018
Just as our terrestrial species require connected habitats - so do frogs, invertebrates, fish and other aquatic species. Water is the great connector - providing passage and connecting environments.
The 2018 Biolinks Alliance Annual Symposium will explore the pivotal role that water plays as a connector and the waterscapes and aquatic species that rely on it.
With a strong focus on central Victorian systems - the creeks, rivers and their headwaters, the small temporary wetlands and soaks, the Symposium will provide practical and locally relevant knowledge for Alliance members and anyone with an interest in conservation.
Running across two days, the program will be made up of:
KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS from five leading scientists:
- Professor Nick Bond, Director of the Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre - Protecting our catchments to conserve biodiversity in rivers and streams
- Professor Don Driscoll - Director Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University - Frog movements - importance of connectivity between wetlands/floodplains/rivers
- Dr Michelle Casanova - Federation University - Temporary lakes, swamps and wetlands
- Dr Jon Fawcett, CDMSmith - Groundwater dependant ecosystems , their importance, the GDE Atlas, threats to and management of..
- Darren Griffin, Barnegi Gadgin Land Council - Barnegi Gadgin - cultural water.
INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS designed to give participants knowledge to implement new approaches to water in their landscapes, around the themes:
- Environmental water
- River frontage restoration
- Managing spring soaks, bogs and wetlands
- Leaky landscapes
SYMPOSIUM DINNER at Barney's in Pomonal (Bus to and from Pomonal included in ticket price)
- Archaeologist, Professor Susan Lawrence speaking about how the gold rush changed Victoria's river systems, and the opportunity to network with other attendees from across the state
FIELD DAY (23 June) A field trip to wetlands in various stages of health along the base of the Grampians and to an exciting new swamp restoration project, Walkers Swamp, undertaken by the Nature Glenelg Trust
FIELD TRIP TO WALKER SWAMP
Walker Swamp is a 35 hectare wetland situated to the north of Gooseneck Swamp, straddling public (Walker Swamp Lake Reserve) and private land.
The entire wetland was comprehensively drained to its bed level several decades ago, and as a result it very rarely held any depth of water for any significant period of time.
Recently purchased by the Nature Glenelg Trust, we will be visiting the Walker Swamp for a field trip on 23 June to see the results of the trial and ongoing work in the area.
Read more about the Walker Swamp restoration project here.
The Walker Swamp sand bag crew
We gratefully acknowledge the generous support given for this event from the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust, Wimmera CMA, North Central CMA, Glenelg Hopkins CMA and La Trobe University.
