The first presentation on an aspect of COG’s history in relation to COG’s 50th Anniversary celebrations will be Dr Richard (Dick) Schodde who will talk on “The Early Days, or Recollections.”
The main presentation entitled Bitterns in Rice and Wildlife-friendly Farming, will be by Matt Herring, a Wildlife Ecologist who leads the biodiversity research, education and conservation consultancy called Murray Wildlife.
The globally endangered Australasian Bittern is one of Australia’s most threatened birds. Beginning in 2012, the Bitterns in Rice Project has revealed that the rice crops of the NSW Riverina support a population that can reach well into the hundreds and it appears there is widespread breeding as well. It’s an unusual situation, where agriculture and conservation can potentially work closely together. Matt’s presentation will illustrate the story from the beginning, highlighting interesting findings along the way, which include other species like Eastern Grass Owls and significant numbers of Australian Painted Snipe. Working closely with dozens of interested rice growers, Bittern Friendly Rice Growing Tips are being trialled and refined as more data comes to hand. Targeted habitat bays and pesticide free areas, surveys to find the post-harvest haunts and plans for satellite tracking are all underway.