ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
The DBEE project continues to go from strength to strength, as the first of thousands of the new generation of dung beetles at Charles Sturt and CSIRO begin to emerge. The beetles are of the Onthophagus vacca (O. vacca) Morroccan strain; their emergence a key milestone towards releasing the first of three new imports on farms across southern Australia, with major economic and ecological benefits estimated.
The Dung Beetle Ecosystem Engineers project is holding a workshop and open day of the mass rearing facility at Charles Sturt University’s Wagga Wagga campus. There will be an official opening of the facility and tours of the climate-controlled rearing rooms and the field-based hoop houses and field cages. We’re expecting guest appearances from a few Moroccan strain of O. vacca, which have started to emerge in the mass rearing facility.
KEY SPEAKERS
DBEE project team members will be speaking about the project importation, mass rearing, monitoring, distribution and research of dung beetles.
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Dr Valerie Caron and Patrick Gleeson, CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, on importing new species or strains of dung beetle
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Prof. Geoff Gurr, Charles Sturt, on mass rearing dung beetles for on-farm release
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Dr Russ Barrow, Charles Sturt, on farm monitoring of dung beetles
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Associate Prof. Theo Evans, University of Western Australia, on evaluating the farm and environmental ecosystem services provided by dung beetles in Australia and New Zealand
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Dr Bernard Doube, Dung Beetle Solutions International, on redistribution of dung beetles and on-farm nursery activities
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Dr Paul Weston, Charles Sturt University, on mapping where dung beetles are found
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Prof. Leslie Weston, Charles Sturt University, on delivering information on dung beetles for everyone to use
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Dr Simon Fowler, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, on activities in NZ and the benefits for managing gastro-intestinal nematodes of stock on dung beetles
If you wish to attend please RSVP by
25 September by emailing dungbeetle@csu.edu.au
