People in the rangelands have always found ways to keep in touch, despite the challenges of isolation. With people across the world practicing social distancing, and an estimated 30% of the population in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it important to find ways to stay in touch.
With the current urgency to face the challenges of reduced rainfall in the future and the need to revegetate vast areas of drought affected districts, Greg Brennan suggests that kangaroo authorities must be more open to investigating the development of more cost-effective methods of controlling kangaroo numbers.
The 2020 AGM of the Australian Rangeland Society will be held on 27 May 2020 at 5pm (Queensland time).
Council is calling for nominations to fill the two vacancies on Council left by the retirement of Cathy Waters and Ash. Current membership on Council is heavily weighted towards northern Australia, so it would be great to see a stronger representation from the southern half of the continent.
The latest issue of The Rangeland Journal (Vol. 41; Issue 6) examines various aspects of Total Grazing Management (TGP) and the mix of domestic livestock, feral animals and native marsupials in Australia’s southern rangelands.
In this article Barney Foran suggests that our rangelands are out of sight and out of mind in policy terms, and as a consequence he proposes that we must become more creative and systemic in making effort and money go further and plan well ahead to implement strategies .
A research scientist and a beef extension specialist are the two relatively new ARS members to benefit from Australian Rangeland Society Grants for 2020.
ARS Council recently made some changes to the ARS Travel/Study Grant Guidelines.
Based on the current worldwide situation with Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and measures taken by many countries to minimize the effects of this virus, the National Organizing Committee, in consultation with the International Organizing Committees has decided to postpone the joint XXIV IGC and XI IRC Congress by a period of one year.
A new Australian Government grant will support a national hub of agricultural know-how. Regionally based Research for Agriculture is sourcing, curating, sharing and tracking world-leading Australian agricultural and environmental research through print and digital media.
The Centre for Water and Landscape Dynamics at the Australian National University recently released Australia’s Environment in 2019 – an annual report on the changing condition of our natural resources and ecosystems.
Registrations are now open for the 55th Annual Congress of the Grassland Society of Southern Africa to be held from 30 June to 2 July 2020 using a Virtual format.
In this digital age there seems to be an ever-increasing number of outlets to get news and information about what is happening in the rangelands. Here are some interesting articles you may have missed in recent months.
Are you interested in what Council have been discussing at their recent meetings? Or are you interested in phoning in for this year’s AGM and wondering what is usually discussed?
Do you enjoy reading the ARS publications such as the journal, newsletter, website and social media? Why not become more involved with their production by joining the Publications Committee?
As at 28 April 2020 have 228 members, including 37 complimentary members. Seventy four (74) members have paid in 2020, being 45 per cent of those who need to renew for 2020 or beyond.
With the current social distancing and lockdowns in force perhaps you may finally have time to consider writing that long put-off article and submitting it to the Range Management Newsletter.