Dionne Walsh, ARS President. Email: dionne@rangeiq.com.au
Congratulations to the Organising Committee of the 21st Biennial Australian Rangeland Society Conference held in Longreach in October. It’s hard to appreciate just how much work occurred behind the scenes to successfully deliver this event. Faced with pandemic lockdowns and uncertainty around travel, the Organising Committee had to pivot late in the piece to move the event to on-line delivery. Overcoming both internet and technical glitches, the conference was attended by the highest number of delegates ever seen for an ARS conference. For those who registered to attend, the virtual presentations will remain available on the digital platform for a few more months. The Conference Proceedings will be uploaded to the ARS website in due course.
Whilst in Longreach, the ARS Council and members of the Publications Committee held a strategic planning meeting. Together with input from several long-standing members of the Society, Council now has some refreshed actions for growing and retaining membership of the Society and for strengthening the future of the Rangeland Journal. Keep an eye out for some of these initiatives in coming months. If you have ideas to contribute, particularly with regards to attracting and retaining members, please get in touch with me.
The global pandemic has stymied the awarding of ARS Travel Grants this year and we hope to be able award some of these again in the coming year. I’d also like to remind readers of our new “Award of Excellence in Rangeland Management”. This Award was developed to recognise people who have made, or are making, a significant contribution to rangeland management, across biophysical, economic, social and governance domains. Nominations are continuously open, and should be sent to the ARS Council for consideration. Guidelines for all ARS awards can be found on our website at austrangesoc.com.au/awards/
Wishing you all the best for the remainder of the year and a happy and festive Christmas period.
Best wishes, Dionne