Over 300 people attended the Summer Series of Science events, met the Research Centre team to find out about the Centre, our research projects and engagement with community during the inaugural Summer Series of Science.
Participants now have a greater understanding, and value, of what the CLLMM Research Centre does to generate evidence of climate change impacts and do want to be involved in protecting the ecosystem by volunteering directly with the Centre, or with others of our partners/stakeholders.
“The success of this series of activities is evident by numbers of people attending and the positive feedback we’ve received,” says Dr Nick Whiterod, Science Program Manager.
“It’s very clear that many people understand the threats to the region and want to be more active in helping protect it. By bringing together community members and local organisations to share knowledge and information, the Research Centre is helping to develop strong relationships which will support future activities.”
The program’s range of activities offered different levels of engagement with science.
The two panel discussions gave voice to local organisations active in addressing issues, and to individuals concerned about them.
“It was pleasing to hear multiple speakers with potentially divergent and possibly contrary views, from quite nostalgic to the contemporary, all settled convivially with a tangible sense of common purpose.”
While the Centre is surrounded by water in Goolwa, the opportunity to take a Coorong Cruise with the team at the Spirit of the Coorong was a treat for many who came on board to see and experience the locations for some of our projects and hear from related researchers.
“Seeing the Coorong/ Lower Lakes from the water, getting off the boat at Barkers Knoll and walking over to the wild part of the Coorong…. Speakers on the boat were great.”
The Citizen Science Showcase – including live fish capture – delivered a great informal engagement with science and scientists. And many enjoyed the Spotlight Speaker, Tim Jarvis AO, whose tales of recreating the incredible Antarctic expeditions of Sir Douglas Mawson, and Sir Ernest Shackleton are enthralling, and help show how climate change impacts the least visited continent.
“Every session was unique. There were many highlights. Climate change offered a wide range of "experts", Tim's trip made me read his book, the boat trip and walk were informative and lastly the displays and seeing fish species caught out the front were experiences hard to beat. Thank you.”
For the first time, GPS tracking used from February to December 2024 studied Chestnut Teal, providing valuable insights into their behaviour.
GPS followed the movements and habitat use of Chestnut Teal in the CLLMM region to better understand where these ducks travel, and how they use different habitats throughout the day.
In May 2024, twelve Chestnut Teal were caught in the Coorong using walk-in traps baited with grain and placed along the shoreline. Once captured, each Chestnut Teal was fitted with a lightweight, solar-powered GPS device secured with a small backpack-style harness. These devices tracked their movements for up to three months, providing insights into how they navigate their environment.
The data revealed some interesting patterns about Chestnut Teal
• movement differed depending on the time of day
• males travelled further than females
• males spent more time in the water
• females more frequently found on the shore.
Future research will focus on tracking these ducks for longer periods—potentially across an entire year—to understand how their movements change seasonally.
Chestnut tales: GPS tracking Chestnut Teal movements in the Coorong
Click on the infographic below to view the movements of the longest-tracked Chestnut Teal and more.
Thesis
To learn more about this study click the button below to read Freya's Thesis.
Researcher Profile
Click on image below to expand.
Community of the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth communities understand droughts and floods. We know the land and waters we love are changed and changing and that they will continue to change as climate change continues. Our 'Community adaptation to worsening droughts and floods in the CLLMM' project, led by Neville Crossman from Flinders University, is an opportunity for community members to express themselves creatively to help people understand what values are at risk and what our pathways to adaptation might be.
The project team is looking for up to 15 adults from all walks of life who live, work or play in the region to co-design something creative together as a legacy of our times. Please see attached invitation for details of how to participate. There will be five workshops held in the region over several months, the first will be Monday 7 April 2025 at a time and location that suits registered participants.
If you want to learn more or be involved, please reach out to:
Science Program Manager Nick Whiterod or 0409023771 Project team directly - Bridget McFarland by the 21 March 2025.
Click below for more information and to download the invitation.
Related Researcher Profiles
To learn more about the project click here.