A free workshop featuring US animal behaviourist Professor Fred Provenza will be held at Swanpool on May 12 and will highlight how understanding grazing behaviour can lead to improvements in animal performance and biodiversity.
A free workshop featuring US animal behaviourist Professor Fred Provenza will be held at Swanpool on May 12 and will highlight how understanding grazing behaviour can lead to improvements in animal performance and biodiversity.
Gecko CLaN Landcare Project Officer Melanie Addinsall said Prof Provenza was one of the foremost authorities on wild and domestic animal behaviour and specialised in improving productivity and enhancing biodiversity by allowing animals to regulate their intake with a balanced diet.
“Prof Provenza will be speaking about how behaviour influences relationships between soil, plants, herbivores and people,” Ms Addinsall said
“This is a really exciting opportunity for people to hear from a well-regarded expert, speaking about innovations in animal behaviour and grazing research, and how techniques can be used to enhance the environment.”
The workshop will highlight behavioural principles and processes and discuss their implications for:
improving animal performance in feedlots, pastures, and rangelands;enhancing and maintaining biodiversity through grazing;restoring ecosystems using grazing to embrace invasive species and reduce impacts to riparian areas;mitigating human-wildlife conflicts to enhance wildlife values;minimising damage to valuable crops by wild and domesticated herbivores by altering food and habitat preferences; andenhancing carbon sequestration through grazing.
The day will conclude with a visit to the Shrubs for Emissions Reduction and Carbon Sequestration (SERCS) project trial site at Bill Hill’s Warrenbayne property where SERCS Project Officer Donna Rayner will give a project update.
The workshop will be held on Monday, May 12 from 9am to 4.30pm at the Swanpool Cinema with morning tea and lunch provided.
The event is free however bookings are essential. Please contact Melanie Addinsall on landcare1@iinet.net.au, 5761 1560 or 0439 040 955 to RSVP or for more information.
The workshop is supported by the Warrenbayne-Boho Land Protection Group, Gecko CLaN Landcare Network, Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, and the Australian Government.
To find out more about Professor Fred Provenza’s work, visit http://extension.usu.edu/behave/
To find out more about the SERCS trial site, visit www.billhill.com.au
Fred Provenza