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TropEco NEWS 2013
www.jcu.edu.au/tropeco
The YEAR of the PLEDGE
What is YOUR sustainability pledge? Issue 8 April - June 2013 100% recycled paper
Letter from the Editor
Sustainability starts with ME
It's been a big few months for advancing Issue 8 April - June 2013 Editor: Adam Connell Sub Editor: Suzy Keys
Contents 3. What’s happening? 5. Taking the Pledge by Adam Connell 6. Sustainability Symposium & Fair by Suzy Keys 8.
Designing food gardens for the Tropics. By Adam Connell
9.
Going coconuts in paradise by Suzy Keys
10. Meet Mathew Townsend by Avril Robinson 11. Meet Alice Donne by Avril Robinson 12. JCU Permaculture Society by Leon Van Wyk. 13. Medical students flock to new bike facility by Adella Edwards 14. Sea Festival by Laura Dunstan 15. Emma Whitaker by Adam Connell
Contribute to TropEco News
sustainability at JCU with a real groundswell of actions starting to take shape to advance JCU as a leader in sustainability. We saw the Inaugural Sustainability Symposium in Cairns, with this year's focus on How can we live and eat sustainably in the tropics? You can find more on the symposium on page 6. We've also seen a lot of behind the scenes action from the Sustainability Advisory Committee and the Sustainability Action Group, affectionately known as the SAC and SAG. These groups are responsible for embedding sustainability into the strategic direction of the University and taking direct actions for a more sustainable University. Evidence of this is the Action for Sustainability Fund, which will see around $195,000 of competitive funding for projects that have a direct sustainability benefit for JCU, and apply to all three campuses as well as JCU's regional sites. All JCU staff and students were eligible to apply. More than twenty applications were received with nearly $400,000 worth of funding sought for the grant program, indicating its popularity. The selection committee will soon be meeting to decide on the successful applicants.
If you have a sustainability related story or event you want to talk about, please send it to tropeco@jcu.edu.au with any relevant pictures and we may put it up on the TropEco Facebook page or publish it in TropEco News.
We've also seen SAC and SAG members participate in planning workshops to develop guiding principles that will help guide JCU's Divisions and Faculties toward prioritised action for sustainability over the next few years.
TropEco News is published on 100% recycled paper and is also available online. Limited copies are printed to minimise resource consumption.
This indicates a top down approach but what about the bottom up?
Front Cover: JCU Sustainability student Tasha Sanders. Photo by Suzy Keys
Well there's plenty happening in this space too. The JCU Permaculture Society, based on the Cairns Campus
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and led by Sustainability student, Leon Van Wyk (check out his regular piece on page 12), has been going from strength to strength, and have now introduced a regular local food market to the campus in collaboration with the Real Food Network. TropEco is putting its support behind the JCUPS and would love to see a similar student group start up in Townsville so that there is a recognised student voice for sustainability on campus. Any interested students can contact me at tropeco@jcu.edu.au for assistance in starting up a group. Other things happening on the ground include the demonstration food garden beds recently built at Uni Halls (see page 8 for more info), students taking the sustainability pledge at O-week market day, the JCU Ecopass bus passes are proving popular and are close to selling out in Townsville, but there are still plenty of passes left in Cairns. See page 3 for info. We also have the JCU Bicycle Users Group bike workshop open twice a week on the Townsville Campus for bike servicing, repairs and basic equipment sales. See page 3 for info. It's great to see all these exciting initiatives popping up around campus and we look forward to seeing many more this year as students and staff keep the sustainability buzz going. Adam Connell Manager, Environment Estate Office, Division of Finance and Resource Planning, James Cook University, Angus Smith Drive, Douglas, Qld.4811 P: +617 4781 5060 Mobile: 0459 097 253 E: adam.connell@jcu.edu.au
What’s happening? Bus passes still available for Cairns The passes entitle students to unlimited travel on Sunbus services for a week and are just $10 in Townsville and $16 in Cairns. Get them at the JCU bookshop.
Bike Workshop in Townsville The workshop is at the creek end of the library. Drop in and say hi to Josh who is manning the workshop on:
Tuesdays 10am - 1pm Wednesdays 2pm - 5pm.
Permaculture Weekly Market @JCU Cairns Thursdays 2.30-5.30pm
Put it in your calendar!
Raised Keyhole Wicking Garden Beds for food growing in the Tropics! Page 8
TropEco recently teamed up with Permaculture Townsville and Brett Pritchard from Zoned In Permaculture Education and Design (ZIPED) to design and build a demonstration raised garden bed system, designed specifically for our climatic conditions. The Raised Keyhole Wicking Garden Bed, designed by Brett, is: 1. water efficient, 2. low maintenance, 3. cost effective, 4. easy to construct and 5. can handle the range of environmental conditions faced in Townsville.
Find out how you can build one too, on page 8. TropEco, James Cook University, Tropical Queensland, Australia 3
CAIRNS
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My sustainability pledge for 2013 is.....
NO plastic bags
when grocery
short showers & use THE YEAR OF public transport
shopping
My sustainability pledge
T H E NO P L EoilD G E use coconut
to bottled water My sustainability pledge for 2013
for 2013 is.....say
is..... My sustainability pledge for is.....not to use paperStudents cups or plates all year My andpaper staff are being encouraged to make a
sustainability difference in 2013, by pledging to change something in their life that will make the world a more sustainable place in which to live, work and play. By Adam Connell
2013
pledge for
support the action of barefoot banking ride 2013 is.....
my bike to
“Eating organically is important One of the best ways to get to me as you only have one traction on sustainability actions My sustainability pledge for body and it needs to be well is to put the onus on the cared for”, Tash said. “Organic individual to come up with ways food is grown by local farmers they can personally make a and it is important to support thedifference. shops After instead of driving all, a society them as their farming has less that’s sustainable isn't possible of a negative impact on their without everyone taking small, surrounding environment.” meaningful actions.
clothes drier
Not use
My sustainability pledge for 2013
When asked what sustainability This year TropEco is asking meant to her Tash commented, staff and students at JCU to “Sustainability for me is doing make a pledge to show their what you can in your life to moreto this commitment changesemester reduce the negative impact on something in their life to create the environment. Whether it be a more sustainable world. growing your own food, My sustainability pledge forhaving 2013 is.....to a worm farm, recycling anything The pledge can be big or small AwardWinner: you canCulture or just cycling to work. and is a great way to show what Highly Commended: Any little thing you can do willDeb Cavanagh and Ginni Hall is important to each individual. (School of Arts & Social Sciences) make a difference.” At the O-week TropEco market sustainability pledge is the kind of wisdom we stall, students were asked to My This want to see in our next make a sustainability pledge generation of leaders. and have their photo taken for
recycle eat organic
is.....
2013 is.....
Cycle to Uni &
carpool
for 2013
ride, walk or bus to University where possible reduce the amount of plastic bags I use .use sustainable lightbulbs
is.....
the TropEco facebook page.
We had over 200 pledges from Cairns and Townsville and the creativity and range of pledges was amazing. Cairns student Tash Sanders
sustainability pledge for 2013 (featured on our is..... front cover)
Check out the photos to see some of the pledges made on the day.
If you'd like to use the pledge boards for a public event or for your office please contact tropeco@jcu.edu.au
My
spoke to TropEco about the importance behind her pledge.
My sustainability pledge for 2013 is...
TropEco, James Cook University, Tropical Queensland, Australia
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Sustainability Symposium & Fair How can we eat and live sustainably in the tropics? The Sustainability Fair was a great success. Suzy Keys reports . Photos by Suzy Keys Locally grown food and plants were the focus of the Sustainability Fair which was all about food security and ‘How can we eat and live sustainably in the tropics?’.
VC Professor Harding signed the Talloires Declaration
Gavin Singleton performed a welcome to country. Atika is his ancestor’s name.
MC Val Schier and VC Professor Harding chat to Gail from Jonsson’s farm market.
Coconuts were popular. Alex A’Gusto watches over two new coconut fans. Mungalli Creek Dairy was a big hit with students as they sampled yummy Yoghurt.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Sandra Harding launched the event at the Cairns campus after signing the Talloires Declaration. The Declaration commits the university to a tenpoint plan, which incorporates sustainability and environmental literacy into all areas of university life. “I don't sign this declaration lightly as it is a big commitment, but the university has already begun acting on the plan”, Professor Harding said.
Paul Richardson enjoyed a fresh coconut opened with his stainless steel Cocotap.
Gavin Singleton welcomed everyone to the country of his ancestors, the Yirrganydji people, and talked about his work with Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority as a traditional landowner and observer.
Sustainability Fair organiser Lania Lynch with Wade Allen from Naked Energy.
Professor Harding also launched the International Handbook of Research on Environmental Education, edited by The Cairns Institute's Professor Bob Stevenson. The Sustainability Fair provided a forum for 28 local businesses and community groups to raise awareness about the food that local farmers are producing and where to buy it, as well as tropical fruit growing, renewable energy, seed saving and community action. The highly successful initiative, is the flagship of the JCU Sustainability Degree. It brought together local businesses, staff, students, government and community groups, to debate issues relating to food security in the tropics in the coming decades.
Julian Cribb, Bill Laurence and Jeff Sayer share ideas at the Boathouse.
Students enjoying the bio bar and barbeque in the Boathouse courtyard.
Speakers included, Rob Hopkins the co founder of Transition Towns, Julian Cribb, Professors Bill Laurance and Jeff Sayer, Dr. Michael Bird, Anthea Fawcett, Chris Gloor, and Anne Stephens. The event, which was a joint initiative of the JCU Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC) and Sustainability Action Group (SAG) in partnership with JCU Student Association and TropEco was a key project of JCU Sustainability Officer, Lena Taylor. Following the success of this first event, planning for 2014 has begun, with a different theme. If you have an idea for a theme, contact: lena.taylor@jcu.edu.au
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Brewery beer was extremely popular with the crowd before Julian’s lecture.
Creating a brighter future for the life in the tropics worldwide How will we feed 9 billion and not destroy tropical nature? The keynote speaker and author of The Coming Famine, Julian Cribb, delivered a free evening lecture and addressed the question “How will we feed 9 billion and not destroy tropical nature?” He was joined by Professors Jeff Sayer and Bill Laurance during the day to discuss the same subject.
He agreed with Julian that a lot of the population growth would be in the tropics and that the agriculture footprint of the world was already huge, with land the size of South America under a variety of farming regimes and another footprint the size of Africa under several types of grazing regimes.
Cribb presented a sobering scenario of a world already meeting peak oil, water, fish and agricultural land. By 2050 the world is also facing a doubling of population along with a need to double food production when the climate is Julian Cribb (above left) was the keynote speaker at the untrustworthy. recent Sustainability Symposium and is one of Food production is likely to halve rather than double and this particularly affects the tropics, because the population of the tropics will be about 6 billion. Cribb added a relentless list of horrors descending on us, such as mega-cities of more than 120 million people, increased rainfall causing more erosion, poor water management leading to water shortages and war, dying coral reefs, sea level rises hammering already crowded deltas, increased tropical diseases and carcinogenic chemicals being released into the air.
Australia’s most experienced science communicators and writers. In his latest book, The Coming Famine, ,Cribb describes a vivid image of an impending crisis - a global food shortage that threatens to hit by mid century. Cribb is pictured here at the bio bar, talking to the Director of Jonsson’s Farm Market, Warren Jonsson. Jonssons provide a low mileage alternative to the big supermarkets by growing and selling local produce. Warren was a sponsor of the barbeque and a keen participant in debates on food security.
“The global community is facing a 'wicked problem' of looming scarcities of everything necessary to produce high yields of food with each impacting and compounding on the others, and no quick technofixes or inspiring leaders to save the day” he said. However, Cribb said that there are “terrific opportunities” and that “humans have always been very adaptable and good at finding ways to survive”. Of course not all of us will survive, but he predicts that we will come up with new ways of growing food while reducing food wastage. Most of the pressure will be in the tropics, and therefore much of that development and growth and will happen in the tropics. Cribb answered the question, “Will we be able to feed those 6 billion people?” by saying “No. Not under the present conditions and not unless governments, bloody well wake up”. He added that all those complacent citizens stuffing their
faces needed to understand the cost to the environment that their food is imposing.
Leadership from JCU research We also need some inspired leadership, for when we have our backs to the wall, which will be most of the time if he’s right. Cribb pointed out that many of the brains required for the job ahead are already at James Cook University, a fact which was met with much applause and relief. Professor Jeff Sayer agreed, saying that “JCU has many research students from tropical regions and there are many researchers like myself and Professor Laurance who are already engaged in bio fuel and oil palm plantation research”. Professor Laurance agreed that it was time to think about adaptation and time to get motivated and start thinking practically about a lot of these issues. “We are entering a new world in terms of population”, he said and suggested that the more likely scenario would be 10 billion by the latter part of the century and pointed out that we officially hit 7 billion on Halloween last year.
One study projects that an extra one billion hectares of land about the size of Canada will be required to feed all those extra hungry mouths. However most agriculture is dependent on cheap petroleum and oil. These will get more expensive, causing food prices to go up and add to the difficulties. It’s wicked!
Share knowledge with farmers Cribb suggested that the way to help small holding farmers to be come more efficient and more productive was to share information via the internet, where knowledge can be shared immediately. “This university is so important” he said. “You are knowledge sharers and many of you are engaged in one way or another in sharing your knowledge with other people. We need to come up with systems that will allow human knowledge about sustainable food production to flow at light speed to 1.5 billion farmers around the world”. Now that’s what I call a research project.. You can follow the enthusiastic discussions on the links below. Audios of these sessions Panel with Cribb, Laurance & Sayer http://flashstream1.jcu.edu.au/html/sustain ability-symposium-panel-080313.html Julian Cribb public lecture http://flashstream1.jcu.edu.au/html/FSEpublic-lecture-cribb-080313.html Rob Hopkins session http://www.jcu.edu.au/tropeco/about/JCU_ 086249.html
Other useful links Julian Cribb: www.sciencealert.com.au Email:julian.cribb@work.netspeed.com.au Jonsson’s Farm Market: www.jonssonsfarmmarket.com.au Mungalli Creek Dairy www.mungallicreekdairy.com.au
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D E S I G N I N G effective food gardens for the tropics Townsville’s harsh climate calls for creative solutions to growing food. Adam Connell attended a wickingbed demonstration and tells us how it works. Photos By Adam Connell Driving rain for days on end followed by scorching, humid heat. These are some of the extreme conditions we deal with every year in the dry tropical zone we call Townsville. So imagine being a plant and having to deal with these conditions 24 hours a day with no chance of escaping to the comfort of airconditioning or shelter. Considering these harsh conditions, it is understandable that growing your own vegetables and herbs can be a difficult and frustrating task, especially when we try to use the familiar, traditional European varieties meant for a temperate climate. Not only do we have to deal with a harsh climate, there are also tropical diseases and pests that can wipe out a crop in a matter of days, leaving the gardener more than a little deflated.
were built at University Halls college and were planted out during a Wicking bed demonstration and planting workshop with assistance from Permaculture Townsville. During the workshop Brett discussed the design of the beds, highlighting their water efficient properties and low maintenance characteristics.
The wicking bed system maintains a layer of water in the bottom 10cm of the beds. This allows moisture to wick up through the soil to the root zone of the plants while also providing effective drainage in high rainfall events, ensuring the plants do not become water logged. Some of these include perennial coriander, mother of herbs, sweetleaf (tree asparagus), mushroom plant (the leaves taste like mushrooms), ceylon spinach and many more.
The beds are watered with a hose through a downpipe located in the centre of the beds and the water is then spread to the soil through the 25m of slotted pipe in the base of the beds. A drainage hole in the side of the beds ensures the water level never goes above 10cm. This method means watering is only required every 2-3 weeks, even in very hot conditions, allows plants to establish deeper and stronger root systems and minimises evaporation. There is also potential to connect several beds to the one watering system and incorporate aquaponics or worm farm systems into the design.
The first demonstration garden beds
The second garden bed incorporated the seedlings donated by the attendees and features some lesser known varieties that are suited to our tropical environment.
The key to the design is the simple yet effective drainage and irrigation system.
Admittedly winter does brings a more comfortable climate, with abundant sunshine and mild temperatures that is suitable for a wide range of crops, especially some of the more traditional varieties that are grown in the summer down south. However for our own food security it is important to learn how to grow crops year round in our climate. While soil quality, plant selection, plant placement and seasonal considerations are all important factors, much of the success or failure of your garden comes down to the design of your garden bed.
environmental aspects of the site, while considering rotation of crops in future seasons and ensure companion planting was practiced.
The planting layout for the first garden bed was designed to best utilise the
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The herbs and vegetables will now be used by the University Halls kitchen to prepare meals for residents but members of the public are welcome to come and see the demonstration beds and pick a few herbs for their dinner. You can see the progress of the garden beds on the TropEco facebook page, with regular photo updates being posted. TropEco now hopes to attract funding to build a larger community garden site at the Rotary International college using the wicking bed design and run regular workshops for JCU students, staff and the general public. TropEco would like to thank the workshop attendees and Permaculture Townsville members for their generosity in donating seedlings and seeds on the day. For more information contact tropeco@jcu.edu.au
Going nuts in paradise coco
The coconut is a staple food for millions of people throughout the tropics and is fast gaining popularity in Far North Queensland. In part 1, Suzy Keys unravels the myths surrounding the Tree of Life. The nuts of the coconut palm were a popular feature of the recent Sustain-ability Fair at JCU, as Alex A’Gusto and Paul Richardson expertly de-husked and sold them as a refreshing tropical drink. Coconut palms and their fruit have always held a fascination for me, and I suspect I’m not alone. The fruits become nuts which are well insulated containers for the sweet, cool, life sustaining liquid that the tree makes from the nutrients it derives from the poor salty soils in which it thrives. It also needs 70-120 cm of rain. It's a plant of many dimensions. The juice and flesh has been the saviour of many a shipwrecked mariner. It has housed, fed and clothed island communities for centuries while providing medicine, oil and income. It truly is the Tree of Life in many Asian nations. But the Tree of Life or the coconut palm (Cocus nucifera) is under attack in our tropical paradise from all levels of governments, dividing communities who have different views about its indigenous status and therefore its right to occupy our beaches and public spaces. We tend to take the coconut palm for granted, assuming that it is indigenous, when the evidence doesn’t appear to support this theory and neither does the Queensland government. Coconuts can survive in salty water for three months and are plentiful on South Pacific islands, the Indian Ocean and the Torres Straits. It seems reasonable to assume that they would have floated here sometime in the distant millennia and made themselves at home. However there is no evidence, apart from a 2 million year old fossilized husk found near Chinchilla in southern Queensland and JCU academics Dowe & Smith, (2002) in A Brief History of the Coconut Palm in Australia, argue that this is proof that the coconut is indigenous to Australia, but that’s a very tenuous link.
The first reports of coconuts in Australia were by Captain James Cook's naturalist Joseph Banks in Cooktown in 1770. Banks described the husk of a cocoa nut filled with barnacles, found washed up on the banks of the Endeavour River . Banks assumed that it had been carried by the winds from what is now called the New Hebrides, possibly because they had not seen any coconut palms on their entire trip along the eastern seaboard.
Bird Islet and wished that he had coconuts to plant, adding that: “The navigator who should distribute ten thousand cocoa nuts amongst the numerous sandbanks of the Great Ocean and Indian Sea, would be entitled to the gratitude of all maritime nations and of every friend to humanity.” He further suggested that all future voyages of discovery should distribute cocoa nuts in these far flung regions.
The first documented sightings of coconut palms was not until sixty years later when Captain Owen Stanley on the HMS Rattlesnake in 1848, noted in his journal, two clumps of fruit laden palms on the Frankland Islands, and an artist on board, Oswald Brierly, sketched the palms, providing pictorial evidence.
But it wasn't until ninety years later that the coconut became a fixed feature of our tropical landscape. Former JCU PhD student Benjamin Daley in his 2005 thesis Changes in the Great Barrier Reef since European settlement, found that between 1892 -1900, coconut plantations on Great Barrier Reef islands was encouraged by the Queensland Government and more According to research by local blogger than 500,000 palms were planted to create Russell Constable (2010), they were most employment, copra exports and to provide likely planted by crew salvaging the nearby a resource for shipwreck survivors. wreck of the HMS Mermaid in 1830, with a Daley reported that while the value of the view to alleviating the sufferings of future coconut exports was insignificant shipwreck survivors. compared to Pacific and Torres Strait A prominent coconut palm was often the islands, the alteration of island landdifference between life and death as scapes and removal of native vegetation dozens of ships came to grief because was significant as the palms established they didn't see an island or a reef. This themselves as part of the Great Barrier made the planting of coconuts as navigaReef landscape that we see today. tion and survival aids very popular and was References: well documented as a practice by ships plying the Great Barrier Reef. Andersen, J. (2012). Destruction of island These Frankland Island palms, were still standing until the early 2000’s and were part of our botanical heritage according to Dr. Mike Foale until they were cut down by the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) rangers who were implementing the 2011 Draft Hinchinbrook Area Island and Marine Management Plan, which described coconuts as pest plants and called for their removal from National Parks.
coconut trees just nuts. Townsville Bulletin February 11th, 2012 Constable, R. (2010). Are coconut palms native to Australia? http://ellabayforever.blogspot.com.au Daley, Benjamin (2005). Changes in the Great Barrier Reef since European settlement. PhD thesis, James Cook University. Dowe, J.D., & Smith, L.T. (2002). A Brief History of the Coconut Palm. Australia Palms, Vol. 46 (3) pp. 135-138.
In 1803, Captain Mathew Flinders wrote in his Voyage to Terra Australis that he planted vegetables on Wreck Reef and TropEco, James Cook University, Tropical Queensland, Australia
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Greetings, once again. Here we shall speak of how to sustain. The opportunities of living, of breathing, of working with one’s mind and with like-minded others. Here we shall learn about networks and collaboration making light work with many, many hands. Indeed this is where the root of all value is given as a gift with rights and responsibilities recognized, is a must.
Meet Mathew Townsend
Graduate of the Townsville given in trust, Professional College www.jcu.edu.au/procollege/
leon.vanwyk@my.jcu.edu.au JCU Environmental Science student Mathew Townsend won a TropEco Sustainability Award, met ABC’s Costa Georgiadis, landed a great job in Utah and said being a TropEco rep broadened his understanding of environmental issues. Written by Avril Robinson
During 2010-12 Mathew studied his Bachelor of Environmental Science at James Cook University. In 2011, Mathew joined TropEco's Green Rep students program, where he received support and training in various areas of sustainability.
Mathew was recognised for some of his achievements when he received the Student Outstanding Contribution Award at the 2011 TropEco Awards ceremony for his volunteer efforts. His nomination summary read: “Mathew has been a strong student voice for TropEco and sustainability this year and has been the Green Rep for University Halls as well as a student Green Rep since the launch of TropEco. He has worked hard to implement several initiatives within his college, even in the face of many setbacks and lack of enthusiasm from the other residents.
Mathew acknowledged that being a Rep and implementing practical sustainable activities within his accommodation block at Rotary International House complemented his studies and broadened his understanding of environmental . issues. He said it gave him the opportunity to develop new skills, gain satisfaction from having made a difference to his Mathew has organised two clean up days for the college, a own environment and the chance to meet friendly and likesecond hand store for second semester O-Week with all the minded people. Click here to view a YouTube video of an unwanted items from students moving out midyear, has tried introduction to TropEco, directed and hosted by Mathew. to educate residents on correct recycling and has volunteered When cyclone Yasi struck north Queensland in February 2011, I was living on at Magnetic The mountainous interior of the island was turned many of Island. the TropEco events held this year.” Mathew voluntarily put in over 30 hours in activities rom a forest into a pile of sticks and stones as the canopy was annihilated and left visible the millions of naked trees and granite boulders. throughout 2011 and 2012, along with his friends and fellow Mathew believed there was still much to do implementing students, promoting sustainable practices within the sustainability in JCUin and highly recommended to students to were My family's property was stripped of almost every single leaf, banana and papaya trees snapped half, shrubs of pigeon pea and cassava university. Highlights included helping organise TropEco get involved, raise awareness, encourage innovation, spread uprooted completely, while all the larger trees were maliciously pruned by the force of the wind. movie nights, O-week market days, several guest lectures and best practice and benefit the community. a 'glow for Rotary House when the off and the shredded remains mixed with bits of leaves were turned into papier-mâché Paperbark treesparty' behind the beach hadresidents their bark blasted Mathew also completed some of James Cook University accommodation agreedwithin to turn200m all their houseThe power on the windward side of blocks every house or more. braches and trees that were knocked down piledworkshops, up in the streets, front yards and Professional College extracurricular and along offluckily for twofor hours for “Earthmost Hour”. back, but us humans, houses remained intact. with his achievements, the Professional College was proud to
Mathew contributed to Rotary House finishing third in the recognise Mathew for his outstanding voluntary contribution For ecosystems acrossEnergy north Queensland this aevent was ainserious that altered theofamount of food and resources available. Fruits, TropEco Shield Challenge, with reduction energy disturbance with a certificate completion of the Community lowers use and of seeds largely disappeared for months and the populations of animals that rely on them for food endured 18%, and Rotary A & B Blocks, E & F Blocks being Engagement module through the College.a severe game of “survival of the fittest.” winners of the Recycling Challenge, keeping their After Mathew completed his studies he travelled to USA to be contamination rate 5% or below. employed at thebecause Park Citythey Mountain Utah, a Green However, the saprophytic fungi are quick to take advantage of all this death and destruction are theResort, supreme decomposers of this Along with assisting TropEco and Coastal non-living biomass spread across the forest floorDry as aTropics thick layer of mulch. Business Award winning ski resort in the United States Landcare rehabilitate JCU's Goondaloo Creek site where they recognised for practices in the workplace that engage took advantage of the debris our this property and neighbouring properties by making extensive new – deriving have planted over 2,000on trees year; Mathew is also employees and clients to gardens act green, providingsoil an improvement eco-friendly and direct personal theworker beneficial arrangement of some happy fungi and the planting of happy energy seedlings that I'd sheltered from Yasi. creditedsustenance with being afrom regular in Rotary International environment through adopting efficient technologies While fungi illustrate how ecosystems recycle permaculture nutrients to feed themselves, dust andleading dung beetles show us thatplans excrement and flakes House's “Sunshine Edible” community garden, andmites industry practices. Mathew on returning to of dead skin are also valuable resources. So depending on your perspective, all materials can be seen as either waste or food – have you just producing fresh produce to supplement student's meals. implement his learnings in Australia. excreted this “waste” from your body or are you collecting this “resource” to obtain your sustenance? A highlight for Mathew working with the garden was the Gardening Australia website: www.abc.net.au/gardening Mathew photosynthesis. on YouTube: opportunity to meet CostaisGeorgiadis of the ABC's Gardening All this living and dead biomass energy from sun, harnessed by plants through Plant matter (like sugars, carbohydrates www.jcu.edu.au/tropeco/about/JCU_086249.html http:// Australia fame. and cellulose) is the fuel of almost every ecosystem on the planet. But each time something is eaten, some energy is lost as waste heat. 10 TropEco, James Cook
University, Tropical Queensland, Australia This type of waste cannot be recycled; it just becomes background heat unable to do work. It's known as “entropy” and is the idea of the
My family's property was stripped of almost every single leaf, banana and papaya trees snapped in half, shrubs of pigeon pea and cassava were
Alice Donne
Graduate of the JCU Professional College www.jcu.edu.au/procollege/
Alice Donne discovered that getting up early to water the Sunshine Edible Garden at Rotary International helped her with her studies and introduced her to the campus wildlife. Written by Avril Robinson
During 2010-12 Alice studied her Bachelor of Science (Ecology and Conservation) at James Cook University. Completing her final year, holding down a part-time job and being an active member of TropEco's Green Rep students program kept Alice very busy. As a resident of Rotary International House, Alice was very proactive in promoting sustainability to residents in the House, helping organise TropEco events, participating in “Earth Hour” and energy challenges to reduce energy use and winning recycling challenges. However, Alice's main focus was managing and coordinating Rotary International House's “Sunshine Edible” community permaculture garden, producing fresh produce to supplement student's meals. She promoted and rallied other students and staff to become actively involved in “Garden Days” and collectively undertook the garden's preparation, mulching, planting, weeding and irrigation installation. Alice spent much of her time purchasing vegetable plants, herbs and fruit trees and propagating seedlings for the garden days and is to be credited for her commitment to regularly getting up early to ensure the garden's watering system was fully
operational by 6:30am and checking the garden was in order prior to going off to Uni studies. Alice said “Having to get up to make sure that the irrigation was turned on and the garden was watered every morning was great motivation for me to start getting up earlier, and even promoted me to study while filling in the time before classes started. “Working as the Green Rep and co-ordinating the Sunshine Edible garden was a great experience and gave me a fantastic opportunity to get to know quite a few of the students in the college, as well as interact and discuss sustainability issues and ideas with them in a relaxed environment. “Studying Ecology, I really loved working in the garden because I got to see so much of the fantastic wildlife around campus, like birds, wallabies, bats and even frill-necked lizards! It made me really pleased when I got to show these to other students, especially international students who had never seen them before. They really got a kick out of it!” After completing over 30 hours of voluntary community engagement activities for her local community, Alice was recognised by James Cook University Professional College with a certificate of completion of the Community Engagement module. TropEco, James Cook University, Tropical Queensland, Australia
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JCU Permaculture Society Waste = Food by Leon Van Wyk When cyclone Yasi struck north Queensland in February 2011, Leon lived through the destruction on Magnetic Island and saw recovery from disturbance as a key feature of life. My family's property was stripped of almost every single leaf, banana and papaya trees snapped in half, shrubs of pigeon pea and cassava were uprooted completely, while all the larger trees were maliciously pruned by the force of the wind. The mountainous interior of the island was turned from a forest into a pile of sticks and stones as the canopy was annihilated and left visible the millions of naked trees and granite boulders. Paperbark trees behind the beach had their bark blasted off and the shredded remains mixed with bits of leaves were turned into papier-mâché on the windward side of every house within 200m or more. The braches and trees that were knocked down piled up in the streets, front yards and back, but luckily for us humans, most houses remained intact. For ecosystems across north Queensland this event was a serious disturbance that altered the amount of food and resources available. Fruits, flowers and seeds largely disappeared for months and the populations of animals that rely on them for food endured a severe game of “survival of the fittest.” However, the saprophytic fungi are quick to take advantage of all this death and destruction because they are the supreme decomposers of this non-living biomass spread across the forest floor as a thick layer of mulch. Taking advantage of disturbance I took advantage of the debris on our property and neighbouring properties by making extensive new gardens – deriving soil improvement and direct personal sustenance from the beneficial arrangement of some happy fungi and the planting of happy seedlings that I'd sheltered from Yasi.
While fungi illustrate how ecosystems recycle nutrients to feed themselves, dust mites and dung beetles show us that excrement and flakes of dead skin are also valuable resources.
The surplus solar energy captured in biomass from millions of years of photosynthesis has been locked within the earth for eons, ripening into resources we now call fossil fuels.
So depending on your perspective, all materials can be seen as either waste or food – have you just excreted this “waste” from your body or are you collecting this “resource” to obtain your sustenance?
Humanity has learned how to access the astonishingly energy-dense reserves of complex molecules known as oil, coal and natural gas. Evidently, we have used these resources to exponentially increase our extraction of other natural resources.
All this living and dead biomass is energy from the sun, harnessed by plants through photosynthesis. Plant matter (like sugars, carbohydrates and cellulose) is the fuel of almost every ecosystem on the planet. But each time something is eaten, some energy is lost as waste heat.
These include renewable resources like forests, food and water; as well as nonrenewable resources such as mining ores to create metals, phosphate rock for fertiliser and ancient “fossil water” aquifers.
Some waste cannot be recycled This type of waste cannot be recycled; it just becomes background heat unable to do work. It's known as “entropy” and is the idea of the second law of thermodynamics. Life exists because of its ability to capture the abundant flows of radiant energy from the sun every day and transform it into complex molecules (biomass). This biomass becomes part of the planet's metabolism and enables more life to exist, which stimulates the evolution of still greater biological complexity over time. So matter is continuously cycling through ecosystems and between different types of ecosystems; but energy is always leaking out of individual organisms and every link in every food web. Therefore the solar energy flows are needed to keep powering the process of photosynthesis and enable the full utility of biodiversity.
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Disturbance grows the GDP All this activity has grown the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of just about every single country, with booming international trade to create the industrial infrastructure of a consumer-culture. The resulting human population explosion and technological innovation have been very powerful influences in the ecological systems of the world. Looking back into history with our scientific analyses, it seems clear that biodiversity has been continually increasing despite a few mass extinctions along the way. Now that humans have tapped the potent resources of fossil fuels and super-charged our impact on the environment from local to regional to global scales, we see a sixth mass extinction has been catalyzed. This is a geologically significant disturbance to the metabolism of the planet. We are interfering with the lifesupport services that keep the conditions stable enough for our civilization to exist in its current state. Continued page 13.
In fact civilization has been so successful that it appears to be on the verge of drowning in its own excrement. Panic is not an appropriate response, better to observe nature and model our industrial operations on a closed-loop material recycling system – split into biodegradable and non-biodegradable metabolisms. The energy required to process all these materials is ultimately powered by solar energy, but we must transition towards using less ancient (non-renewable) sunlight and focusing our efforts on ecologically harnessing (think trees) and technologically harnessing (think solar panels) current flows of solar energy and storing as much as is cost-effective.
If we can eliminate our waste streams by seeing them as resources, then we can harvest and process those resources into useful products with very little energy compared to starting with raw materials all the time. That means far less energy will be consumed and we'll be releasing almost no pollution. CO2 would not be seen as pollution if we managed our agricultural land to increase soil fertility by absorbing excess CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis feeding healthy soil food webs. The byproducts of this system are healthy food and functioning ecosystems.
Successful variants thrive, and those that are inappropriate to the changing environments die. The intelligent way for humans to solve our society's dilemma is to intentionally change direction and thereby see the problem as a solution to be creatively exploited. To learn more, visit our Facebook page or get in touch with the JCU Permaculture Society at:
Essentially, with declining energy availability due to the increasing cost of fossil fuels (a point I have no space to diverge into in this article), our civilization must embrace this opportunity to reduce its energy use. Currently there is so much energy wasted to harvest, process, transport, consume and dispose of materials that we should not be disposing of at all!
The JCU BUG recently launched its new Townsville bike facility with a Ride to Work Day. Adella Edwards urges riders to get their swipe cards NOW!
Recovery from disturbance is a key feature of life, and humans thrive on creating disturbance then harvesting diverse yields from the recovery processes. Ecological models have evolved around and within us because they cycle materials with the least amount of energy necessary for survival and reproduction.
permaculture @jcu.edu.au With Gratitude, Leon van Wyk President, JCUPS Left: Diagram of Cradle to Cradle concept of waste=food.
Medical students flock to new bike facility
Right: Riders Bec Tuma, Adella Edwards (JCU BUG President) and Caroline Roth celebrate the launch
of the facility.
The JCU BUG held a Ride to Work Day Breakfast on Tuesday March 26th to officially launch the newly completed end of ride facility within the Medical precinct, thanks to the Estate Office.
swipe card access door. There are also lockers and cold water within.
Located at the rear of building 45, the facility utilises a space where cooling plant was once housed. This space has been roofed, had the concrete slab improved and a small building housing two complete shower facilities has been built.
The Faculty of Medicine likely has the greatest percentage of students riding to class of any JCU Faculty. Most of the bike parking spaces in the precinct are used on fine days, with the overflow utilizing trees and posts in popular areas. There was great enthusiasm amongst the more than 60 students attending the launch for gaining access to this new facility.
The whole thing has been made secure with attractive metal louvre walls and a
Swipe card access can be arranged by visiting the Security Office, filling out a
form and presenting your student (or staff) ID. You must have your card reactivated every January by contacting or visiting Security. The lockers may be claimed by putting a padlock on any available locker. This is all for free!! We do ask that the lock on the locker be removed before the Christmas break, and the locker can then be reclaimed on your return. Many thanks to all the students who attended, and to BUG member Bec Tuma for getting the word out to so many students. Looking forward to the next Ride to Work day in October!
TropEco, James Cook University, Tropical Queensland, Australia
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Photo: NQ Dry Tropics, Duey the Dugong with JCU Saints Catholic College volunteers
Townsville’s local beaches are gleaming after ninety-three bags of rubbish and a trailer load of junk was picked up in the most successful Celebrate the Sea Festival yet. Written by Laura Dunstan
NQ Dry Tropics Celebrate the
Sea Festival Local natural resource management group NQ Dry Tropics hosted the annual event at Walter Nesbit Park, Pallarenda on Sunday March 3rd to celebrate both Clean Up Australia Day and the beginning of National Seaweek. The festival attracted over 500 participants who removed 35 bags of recyclables, 58 bags of rubbish and a trailer load of larger rubbish including old mattresses, furniture and fishing gear from Pallarenda and Rowes Bay beaches. Although it was disappointing to find so much litter on our beautiful Townsville beaches, with the help of JCU the rubbish will serve an educational purpose. The JCU internship team for Research Towards Action on Plastic Pollution got their hands dirty to sort through the bags and collect data for the Australian Marine Debris Database, which will help create a better understanding of marine debris issues. JCU students also lent a hand at the seven clean up sites along the beach, contributing to the 16 event volunteers who welcomed and registered all participants. Event volunteer Mikaela Smith said “volunteering for NQ Dry Tropics was
extremely rewarding. Not only did I gain invaluable event management experience, I was exposed to other community groups in our region and the amazing work they do within our community. Additionally, volunteering has cemented my pursuit of a career in event management and has educated me in the areas of conservation and land management”. JCU's TropEco program and Townsville City Council's Integrated Sustainability Services joined 12 environmental community groups who took the opportunity to showcase their work at the Celebrate the Sea Festival. Kim Sellers from Coastal Dry Topics Landcare praised the opportunity, saying “Being part of Celebrate the Sea Festival was a great opportunity for CDTLI to engage the wider community and tell them all about the work we have been doing at our Three Mile Creek Landcare site and at our other seven Landcare sites around Townsville. More than 20 volunteers came through our clean up station and we were able to chat with each group about CDTLI and our Landcare sites. From these 20+ people we received interest from three individuals who wanted to become part time site leaders of the Three Mile Creek Landcare site. Continued page 15
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This had been an aspiration of CDTLI since November 2012 so it was really satisfying to have such high interest from one event”. After the clean up activity, participants were rewarded with a free BBQ, live music and children's entertainment. A Hands on Wildlife presentation about the conservation of coastal species had children excited and NQ Dry Tropics mascots Duey the Dugong and Tiny the Tern were hits on the day, along with Lucky T Turtle from Reef HQ and Piggy from Bendigo Bank. However, it was presentations from local community group champions, Dr Mark Hamann and Professor Joe Holtum from JCU that really drove the message of the day, along with presentations by Traditional Owners including a bush tucker walk with Uncle Walter Palm Island from the Manbarra people who are the Traditional Owners of Palm Island. Event organiser Laura Dunstan from NQ Dry Tropics said “the festival is a great way for the Townsville community to actively contribute towards a more sustainable future.
Participants discovered information about important environmental issues and felt empowered to do something about it by participating in the beach clean up and then signing up to be a volunteer with a community group”. “The festival was well supported by nine local businesses with sponsorships, in kind support and corporate volunteerism. It is fantastic to see such a diverse array of our community coming together to support and promote our natural resources and to learn how to create a better future for the next generations.” To learn more about NQ Dry Tropics and how you can benefit from environmental volunteering visit: Facebook – Volunteering Dry Tropics: www.facebook.com/volunteering.drytropics Web: www.nqdrytropics.com.au Email: laura.dunstan@nqdrytropics.com.au Twitter: @lauradunstan
Emma Whittaker If you attended the Sustainability Symposium in Cairns in March this year you would have seen our volunteers and staff wearing t-shirts with eye-catching artwork (right).
Alison Adam Lena Lania
Emma: Decair is an exhibition that explores the theme of beauty in decay. Beauty in decay as juxtaposition, and also as the organic process of living, ageing and dying. Decay; as a time where the line is blurred between two realities, a moment in time preserved, while despite the certainty of decay, there is beauty. TropEco: What inspired your art?
The artwork for the t-shirts was provided by JCU 3rd year student Emma Whittaker who is undertaking the Bachelor of Creative Industries. The leaf painting (see photo above) is part of Emma's Decair exhibition, recently displayed at C.1907 in Cairns. Emma shared with TropEco some thoughts on what inspires her artwork and how it relates to sustainability. TropEco: Can you share with us the theme behind the art in Decair?
Emma: I've always been interested in trying to live life a little “greener” and having an appreciation for the environment, which comes with living in such a beautiful place. For me, this work was a way of expressing the awe and wonder I feel when I am amongst nature and recognize that the environment around us is so alive. Everything around us is within its own stage of living, growing or dying. Making the work forced me to get out a bit everyday, which is something I've become an advocate of after my exhibition. It's hard to appreciate the environment if you step outside and get amongst it. TropEco: Did you choose any particular types of leaves for your artwork?
Emma: I don't know much about the trees that the leaves are from. I did have a visitor in the gallery that had worked in identifying the trees the leaves are from, who guessed that my “spotted leaf” was a river cherry. TropEco: Where did you source the leaves from? Emma: The works are collected from different places I've been; from Cairns to Malanda, Cape Tribulation and a permaculture park in Brisbane. TropEco: What is your next plan? Emma: I'm currently beginning new work, which I'm really excited about. I'll be creating paintings and sculptures of plants that look like they have been genetically modified or grown out of toxic waste. I want to create a conversation about how the human rendering of natural beauty, like genetic engineering, is changing our insight of the world around us. The work acts as a metaphor for the destructive nature of human adaptation in the natural world and modification of natural beauty. To see more of Emma's work go to: http://emmawhittakerart.wordpress.co m/about/
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Townsville