The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (HIE) showcased its research at the 2014 Ecological Society of Australia conference in Alice Springs. HIE was a lead sponsor and exhibited its research on topics such as the effects of heat waves on flying foxes and the thermal limits of invasive species. HIE researchers presented well-received talks and the conference helped strengthen collaborations and partnerships for HIE. The conference brought over 500 ecologists to Alice Springs to discuss research and participate in field trips to the unique ecosystems of central Australia.

1. uws.edu.au/hie
HAWKESBURY INSTITUTE
FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
SUCCESS SHOWCASE – QUARTER THREE 2014

2. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
National Science Week Workshops – 18 & 20 June 2014
The University partnered with Penrith South Public School as part of National Science Week to bring science to the students!
With interactive, blended learning-based sessions on food and agriculture by the UWS PICSE team and always-enjoyable
sessions with the snakes and lizards, National Science Week proved inspiring and engaging for over 90 students.
Dr Chris Cazzonelli
asks ‘What keeps
scientists up
at night?’ –
20 June 2014
Dr Chris Cazzonelli
was part of a National
Science Week panel of
scientists presenting
their research in an
interactive forum at the
City of Sydney library. In
his talk, Chris describes
frankly the highs and
lows of life in science,
in a talk that proved
popular and engaging.

3. The Future of Food
Through Science
– 1 July 2014
The UWS PICSE team
and scientists from HIE
treated a group of 18 high
school students to special
workshops over a week on
the topic of food security
and food science. Students
examined DNA from crop
plants, learned about crop
production and explored
career options through the
B Natural Science program.
It was a great week,
and builds interest in
undergraduate courses in
agriculture and food.
Touring EucFACE
with the National
Youth Science
Forum – 3 July 2014
The National Youth Science
Forum is a touring science
program for bright students.
During the program,
students are treated to tours
of excellent scientific and
industrial facilities, and on
this tour of the Hawkesbury
Institute’s facilities, students
saw firsthand research
underway the EucFACE
and the Hawkesbury
Forest Experiments.
uws.edu.au/hie

4. Bayer
CropScience
Forum –
14 August 2014
Bayer CropScience
is one of the world’s
largest chemical and
seed companies, with
a number of mutual
research interests
in insect ecology,
chemical interactions
and plant physiological
technologies. HIE
and Bayer explored
opportunities for
potential collaborations
and toured EucFACE.
INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS
Showcasing HIE to
Langley Fertilisers –
12 August 2014
A number of fertiliser
companies are adopting
technologies that maximise
benefits from the biological
interactions that occur in
soils. This forum was an
opportunity to showcase
HIE’s science to a progressive
company and as a result,
ongoing discussions around
collaborating are underway.
Showcasing HIE with
the Australian Centre
for International
Agricultural Research
– 20 June 2014
UWS has a number of
connections with ACIAR
and this special forum
was an opportunity to
showcase the Institute’s
unique facilities and
develop collaborations with
colleagues across UWS
and delegates from ACIAR.
ARC Linkage Collaboration
In Trees And Drought
Research – 27 June 2014
Trees define our landscapes
and are crucial for ecosystem
services including biodiversity,
carbon sequestration and
prevention of soil erosion.
Drought is a major threat to tree
survival across Australia and
is being exacerbated by rising
temperatures and changing
rainfall patterns due to climate
change. This project led by
Macquarie University aims to
calculate the risk of drought
mortality for key tree species
across New South Wales in
current and future climates.

5. Forestry Leaders
Workshop –
24 September 2014
HIE brought leaders from
Australia’s forestry industry to
showcase HIE’s research
in forestry sciences, an area
in which HIE is rated at well
above world standard (ERA2).
Delegates from Forest and
Wood Products Australia and the
forestry industry shared research
and insights into a changing
industry. This event has led to
ongoing development of research
and funding opportunities.
Cotton Under Climate
Change Workshop –
9 September 2014
The Global Centre for Land-
Based Innovation at HIE is
collaborating with researchers in
the cotton industry to develop
cotton industries that are
adaptable to future, more variable
climates. This workshop brought
researchers from CSIRO, Cotton
Seed Distributors, growers
and the Cotton Research &
Development Corporation to
showcase mutual research
interests and develop ongoing
avenues for future research
collaborations.
Soil Biology Masterclass –
8 & 9 October 2014
Following a successful pilot in
2013, HIE ran its first full Soil
Biology Masterclass with a
great turnout of diverse industry
professionals, growers, and
agricultural consultants. The
Masterclass explored the broad
topic of soil biology which can
be managed to enhance plant
productivity and the resilience of
farming operations.
uws.edu.au/hie

6. STAFF & STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS
Sarah Facey Wins Best Poster Award
Sarah Facey was awarded the only prize at the Triennial
International Symposium on Insect-Plant Interactions,
held in Neuchatel, Switzerland in August 2014.
Lisa Bromfield wins Wiley Ecological Award
HDR student Lisa Bromfield has been awarded the Wiley
Ecological Award for her project ‘Individual strategies to cope
with environmental change: A test of the pace-of-life syndrome
hypothesis’, an important achievement as Lisa progresses
towards her HDR candidature.
Catarina Martins Award
Catarina won Best Poster Prize at the
20th World Congress of Soil Science
for her poster entitled “Impact Of
Warming And Reduced Precipitation
In A Temperate-Boreal Ecotonal Forest”
in Northern-Minnesota, USA. This is
a great achievement for Catarina as
there was a huge number of posters in
her session ‘Mechanisms Controlling
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Soils’.
Tracey Steinrucken’s
Three Minute Thesis
Success Continues
After two years of winning the
HIE divisional Three Minute Thesis
rounds and then the UWS divisional
round, Tracey heads to Perth to
compete in the National Finals.
This is a great result for Tracey’s
work on the weedy Parkinsonia.
Tim Sutton Highly Commended
By Wiley Ecological Committee
His project “Ecology & Evolution Of
Fig Pollinator-Parasite Interactions”
was highly commended by the
award committee.

7. Prof David Ellsworth joins
ARC College Of Experts
The ARC College Of Experts plays a
key role in identifying research excellence,
moderating external assessments
and recommending fundable proposals.
It also assists the ARC in recruiting
and assigning assessors and in
implementing peer review reforms
in established and emerging disciplines
as well as interdisciplinary areas.
Prof Ellsworth’s prestigious appointment
reflects his reputation, achievements
and accomplishments in ecology
and forest sciences.
HDR Graduations
Dr Honglang Duan and
Dr Jennifer Morrow have
both graduated in the recent
September ceremonies.
Dr Duan has taken a lectureship
at Nanjing University in China,
while Dr Morrow has joined
HIE as a postdoctoral fellow
to continue her work on sex
determination of the destructive
Queensland Fruit Fly,
Bactrocera tryoni.
Adam Frew Sugarcane
Research Scholarship
Adam has been awarded a
two-year Sugar Research Australia
HDR scholarship to investigate how
soil fungi may be used to control the
cane grub, a beetle whose root-feeding
larvae damage sugar cane and reduce
its yield and productivity.
uws.edu.au/hie

8. CONTACT
DETAILS
Hawkesbury Institute
for the Environment
University of Western Sydney
Locked Bag 1797
Penrith NSW 2751 Australia
Bourke Street
Richmond NSW 2753 Australia
Phone: +61 2 4570 1125
Email: hieinfo@lists.uws.edu.au
HIE5301 11/2014
uws.edu.au/hie
HAWKESBURY INSTITUTE FOR THE
ENVIRONMENT SHOWCASES AT THE
2014 ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY CONFERENCE
HIE was lead sponsor of the conference
and this enabled us to connect with
delegates over coffee, provide engaging
giveaways and showcase our iconic
research to an interested audience.
ESA represented an excellent opportunity
to build new linkages and collaborations,
like our partnership with the Royal Botanic
Gardens Sydney investigating extreme
heat events on native flying foxes
(pictured is Dr John Martin of the
RBG and Dr Justin Welbergen of HIE).
Dr John Drake concludes his presentation
chaired by Dr Andrea Leigh of UTS on
HIE’s experiments conducted in the Whole
Tree Chambers, EucFACE and field sites.
Researchers at HIE presented engaging
and highly-commended talks on their
research which stimulated numerous
discussions around impact, collaborations
and studentships.
From their air, the incredible landforms of
central Australia are revealed, highlighting
the powerful role that water plays in
shaping our ecology.
Alice Springs is an ecologist’s haven, and
the tour enabled delegates to take part in
field trips to learn more about the unique
ecosystems of the arid centre.
The Ecological Society is the peak
body for research into ecology,
biodiversity, climate, modelling,
and a wide range of environmental
and agricultural research topics.
Its annual conference is a widely
anticipated event and in 2014 was held in
the beautiful outback town of Alice Springs.
The conference brought more than five
hundred researchers to Alice Springs,
prompting many to comment how the
‘plane was full of ecologists – all broad-brim
hats, outdoor gear and cameras’.
HIE provided major sponsorship of ESA and
exhibited with a large display set against
the backdrop of the iconic MacDonnell
Ranges. Presenters from HIE included:
• Mr Courtney Campany – “Effects Of
Belowground Space Limitation On
Performance Of Eucalypts Seedlings”
Nutrient Limitation Or Sink Inhibition”.
• Dr Paul Rymer – “Thermal Limits To
Range Expansion Of Invasive Species:
An Experimental Approach”.
• Dr John Drake – “Too Hot To Handle?
Physiological Acclimation To Climate
Warming In Eucalyptus Tereticornis.”
• Dr Justin Welbergen – “Canaries
In The Coalmine – Impacts Of
Extreme Heat Events On Flying Foxes”.
• Ms Caroline Fromont – “Hidden
Diversity And Host Specificity In
Fig-Psylloid Parasitoid Interactions.”
• Dr Sabine Nooten – “Golf Courses
As Biodiversity Reservoirs In Urban
Landscapes.”