Member Groups
This category showcases the groups who have formally joined the Queensland Science Network. Each of the titles below links to an “index page” that provides a brief introduction to the group and a link to their home website. Please visit their home websites for access to the full range of their knowledge materials.
Migratory shorebird populations in Moreton Bay have declined by up to 79%. The Moreton Bay Foundation, a QSN member group, has published the findings of a collaborative research project that used drones to survey shorebirds. The trained network detected 99% of birds and only falsely detected birds 3% of the time. The project concluded that some species were highly sensitive to disturbance from the drones while others were less affected. The project recommended that recreational and commercial drone use needs to be carefully regulated to ensure that roosting shorebird flocks are not approached within distances that will disturb the most sensitive species likely to be present.
The irreversible damage that mining for coal seam gas can wreak on cropping land through subsidence was a highlight of a scientific paper published late in 2022 by four members of The Royal Society of Queensland. “The coal seam gas industry is causing irreversible damage to the landscapes of the Darling Downs, including its highly productive agricultural soils”, according to lead author Assoc. Prof. Peter Dart, member of QSN member body The Royal Society of Queensland
The ABC gave an account of this threat in a news piece published on 8 October 2022 and Queensland Country Life (paywalled) on 11 October, based on a press release by Prof. Dart.
References – further reading
Dr Peter Dart and Col Lynam, members of The Royal Society of Queensland, have compiled this primer on the coal seam gas industry: Are you aware that Queensland coal seam gas is a risk to food security? The paper includes a useful table of recent reports and media columns with hotlinks. The paper has been written exclusively for the Queensland Science Network.
Historical material
The Greens published a leaflet summarising this industry – under its Action on Coal and Gas campaign.
A 5-page leaflet by Bill Thompson of LRAM consultants dated March 2012, shortly after the promulgation of the Strategic Cropping Land legislation, explains the history of the GQAL and SCL regulatory regimes (categories of cropping land).
Fact sheets published by the Department and independently by gas company QGC in 2006 explain the basics (19MB). Keep in mind that these are more than 16 years old. A fact sheet by CSIRO Methane Seeps in the Condamine River March 2017 is more recent and includes a useful schematic of the geological strata in the region.
A prescient 2006 internal report Is There a Drop to Drink? by Principal Policy Officer Geoff Edwards warning of the dangers of this industry was leaked and placed in the public domain by a Senate Committee.
The latest Newsletter has been issued, with items on “Eastern King Prawns have nurseries at Toondah Harbour” use of drones to survey wading birds and South East Queensland Underwater Ecological Survey Teams (SEQUEST). Contact the Foundation to join.
Wildlife Queensland is offering a free will-making service for those who would like to sponsor the vital work that the group tackles.
By partnering with Australia’s top-rated will-writing platform, Gathered Here, Wildlife Queensland is offering its supporters a free will-writing service that easily allows a donor to leave a gift in their will to help protect Australia’s at-risk species.
“Having an up-to-date will is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family. But it’s also one of the easiest ways to leave a lasting legacy for wildlife. For a limited time (until 30 September 2021), Gathered Here is also offering supporters free and unlimited lifetime updates to their will* – a win for wildlife because ‘where there’s a will there’s a way.’
Write a free wildlife-friendly will in just 10 minutes.
Please contact Wildlife Queensland at bequests@wildlife.org.au or phone 3844 0129 for further information.
An extensive repository of knowledge about the stewardship of rural lands can be found on the rural policy webpage of The Royal Society of Queensland and the Rangelands Queensland website. See in particular Volume 127 of the Proceedings of The Royal Society of Queensland.
Also see the proceedings of a series of three Stewardship of Country webinars held in February and March 2021 by the Royal Societies of Australia. Some of the papers from that series have been published as Volume 133 (1) of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria.
The Pastoral Lands Information Hub contains a large archive of relevant material.
The Association’s principal objectives are the fostering of the science of astronomy, encompassing research and Continue reading
The Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA) was formed to advance citizen science through the sharing of Continue reading
Birds Queensland’s aim is to promote the scientific study and conservation of birds by all means possible, with Continue reading
The Brisbane Shell Club Inc. promotes interest in and appreciation of all aspects of molluscs, shells and their Continue reading
The BOIC was founded in 1994 to cater for people with an interest in invertebrates. We are based in Brisbane but Continue reading
