Jennifer Marohasy

The Australian Environment Foundation (AEF) held its Annual Conference and AGM this last weekend in Canberra.   We heard some great speakers and also had a good time.  Photographs about to be uploaded here

After I welcomed delegates to the conference as Chair of the Australian Environment Foundation, Professor Bob Carter spoke about climate change – both warming and cooling - as a natural hazard.

Bill Kininmonth, a meteorologist formerly at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and Professor Don Aikin, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Canberra, also spoke on climate change and emphasised like Professor Carter, that it is something that always changes.  

Gillian Hogendyk, AEF Secretary, is pictured in the front row at Rydges Lakeside.  Gillian is a Vet who lives in Warren (near Dubbo) and has spent some years studying the natural history of the Macquarie Marshes in central western New South Wales.  Gillian spoke to conference delegates about the need for controls on grazing within the marshes. 

Forester, Mark Poynter, is pictured here making some last minute changes to his speech notes before telling us about the River Red Gum forests of western Victoria including how controlled grazing can be a useful weed control. 

Well known climate change sceptic and sometimes commentator at this blog, John McLean was also at the conference.

Leon Ashby recorded the entire first day’s proceedings and I hope will have DVDs for sale soon.  I shall ask him to post details as a comment.

I will post more on the conference over the next week, including photographs from the dinner where comedian Dr Barry York spoke about “that movie”.   

Next year’s AEF conference and AGM will be in Perth.