Charles Sturt University (CSU) Chancellor Lawrie Willett, AO and Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Goulter witnessed the first two graduates from CSU Orange Campus accept their degrees last Friday 16 March 2007. Amity Ballantyne Latham received her Master of Sustainable Agriculture degree and Malgorzata Bronicka graduated with honours with a Bachelor of Land Management (Ecological Agriculture) degree. “This has been the best research experience I’ve had,” said Malgorzata of her Honours year. Her thesis studied soil fungi in saline and non saline soils in Gumble, NSW. “After completing my Masters, I plan to move back to the country and work in town planning with a focus on natural resource management.” Results from her research will soon be published in Sydowia, an European journal dedicated to studies on fungi.

Industry leaders have collaborated with Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) School of Rural Management to give students a hands-on look at how successful livestock businesses are run. More than 20 students attended a three-day study tour to the Riverina as part of the Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management degree. “By giving students involvement with leading industry managers we hope to influence young peoples’ attitudes and interest in agriculture,” says tour leader Rod Cox. The tour visited large pastoral company holdings such as ”Jemalong Station” at Forbes, and ”Benerembah Station” at Darlington Point. The students returned to the University with a renewed passion for the industry with one student saying, "When I first heard of the tour I had reservations because I thought I would be out of my depth. However, as the trip progressed I've realised how much I really know and could contribute. This has given me a real boost, and allowing us to mix with leading managers has helped us gain knowledge while supporting what we have already learnt.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) student Jessica Quick is putting bridles to the test this week in a project that compares the relatively new Bitless Bridle™ to the traditional bridle. “I’m interested to see the horses’ response to the different types of bridle to discover which is the most affective,” Jessica says. “I am using horses that are not yet broken-in and haven’t spent much time with a bridle.” A third year student majoring in equine business management, Jessica will test horse responses throughout the “breaking-in” process. “I’m hoping that the results will give me a clear indication of just how affective the new bridles really are. This is the sort of research horse trainers would love to know the answers to but just don’t have time to conduct themselves.” Jessica’s findings will be published on the CSU Rural Management website and in scientific literature.

Orange is getting greener with a grant worth $11 000 for tree replanting on the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Orange Campus and two neighbouring properties. Lecturer in Environmental Management and conservationist Cilla Kinross explained she was excited to receive the donation to fence the creek banks and plant native vegetation in the Summer Hill Creek catchment. “The funding is part of the Central West Catchment Management Authority’s Vegetation Incentive Program and the money is going to be channelled through the Summer Hill Creekcare. This is a local Landcare/Rivercare community group, of which CSU is a corporate member.  I’d love to see more local people join the Rivercare group – it’s fun and a learning experience at the same time. Activities include learning about the flora, fauna and history of the creek, as well as hands-on working bees to help improve the habitat of the creek.  We are also growing native trees, shrubs and grasses from locally collected seed, which is immensely rewarding.”

Mr Doug Stewart of the Bush Children’s Education Foundation of NSW will be attend his first Charles Sturt University (CSU) scholarship ceremony in Orange this Friday 18 May. He will pay special attention to the recipient of the inaugural scholarship, Emily Clapham, a Bachelor of Clinical Science student from Ilford, NSW, whose award recognises her top academic performances in the past year. Students from CSU’s School of Clinical Sciences will also be acknowledged at the ceremony with four scholarships awarded by GPlogic, an organisation supporting doctors in rural and regional areas. The 2007 ceremony will be one of the largest Orange has seen, with over 70 scholarships and awards being handed out on the day to students studying biomedical sciences, business and rural management.

While grain growers rejoice, a Charles Sturt University (CSU) livestock expert is warning recent widespread rainfall across New South Wales and Victoria brings risks as well as great benefits for pastoralists. Professor Kym Abbott from the CSU School of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences Wagga Wagga Campus says sheep flocks and cattle herds face the increased threat of parasitic infestation over the next four to six weeks as parasite larvae, that had lain dormant in the soil, move onto pastures. He is urging sheep and cattle producers to closely monitor parasite egg counts over the next few months to treat sheep if necessary but avoid the excessive use of drenches. Professor Abbott says sheep and calves in particular risk weight loss and scour from parasites such as Brown Stomach worm, Black Scour worm and Nematodirus which thrive after prolonged periods of drought.

Associate Professor in Pharmacy Practice at Charles Sturt University (CSU) Maree Donna Simpson has spoken publicly about the development of a new online program designed to support rural based health professionals during clinical placements. A member of the Australian Consortium for the Education of Preceptors (ACEP), Maree explained, “The aim of the program is to ensure pharmacy students gain high quality learning experiences in rural health care settings by adequately preparing rural pharmacy student supervisors.” CSU is one of four Australian universities that are part of ACEP. Supported by two Pharmacy Guild Federal Government grants the consortium developed and offers an online training program for pharmacy student supervisors. Successful award of a Rural Health Support Education and Training grant last year has allowed the consortium to extend the program to allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and audiologists.

Matt McNee is keeping his eyes on the ground as rain falls across NSW while he completes a PhD at Charles Sturt University (CSU) on cover cropping, where a crop is used primarily to cover and protect soil from water and wind erosion. With a background in farming sugar cane in Queensland, Matt is now at CSU’s Orange Campus observing the condition of soils on collaborating farms throughout NSW, including Orange and Wellington. “I’m looking at pure cropping and mixed farming properties with different soil types to discover whether the planting of crops intended for ground cover, as opposed to crops for grain yields, benefits the soil and increases efficiency of water conservation.” Matt hopes to discover how much cover is necessary to benefit soils in semiarid environments. “The objective is to adapt Australian farming systems in a semiarid environment to find the best cropping system and management options.”

Two new Charles Sturt University (CSU) scholarships will give postgraduate students the chance to achieve positive environmental change at Newcrest Mining’s Cadia Valley Operations near Orange. Cadia Valley Operations’ Acting Environment and Community Relations Manager Belinda Perry says the company is keen to collaborate with the University in restoration ecology. “Cadia Valley Operations is working with CSU on several projects involving operations, environmental assessments, rehabilitation research and the positive impact our work has on the local economy,” Ms Perry says. “We were delighted to offer two new $2 500 scholarships to areas that interest both our company and the local community.” With research topics covering biodiversity of soil biota in topsoil stockpiles, and metal uptake by vegetation in a mine rehabilitation area, the recruited candidates could start their year of research study and intensive field work as soon as August 2007.