Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will have a bigger-than-usual footprint at this year’s Australian National Field Days when it unveils its larger outdoor site. The University has traditionally had a stand in the education pavilion at the annual event, but School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences academic Ms Shevahn Telfser said this year’s larger stand would provide space for interactive demonstrations including a horse skeleton which visitors can help assemble and a display of common and not-so-common fruits and vegetables for visitors to name. “This year we want to engage visitors with fun, educational activities they can complete to earn their visitor’s bag,” Ms Telfser said. “The Field Days help show school-aged visitors what Charles Sturt University can offer them and demonstrates our continuing commitment to agricultural science and business degrees on the Orange Campus.” The Australian National Field Days will run from Tuesday 16 October to Thursday 18 October at Borenore, near Orange, NSW.

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is one of the most significant advancements in our understanding of the natural world, according to the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Nick Klomp. “This breakthrough in scientific understanding still affects many facets of modern life, despite first being published 150 years ago.” CSU will lead the regional scientific communities in celebrating Darwin’s 200th birthday during the week commencing Monday 9 February. Professor Tom Frame in Canberra can discuss Darwin’s life and travels in Australia, including his visit to Bathurst, and his influence on society, while Professor Ben Bradley in Bathurst can discuss Darwin’s seminal work, On the Origin of Species, which was published in 1859. CSU scientists will also be available on the University’s Bathurst and Orange campuses to discuss how Darwin’s theories have influenced their work and the modern world, including Professor Frank Marino and the role of evolution in being able to run faster and longer and Professor Geoff Gurr on evolution and insect management.

For those with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background who are interested in attending university, Charles Sturt University (CSU) has launched a new program which will make the university experience more attainable. CSU’s Indigenous Student Services has introduced a new skills assessment program called Darrambal. “Darrambal means ’footmarks’ or ’roadway’ and is used here to represent the lifelong journey of learning we all travel,” explains CSU’s Indigenous Student Services manager, Mr Ray Eldridge. “The program assesses each person’s skills, abilities and potential to succeed in their preferred course of study. Students who successfully the complete Darrambal program may be offered a place at Charles Sturt University to study their chosen course.” Any person who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may attend. “This is the perfect program for anyone who would like to study at university but are not sure if they satisfy the usual entry requirements.”

Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) lawn bowls team has claimed its second consecutive national title, winning gold at the Australian University Games (AUG) in Adelaide. CSU’s University Team Manager, Mr Nik Granger, said the team had won five of its seven pool games to qualify third for the playoffs behind the University of Western Australia (UWA) and the University of NSW (UNSW). “We lost to both UWA and UNSW in the pool stage, but we beat UNSW in the semi-final and the team was confident it could knock over UWA in the final,” he said. CSU first earned a place in the top-tier of the AUG in 2009 and won a first division bronze in 2010 before taking the national lawn bowls title last year. Mr Granger said the past 10 years had seen a sharp increase in the standard of competition at the games, which were now Australia’s largest annual multi-sport event. “You’ve got Olympians, Commonwealth Games medallists and state and national representatives throughout the competition,” he said. “CSU had students from our Albury-Wodonga, Wagga Wagga and Bathurst campuses competing alongside several distance education students.” Meanwhile, CSU’s Ultimate Frisbee team was awarded the ‘Spirit of the Games’ award, as voted by all 25 teams competing in the sport.

A passion for horticulture has earned Charles Sturt University (CSU) student Mr Timothy Whitehead the Australian Institute of Horticulture (AIH) Student of the Year award for 2010. The award is open to students aged under 30 who are currently studying a nationally recognised horticultural course. “Each applicant had to submit an overview of their study and a motivation of what they would contribute to the industry in the future,” said Mr Whitehead. Having worked in the industry for seven years before studying the Bachelor of Horticulture at CSU, Mr Whitehead has a particular interest in vineyards and orchards. “In my application I mentioned that I have an interest in microbiology applied to horticulture, improving irrigation methods, and using these two areas of development to aid food production in the developing world.” As part of his award, Mr Whitehead will represent the AIH as a student ambassador in 2011 while continuing his studies at CSU.

As families prepare for Christmas celebrations, with festive goodies such as candy canes, gingerbread and chocolate within easy reach, Charles Sturt University (CSU) Dental Clinic dentist Dr Ying Shi Chang asks parents to remember the importance of children’s teeth. “Holidays often mean lack of routine and the festive season is a time when people eat more sugar, more frequently, than at any other time of the year,” says Dr Chang. “That can cause serious problems for teeth unless sensible and straightforward steps are taken.” Dr Chang recommends limiting the number of times a day your child eats sugary treats or snacks between meals and avoiding soft, sticky treats that get stuck between teeth. “It is best to eat sugary treats at the end of mealtime while there is still plenty of saliva in the mouth, as saliva helps to wash away the sugars and acids. Drinking a glass of water after eating a sugary treat also helps.” Finally, always have your child brush and floss before going to bed. It is also suggested that parents book their children in for an annual check-up before the start of a school year.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) and Regional Development Australia (Central West) will host the Agribusiness Today 2012 forum highlighting opportunities for grain producers at the Forbes Services Memorial Club on Thursday 2 August. Dr Karl Behrendt, director of the Australasian Agribusiness Research Centre at CSU’s School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, said the forum’s focus is ‘Getting the pulse on cereals and oilseeds’. “Agribusiness Today 2012 is a free day-long forum to update central west grain growers and industry leaders about crop trends in the northern hemisphere and potential demand from Asia for their crops,” Dr Behrendt said. “Participants will hear from a range of experts from the CSIRO, Rabobank, NSW Department of Primary Industries, and others, as well as two international speakers from Argentina, Dr Roberto Peiretti and Ms Cintia Castagnino. Peak Hill farmer Mr Grant Byrne, who is the Conservation Farmer of the Year 2011, will also speak about resilience and adaptive cropping systems.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is taking a closer look at garbage as part of an annual environmental scorecard tracking resource use and greenhouse gas emissions from the institution. The scorecard is produced by CSU Green , and this year’s features more information about waste at the University. The report found almost 16 000 cubic metres of waste was produced in 2010 and more than 75 per cent went into landfill. Acting Manager of CSU Green, Mr Edward Maher, says in the past waste was viewed simply as a cost for the organisation. “A lot of hard work has gone into understanding more about where the waste is coming from and what types of materials it contains,” Mr Maher said. “From here there is real scope to implement avoidance, reuse and recycling initiatives that will ultimately result in less waste to landfill.”   CSU has set a target for 2014 to recover 70 per cent of its solid waste rather than send it to landfill. The environmental scorecard also shows that despite construction of new facilities, CSU’s greenhouse gas emissions are steady and water consumption is nearly half that used in 2006.

As part of an extensive research project driven by the Charles Sturt Universitys (CSU) Faculty of Education, regional and remote CSU Early Childhood and TAFE Diploma of Children’s Services students will attend forums this weekend in Griffiths and Parkes. Associate Head of School of Teacher Education at CSU in Dubbo, Dr Alison Lord, says the forums are part of a project that aims to build workforce capacity in Early Childhood Education and develop training pathways that are accessible and locally supported in these areas. “This project is a great example of how Charles Sturt University has collaborated with partners to create a valuable resource,” Dr Lord said. “Along with TAFE NSW Western Institute (WIT), TAFE NSW Riverina Institute (RIT), and Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Education (BIITE), CSU will hold public forums for students and volunteer mentors to discuss the wellbeing and rights of children who are part of inland and Indigenous education.” The project team plans to develop online resources for teachers studying and working in regional and remote Australia.