As regional cities slowly move into surrounding farms and bushlands, native animals such as the squirrel glider have become threatened by loss of suitable habitat. Charles Sturt University (CSU) wildlife researcher and Honours student, Mr Mitchell Francis, has found that better land planning in developing cities could help the survival of threatened species such as the squirrel glider. In a study of urban and rural environments on the northern edge of Albury at Thurgoona, Mr Francis found squirrel gliders, which live in tree hollows for nesting and foraging, preferred tall, large hollow bearing native trees where there was less urban noise, fewer roads, and less light pollution from human sources such as streetlights and houses. “I suspect that roads are barriers to the movement of squirrel gliders for foraging, and light and noise pollution from nearby developing suburbs are a threat to their persistence,” Mr Francis said. His supervisor, Dr Peter Spooner, noted that in much of eastern Australia, towns and cities are expanding into habitat which is critical for native fauna. “Knowledge of urban impacts on animals like the squirrel glider is important for town planners who are making decisions to approve urban developments on the edge of town and cities.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Winery will launch a new-look series of labels for its Charles Sturt and Reserve ranges at CSU in Orange on Wednesday 30 October. CSU Winery Marketing Manager Mr Justin Byrne said the new labels reflect the University’s history and spirit of exploration. “The labels feature the rivers of regional NSW, the Macquarie, the Murray, the Murrumbidgee and the Darling,” he said. “It was the explorer, Charles Sturt who first traced the Murray and the Murrumbidgee, and those journeys are also represented on the labels.” Mr Byrne said. Charles Sturt University Winery had been making wine, and winemakers, for more than 35 years. “We own and operate two vineyards, growing warm climate varieties in Wagga Wagga and cool climate varieties in Orange, and also work with growers in other regions. We have two production facilities in Wagga Wagga; a commercial winery producing our three product ranges and an experimental winery producing our student wines.” CSU staff and local business people will attend the launch event and the new labels will be on shelves throughout NSW and Victoria in the coming months. Read more on CSU News here.

Researchers at Charles Sturt University (CSU) are seeking male smokers aged 18 to 50 years in the NSW central west to participate in two smoking and exercise studies. The first study consists of four sessions involving smoking or exercise conditions; the second study involves a 14-week exercise training and smoking reduction program. Ms Tegan Kastelein, a PhD student from the School of Human Movement Studies CSU in Bathurst said, “The purpose of the research is firstly to examine the cerebro-vascular and inflammatory responses to both cigarette smoking and exercise, and secondly, to examine the effects of a 14-week exercise training and smoking reduction program on disease risk in a smoker population. It is anticipated that the research findings will enhance our current understanding of the effects of tobacco smoke, the role of exercise in reducing disease risk, and provide the community with alternative methods for smoking reduction and/or cessation.” To find out more about the research and exercise program, please contact Ms Kastelein on (02) 6338 6101 or send an email to: tkastelein@csu.edu.au.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Winery will launch a new-look series of labels for its Charles Sturt and Reserve ranges at CSU in Bathurst on Tuesday 1 October. Marketing manager Mr Justin Byrne said the new labels reflected the University’s history and spirit of exploration. “The labels feature the rivers of regional NSW, the Macquarie, the Murray, the Murrumbidgee and the Darling,” he said. “It was the explorer Charles Sturt who first traced the Murray and the Murrumbidgee, and those journeys are also represented on the labels.” Mr Byrne said Charles Sturt University Winery had been making wine, and winemakers, for more than 35 years. “We own and operate two vineyards, growing warm climate varieties in Wagga Wagga and cool climate varieties in Orange, and also work with growers in other regions. We have two production facilities in Wagga Wagga; a commercial winery producing our three product ranges and an experimental winery producing our student wines.” CSU staff and local business people will attend the launch event and the new labels will be on shelves throughout NSW and Victoria in the coming months.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) Council has welcomed the appointment of three new highly successful alumni to its ranks. Mrs Jennifer Hayes from Albury-Wodonga is a former senior executive of the Mars Corporation, including as a senior financial executive in Asia Pacific and Europe.  Ms Saranne Cooke from Bathurst joins the Council from the energy sector and recently led a team working on energy sector reform in NSW.  Ms Cooke is also a Director of the Western Medicare Local.  Mr Jamie Newman from Orange is a member of a number of boards and committees, and is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Orange Aboriginal Medical Service. He is a descendent of the Kalar tribe of the Wiradjuri nation.  The new appointees join current CSU alumni members Mr Angelos Frangopoulos (CEO of SkyNews Australia and Board Member of the Victor Chang Foundation) and Mr Peter Hayes (a Wine Industry Consultant who has held senior positions with the CRC for Irrigation Futures, CRC for Viticulture and the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation).  The Council also welcomed Mr Robert Fitzpatrick, an external independent appointee, who currently heads up the infrastructure, transport and logistics business with the National Centre of Excellence in ICT Australia and spent 7 years in global consulting for McKinsey in international business and technology. Under the leadership of Chancellor Mr Lawrence Willett, AO, the CSU Council has 15 members.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) dentistry student Ms Jessica Zachar has been recognised for her work raising awareness of rural health issues with a National Rural Health Leadership Award. Ms Zachar received the award from Future Health Leaders during the organisation’s Rural Health Leadership forum, held at CSU in Orange recently. Ms Zachar said she was delighted to receive the award. “I chose to study dentistry at Charles Sturt University because I am a strong supporter of the University’s motto ‘For the Public Good’,” she said. “It is my vision and goal to bridge the gap in oral health education and services for rural communities, not only locally but also nationally.” Ms Zachar was recognised for her involvement in the CSU Student Dental Association and its work, in partnership with the Carevan Foundation, to promote oral hygiene instruction to primary school children in regional and rural communities of New South Wales. “There is still a huge gap in the oral health education in our society,” she said. “Statistics show that by the age of six, 50 per cent of children will have tooth decay. This is quite alarming for a developed country and it is evident that the importance of oral health is undervalued and urgently needs to be addressed.” The first group of Bachelor of Dental Science students will graduate from CSU in Orange in December.  

A group of Bachelor of Clinical Science students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange are taking the pulse of the population on knowledge of cardiovascular disease. Third-year student, Ms Amika Bober, said the group was researching the level of knowledge about heart health to inform the development of educational materials on one of Australia’s biggest health threats. “We’ve got a short survey we’re asking people to fill in and we’ll collate the results and see where and how we could better inform people about cardiovascular disease,” she said. “It’s one of the most urgent health issues facing people right around Australia. What we want to do is measure what people in Orange know about it, so that we can develop specific materials to improve local health.” The students will be handing out surveys in Post Office Lane, off Summer Street, on Monday 23 and Thursday 26 September. “We’re not looking for donations and we don’t want to sign people up for anything,” Ms Bober laughed. “We just need two minutes of their time so we can do our bit to make sure Orange residents stay healthy for longer.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will host a very special graduation on Tuesday 3 September, when 60 primary school students don mortar boards as part of a Check It Out day. Year 6 students from Peak Hill Central School, Tullamore Central School and Trangie Central School will spend the day on campus participating in a selection of workshops to give them first-hand experience of university life. The Check It Out days are part of CSU’s Future Moves program, which aims to encourage aspiration for higher education among students in rural and remote NSW and Victoria. Future Moves coordinator Ms Tonya Graham said the students would engage in fun, interactive workshops involving nursing, human movement, biomedical science and botany. The day will wrap up with students dressing in graduation attire for a mini-graduation. “The program is directed at students who have the potential to succeed in tertiary education and who come from families with little or no experience of higher education,” Ms Graham said. “Events like the Check It Out days are a great way to start a conversation with students and their families about what options are available to them after school.”

Leading Charles Sturt University (CSU) ecologist Associate Professor David Watson is part of a vocal group of Australian researchers who fear our parks will become playgrounds for the rich rather than reserves for Australia’s endangered plants and animals. Professor Watson believes the central issue is the “current gross mismanagement of our national parks by States and Territories that runs completely counter to the entire rational of national parks. They are set to be used for drought relief fodder, mining, recreational shooting and increased recreational development in three states. This spells very bad news for ecological systems that are already teetering on the edge,” he said. His comments follow a joint letter by the group on The Conversation website, and support for their concerns by the federal Minister for the Environment, The Hon Tony Burke reported on Thursday 30 May.