A Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic is spreading the message to schools for the need to conserve endangered habitats in the Murray-Darling Basin. Through new teaching resources primary schools in the Basin can follow the exploits of ‘Doctor Dave’, or Associate Professor David Watson from the School of Environmental Sciences at CSU. The video and audio package, reading book and worksheets for outdoor activities also involves pupils of Burrumbuttock Primary School in the southern Riverina. “The reading book follows the adventures of Murray, the Murray Darling Carpet Snake, Stanley, the Blue-tongue Lizard and Sammy, the Squirrel Glider. They are all endangered animals found in native yellow box grasslands, which once extended from southern Queensland, through western NSW and northern Victoria to eastern South Australia. These lands formed the basis for Australia’s eastern wheat-belt and were cleared for grazing and cropping. Now only five per cent of these woodlands remain untouched. The grasslands and the animals they house are threatened with extinction. It will be up to future land managers - the school children– to conserve the remaining examples of these precious habitats for future generations.”

A local group dedicated to improving educational and training opportunities for Indigenous people in Albury will meet for the first time at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga on Wednesday 19 October. President of the Albury Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG), Mr John Murray, said the meeting will allow educational leaders and community members to see CSU and what it might offer young Indigenous people. “For too long, many of our most capable people have not seen university as something they could do,” said Mr Murray. The group allows the local Aboriginal community to provide advice and discuss issues concerning the education and training of Aboriginal people. CSU Professor of Education, Bob Perry, said there were mutual benefits in holding the AECG meeting at the University.  “We already have many links through research and teaching with the local Aboriginal community and have a strong working relationship with the group. This event will also make Charles Sturt University more visible and attainable.” Around 25 people will attend the outdoor meeting in the David Mitchell Wetlands at CSU from 2pm on Wednesday 19 October, after a reception hosted by the Murray School of Education from1.30pm.

Bathurst residents are invited to a free screening of the documentary In the footsteps of the ancestors – Muslims Down Under, to mark United Nations Day in Bathurst on Monday 24 October. The screening is co-hosted by Charles Sturt University, Bathurst Regional Council and the Islamic Council of NSW, and is sponsored by the Bathurst Information and Neighbourhood Centre, and the Culturally Diverse Working Group. The documentary, directed by Ms Nada Roude, explores the ethnic, linguistic, cultural diversity and history of Muslims in Australia, and tells the stories of Muslim pioneers and their descendants, starting with the first interaction by Macassans from the Indonesian archipelago who travelled to northern Australia and traded with the Indigenous population prior to European settlement. The documentary screens at 6.30pm at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre. A reception and refreshments will be served from 5.30pm in the Centre’s Wattle Foyer.

Singer, songwriter and musician, Ms Holly Throsby will be the final writer-in-residence for 2011, at the Booranga Writers’ Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga Wagga. The Sydney-based artist has released five albums to date: On Night (2004); Under the Town (2006); A Loud Call (2008); a children’s album called See! (2010); and Team (2011). She joined Australian songwriters Sarah Blasko and Sally Seltman to form the group ‘Seeker Lover Keeper’ and their self-titled album was released earlier this year. Ms Throsby has been nominated for two 2011 ARIA awards, one for best children’s album and the other for best adult alternative album. While in Wagga Wagga, she will perform a free all-ages concert at the Museum of the Riverina’s Botanic Gardens site on Saturday 22 October from 1pm. Ms Throsby will also give a workshop for practising regional songwriters at the Booranga Writers’ Centre on Sunday 23 October at 2pm.

The role of a healthy diet in tackling the problem of childhood obesity is just one of the issues being discussed at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Nutrition Clinic, ahead of National Nutrition Week beginning on Sunday 16 October. The 2007-2008 National Health Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, found almost a quarter of Australian children aged 5 to 17 were overweight or obese. Accredited Practising Dietitian and Clinical Educator with the School of Dentistry and Health Sciences, Mr Shane Delves said a healthy diet is a key factor in addressing the issue and parents are important role models. “Eating a balanced diet containing fruit and vegetables, lean meats, whole-grains and good sources of dairy, along with good amounts of physical activity and minimising sedentary behaviours, are vital to the health of young Australians,” he said. The CSU Nutrition Clinic provides free, one-on-one advice about healthy eating and general wellbeing. It allows Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition and Dietetics) students at CSU to gain valuable experience in dietary consulting, under the supervision of an Accredited Practicing Dietitian.  

The impact of an increasing number of refugees on Australian communities will be discussed at a public forum being co-hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga on Wednesday 12 October. The forum, A Place to Call Home – The World’s Refugee Dilemma will hear from a number of experts, including representatives from the Refugee Council of Australia, the UN International Criminal Tribunal and World Vision Australia. They will speak on how to balance the needs of refugees and local communities, and recognise the skills refugees bring to these communities. They will also highlight the responsibilities of Australian citizens to refugees, and what we can do to help the global refugee problem. The speakers will address these issues at a public forum starting at 6pm in the Albury Entertainment Centre, Swift Street in Albury.

How to support girls to grow up with healthy attitudes towards body image and sexuality will be discussed at a public lecture in Temora on Tuesday 18 October 2011. Lecturer in philosophy and ethics at Charles Sturt University (CSU), Dr Emma Rush will give an overview of what researchers and experts have to say about the risks associated with the sexualisation of girls and explain the government’s response. “A generation ago we didn’t see fashion and gossip magazines, padded bras and cosmetics pitched specifically at the primary school market,” she said. “While sex appeal has been used to sell products for a long time, in the last decade or so imagery directly inspired by pornography has also become much more prevalent in fashion and advertising. The increasing pressure on girls to meet very narrow appearance ideals at younger and younger ages is of significant concern to experts in child health and welfare.”  The free lecture, Getting Real: Challenging the Sexualisation of Girls, will also identify resources for parents and professionals who work with girls. 

Final year business students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Bathurst will present business and marketing strategies to the marketing director of the Royal Australian Mint as part of end-of-session assessments this week. Mr Andrew Mashman, adjunct lecturer in marketing, communications, and project management from the University’s School of Business said students in the business strategy and the marketing strategy units in the Bachelor of Business (Management) and Bachelor of Business Studies will deliver group presentations to the Mint’s marketing director, Ms Felicity Mullens between 2pm and 4pm on Wednesday 12 October. The Mint’s market research manager, Ms Judith Steiner, will also attend. “The presentations by six teams will focus on presenting a high-level big-picture rationale about why The Mint exists, and how it can continue to exist in a world where the use of coins is dropping,” Mr Mashman said. “Bachelor of Communications (Public Relations) students from the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Bathurst will also deliver separate individual public relations presentations to CSU staff on what could be encountered in countries like Indonesia, China, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia and Burma. Many of the public relations challenges in the Asian region have to do with the operation of aid agencies, for example. The presentations help prepare our students for the continued and growing role of Australia in Asia, specifically in the communications and strategic management of stakeholders.”

Photography students from Charles Sturt University (CSU) are putting their creativity, skill and talent on display with an exhibition of large-scale photography at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery. f4 is the culmination of study for the  final year Bachelor of Arts (Photography) and Master of Arts Practice (Photomedia) students. Photography and digital imaging lecturer in the School of Communication and Creative Industries at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Mr James Holcombe said a diverse range of photographic styles and subject matter are on show. “This exhibition celebrates the accomplishments of all the students, and broadcasts their success to the wider community,” he said. Previous graduates of the CSU Bachelor of Arts (Photography) course have been successful in several national photographic competitions, including finalists in the National Photographic Portrait Prize.