Work has been conducted on the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Farm in Wagga Wagga to improve the space for native fauna and flora. Earlier this year, CSU signed what is known as an incentive Property Vegetation Plan with the Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) as part of the CMA’s Climate Change Corridors Project. Under the plan, two native vegetation corridors have been created on the University’s farm. Between May and July, preparation works were undertaken at the two sites including ripping of the ground to allow water to penetrate deep into the soil profile and to enable adequate root development, the spraying of weeds along the rip lines and the construction of hundreds of metres of new fencing to prevent stock from trampling the new plantings. Then in mid-August, approximately 3 500 native trees and shrubs were planted in the two corridors. Acting Energy Manager at CSU, Mr Chris O’Connor said, “As these plants establish themselves over the coming years, these native vegetation corridors will significantly enhance local biodiversity. They will also support Charles Sturt University’s target of having 20 per cent of our land allocated to biodiversity by 2015.”

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) history researcher will address a meeting of local and family historians in Coonabarabran, NSW, on Saturday 22 October as part of his nationwide quest to locate relatives of Australian miners who went to the Klondike goldfields in remote north-west Canada at the end of the 1800s. “My talk is mainly about David MacGregor, a ‘Klondike Stampeder’ known to have come from the Coonabarabran area, who is quite possibly the grumpiest Australian who went to the Klondike,” said Dr Rob McLachlan, an adjunct senior lecturer in history at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at CSU in Bathurst. “MacGregor has left us a remarkable account of his Klondike experiences in letters he wrote from Canada to family and friends,” Dr McLachlan said. “In them he displays a strong prejudice against Canadians and their country, yet he stayed on for 20 or so years. I hope the talk will reveal some present-day relatives who will come forward with more information about MacGregor. I would also like to hear of other Australians who may have gone to the Klondike.”

The largest group of staff from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will gather for Ride to Work 2011 at Bill’s Beans café on Wednesday 12 October. More than 15 staff members will leave their vehicles at home for the event. Lecturer from the School of Biomedical Sciences at CSU in Orange and bicycle enthusiast Dr James Wickham has organised local support for the event and is thrilled that other staff members will join him on what is his daily ride to work. “Charles Sturt University supports sustainability and, even though our offices are some of the furthest from the CBD, we have a large number of staff members who ride regularly to work in any weather conditions.” The group will leave Bills Beans café at 8.15am and plan to ride into the CSU front gate at 8.30am.

The FalconCam Project is reaching new heights with a family of Peregrines currently located in the water tower at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange. Three eggs recently hatched and every move the as yet un-named chicks make is being captured on cameras and the live footage can be viewed around the world. “Our website is receiving 950 to 1 100 visitors per day which is about seven times more than the normal daily average,” explains project coordinator Mr Scott Banks. “We have been receiving comments and well-wishes from around the world including Canada, USA, Netherlands and Poland.” A public screen and information was recently set up at the CSU Library 24-hour Learning Commons area. “There’s 24/7 nest coverage now thanks to the updating of software for the website.” Updating the software and the recent purchase of a new high definition camera has all been made possible from fundraising. “One of our biggest benefactors, the 30 Squadron Beaufighter Association will visit Charles Sturt University later this month so we can show them the project.”

Charles Sturt University (CSU) academic Dr Cilla Kinross will welcome the public to the first Wetland and Streambank Field Day on Saturday 22 October as part of her work with the Summer Hill Creek Care group and the Central West Catchment Management Authority (CMA). Topics will include identification of wetland and riparian, or stream bank plant species, frog monitoring, rehabilitation techniques and weed control.  “People will get the chance to get their hands dirty and help plant wetland species while learning about how and what to plant in the wetlands at their place,” said Dr Kinross from the School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences at CSU in Orange. Specialists will be on hand during the day to answer questions. The day will start at 9.30am with morning tea and run until 2pm.  Lunch will be provided and will have a ‘wetlands’ theme of duck soup and watercress salad plus a barbecue. “We encourage everyone to bring their gumboots and a hand trowel as it will be a hands-on kind of day.”  

The newly formed Orange Equestrian Club (OEC) will hold its first sporting event at the Equine Management Centre at Charles Sturt University (CSU) on Saturday 15 October. “We’d like to encourage the Orange community to join the Club,” said Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management student at CSU and OEC treasurer, Mr Dennis Kunz. “Orange has a strong equine presence and, with the establishment of this group, we hope to offer more competition and educational events for the community.” The OEC sporting day will include barrel racing, bending, flag racing, apple bobbing and an egg and spoon race. “It’s a fun way to let people know about the Club and to announce details of the OEC Dressage and Showjumping Clinic to be held on Saturday 19 November with internationally renowned instructor Ms Megan Joerg.”  

Educational ‘guru’ Mr Eric Frangenheim will aim to inspire local school teachers and education students at Charles Sturt University (CSU) to set up ‘thinking classrooms’ in their schools during two workshops being held today, Monday 10 October, at CSU. Based in Brisbane, Mr Frangenheim will bring over 25 years of teaching experience into the hands-on workshops which aim to introduce higher-order thinking into the classroom, especially for gifted and talented pupils. CSU education lecturer Dr Liisa Uusimaki first met Mr Frangenheim at a conference in Queensland, where she noted his hands on approach to helping teachers become better is “based on practical activities rather than traditional lectures. It is a real coup for CSU’s Murray School of Education to host Mr Frangenheim so he can pass on his knowledge, skills and experience to our first year middle school education students, as well as local teachers,” Dr Uusimaki said. Teachers guided by Mr Frangenheim have already implemented ‘thinking skills curricula’ in Australia, New Zealand, USA, the Republic of Nauru, Singapore and Papua New Guinea.

Regional health services will benefit when 20 students who have completed the three-year Bachelor of Nursing degree at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Dubbo are farewelled at a special morning tea on Monday 10 October. Ms Lyn Croxon, course coordinator for the Bachelor of Nursing in Dubbo, said “These 20 students are among a larger cohort of 122 students graduating from the School across the University this semester. The students have just returned to the campus after a four-week placement focussing on the transition to practice as a Registered Nurse, and they received invaluable support from the staff in the various hospitals in which they undertook their clinical placements. They are now are eligible to register with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority. While the recent clinical placements were in Dubbo, Bathurst, and Sydney, other placements at smaller facilities in the region over the past three years contributed greatly to the students’ education and understanding of the modern health system. The University thanks all the staff at these regional health settings for their support of our programs, as the clinical element is an integral component of the course.”

A morning tea to be held this morning, Friday 7 October, at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Albury-Wodonga will highlight how people can communicate their thoughts, needs and choices without speech. Speech pathology students in their second year of study at CSU will host the morning tea with a difference, where fellow students, staff and members of the public to learn how to communicate – and order scones, cakes, fruit and savouries - using simple sign language, cards, computers and even iPhones. Staged as part of International Alternative and Augmentative Awareness Month, the event coordinator and CSU lecturer, Ms Libby Clark, is encouraging people to join her students in the Gums Café on the Albury-Wodonga Campus between 11am and 12.30pm. “We wanted to hold a fun and practical event to expand the world of people who have little idea of how those with little or no speech communicate.  Often people are anxious when they meet someone who communicates differently.  We want people to know it’s not that difficult and to have some fun while they learn. You never know when this experience might come in handy,” Ms Clark said.