For the occasion, Professor Pretorius chose a tie from his native Africa, one he hasn’t worn in more than 15 years.

“She is a person who observes everything.  It took her only half a second to say, ‘you are wearing an African tie,’” Professor Pretorius said.

After a photo op, the pair made their way to Macquarie Theatre for Dr Goodall’s lecture on how people – particularly youth – can help contribute to a more sustainable future.

As she greeted the sold-out crowd of nearly 500 guests, Dr Goodall spoke in a language very familiar to her – that of the chimpanzee. Luckily for the audience, she also provided the translation of the traditional greeting shared among the animals with whom she is so familiar.

“This is me. This is Jane.”

The world-renowned activist now travels 300 days a year at 83 years old to speak to audiences around the world with her message of conservation and hope.

“If there was one person who has had an impact on people worldwide – millions if not billions of people – it is Dr Jane Goodall,” said Professor Pretorius. “It must be very rewarding to have that kind of career and positive impact worldwide. It’s an honour to have her on the Macquarie University campus – we share the same goal of contributing to a more secure planet and resilient society.”

Staff and students at Macquarie were thrilled to see Dr Goodall in person, and many participated in the competition to win free tickets for the lecture. Five staff members and 10 students received tickets for their winning responses about what conservation means to them.

Winning staff members included Georgette Roumanos, Elaine Ren, Kathryn Whittingham, Stephney Whillier and Shelley Broadbridge.

“Jane Goodall is such an amazing person with the most interesting life experiences. Her humble and inspiring approach to nature and nurture and conservation is so grabbing. The crowd was so encapsulated by her and the discussions,” says Georgette from Professional and Community Engagement (PACE).

“She was wonderful to listen to – I could have sat there all evening listening to her experiences. The world needs more Jane Goodall’s fighting for it, and the Roots & Shoots program gives me hope that the foundation is being set for a whole generation of passionate, engaged environmental warriors to continue her work,” added Shelley from the University’s City Campus.

The lecture was also live-streamed to university viewing hubs around Australia to engage university supporters across the continent – a first for the Jane Goodall Institute Australia (JGIA) and an innovation for the Jane Goodall Institute worldwide.

“What inspired me on the night was seeing young people from Macquarie University and JGIA working together: our National Youth Leaders, Centre for Environmental Law volunteers, and Media PACE interns. They are exceptional individuals who are continuing Dr Goodall’s legacy in the spirit of her most beloved initiative, Roots & Shoots,” said Associate Lecturer and JGIA Board Director Zara Bending.

How to get involved

• Start a Roots & Shoots project by emailing Dr K-Lynn Smith, a researcher at Macquarie.
• Learn more about the Jane Goodall Institute Australia.
• Follow Roots & Shoots Australia on Facebook.

Macquarie Law School Associate Lecturer, Zara Bending says the evening with Dr Goodall will focus on the role that both young Australians and those who teach and facilitate their academic development can play towards nurturing a sustainable future.

“Dr Goodall’s Roots & Shoots approach to youth-driven conservation has inspired actions to benefit Animals, People and our shared Environment (APE) in more than 100 countries,” Ms Bending says.

“The evening will feature a lecture from Dr Goodall and presentations from the Roots & Shoots Australia National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC).”

“Those attending can also suggest a question for Dr Goodall to answer on the night.”

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Sakkie S Pretorius, says Macquarie University is proud to welcome Dr Goodall to its campus.

“Dr Goodall’s lifetime work protecting our environment and the wonderful species within it is an inspiration and is directly aligned to Macquarie’s vision to be a leading institution for ensuring a Secure Planet and Resilient Societies,” Professor Pretorius says.

“For our University to have an evening with her is an exceptional opportunity to learn from one of the world’s leading thinkers.”

The exclusive Dr Goodall / Roots & Shoots Australia NYLC evening is on Wednesday 21 June, 7pm at the Macquarie Theatre.

It will also be beamed live from the theatre to venues across Australia, including the ANU, UQ and Murdoch University.

Follow the link for more information and to book tickets.

DBE: British Honour – Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

One of the highest honours in Australia in the Earth Sciences, the Anton Hales Medal, has been awarded to our very own Associate Professor Juan Carlos Afonso for his distinguished research contributions to his field.

The early-career award is offered by the Australian Academy of Science to researchers who are within 10 years of completing their PhD and are Australian residents or have conducted most of their research in Australia. Juan, who originally hails from Argentina, received the award for his research exploring and improving our understanding of the internal constitution of the Earth and plate tectonics.

“When I found out I had been selected for the 2017 Anton Hales medal, two thoughts came immediately to my mind. First, I wanted to thank all the people that helped me during my career and therefore contributed to this achievement; this award is not only for me, but for all of them as well. Second, it made me reflect on my personal path to become a scientist and all the sacrifices I had to make. This sort of recognition makes it all worthwhile,” said Juan.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Sakkie Pretorius says that Juan’s research into the mechanical and geochemical interactions that affect tectonic processes is a powerful example of research with global impact.

“As a world-leading research-intensive university, we have a responsibility to produce knowledge and solutions that help communities remain resilient in the face of natural disasters and long-term hazards. Associate Professor Afonso’s research is a prime example of this, having aided our understanding of the nuances of Earth’s tectonics and increasing our insights into the internal constitution and dynamics of the Earth’s interior.”

The Anton Hales Medal honours the contributions of the late Professor Anton L Hales FAA to the Earth Sciences. Learn more.

Here, Sophia Aharonovich, PhD student in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, talks about her time on board an international drilling vessel, collecting samples that reconstruct past climates to inform future climate modelling.

I find the correlation between human evolution and climate change fascinating; by using small pieces of information preserved in sediments, we can recreate a full picture of the environment thousands of years ago.

After studying pollen grains and phytoliths (silica remains of plants) in soil during my Masters in Archaeology at the University of Haifa, Israel, I discovered that it is possible to reconstruct past climates using organic molecules preserved in soils and rocks, going back not thousands, but millions of years.

One of my favourite parts of my PhD research at Macquarie University was the 60 days I spent on-board the JOIDES Resolution, an international scientific drilling vessel, for the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition in the Arabian Sea last year. The JOIDES Resolution has a fully equipped coring facility and laboratory.

I was on-board as an organic geochemist and was the only Australian among 30 scientists from a mix of languages and cultures and at different career stages. We all had something in common – a passion for science. We worked hard during our 12 hour shifts and had a lot of fun in between. Some of us saw 60 sunrises over the Indian Ocean and some saw 60 sunsets. We left the JOIDES Resolution as good friends and research collaborators. We collected samples in seas 3.5 km deep and drilled down over one kilometre into sediments and rocks that were dated to more than 13 million years old. We discovered signs of correlation between uplift of the Himalayas and changes in the summer monsoon intensity, a weather period that currently impacts 70 per cent of the world’s population.

With a better understanding of past climate changes and human influence on the planet, we can predict future climate changes. In my Macquarie Minds session, we’ll explore the geological evidence of past climate change episodes, their correlation with global patterns of extinction and the rise and fall of civilisations, as well as impacts on human technological evolution.

Register for Sophia’s session Is Climate Change Really Much Ado About Nothing?, as part of the Macquarie Minds Showcase 13-14 December 2016. Dr Kira Westaway, Professor Simon George and Professor Michael Gillings are also participating.

“Climate scientists are the most peculiar scientists in the world, because we wake up every day hoping that we’re wrong.”

On this week’s episode of the Pioneering Minds podcast, we speak to Distinguished Professor Lesley Hughes about being a voice of climate change, the current nature of public and scientific debate, and the most effective ways to communicate climate change messages.

Listen to previous Pioneering Minds episodes on Soundcloud.

Arguably the longest, most impressive and complex rock art sequence anywhere in the world can be found in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Dr Kira Westaway from the Department of Environmental Sciences worked alongside researchers from the University of New England and the University of Wollongong, as well as Aboriginal Traditional Owners based in Kandiwal and Kalumburu, on the collaborative Australian Research Council project which aimed to date the art of this region.

The story has made headlines around Australia, and Dr Westaway has also been interviewed by international editions of National Geographic. Here’s what the media are saying:

Interested in seeing how Macquarie University is being reported in the media? Sign up for the Daily Media Report by emailing communications@mq.edu.au.

It stands to reason in a healthy environment that prey should always vastly outnumber the predators that eat them. But an international study has found that sometimes, even in the most untouched environments on the planet, the food pyramid can be turned upside down.

Led by Macquarie’s Dr Johann Mourier, a research team has discovered that a population of reef sharks in French Polynesia has tipped the local food pyramid on its head, thanks to prey delivering themselves straight onto the sharks’ dinner plates.

Under normal conditions, the sharks would actually have been starving, because food is scarce around their location. But for some reason spawning aggregations (breeding groups) of fish from other reefs were directly delivering themselves to the sharks.

“We noticed the massive number of sharks in this channel, especially gray reef sharks, and questioned how such a large number can be maintained and where they find their food,” Mourier says.

“We have to recognise that predator and prey interactions are very complicated mechanisms to understand and our next project will focus on doing the same type of study in different reefs with different levels of exploitation of fish aggregations.”

Johann – a French native – says he has been interested in sharks since he was young.

“The first time I saw a shark was in an aquarium and I have been intrigued by these animals leading me to learn more about them,” he says. “Their bad reputation also pushed me to better understand sharks and devote my life to  increasing our knowledge on their ecology and behaviour.”

Macquarie is taking part in a new $10 million-dollar research consortium that will help drive the movement to greener, more liveable cities.

Led by Professor Michelle Leishman, the consortium will see Macquarie collaborating with Western Sydney University, the New South Wales Government and Horticulture Innovation Australia. Both Dr Linda Beaumont and Dr Rachael Gallagher from Macquarie have also assisted with this proposal.

As a plant ecologist, Professor Leishman works with colleagues and industry to raise awareness of the fundamental importance of plants, the benefits they provide and to help drive the movement to sustainable green cities.

“There is increasing evidence that green space is not only important for people’s well-being, but it is important for reducing the effects of air pollution and extreme heat effects, as well as having significant biodiversity values,” Professor Leishman says.

“If we can find ways to enable more green space in our cities, then it is a win for people.”

Developed through Horticulture Innovation Australia’s Green Cities fund, the extensive research project is expected to be completed in 2021. It will deliver a host of outputs including new research on plant water efficiency and heat stress, case-study demonstration sites and a website which makes it easier to select plant species across the country based on future climate predictions.

Professor Leishman says urban researchers and plant ecologists have a key role to play in better understanding which, where and how urban plants can best provide health, wellbeing and liveability outcomes both now and in the future.

“Increasing urban greenspace is not just a matter of more trees and more plants, we must be strategic in what we plant, and where we plant,” she says.

“This research will ensure that urban plantings take into account the aesthetic value of different plants, their performance in urban environments, their suitability for different types of environment in cities, and their capacity to cope with climatic changes in the future.”

Professor Leishman says it is important to spread the word that there are alternatives to concrete jungles, that we can create green liveable cities that improve people’s lives, and that green liveable cities can be the default rather than the exception.

There may actually be some benefits for a male praying mantis who gets eaten by his female mate, a Macquarie University study has reported.

“Our study found that praying mantis sexual cannibalism – where the female eats the male after they mate – actually allows the father mantis to have a greater biological influence over a higher amount of eggs,” explains Dr Kate Barry from the Department of Biological Sciences, an author of the paper.

The researchers reported that a female mantis who decided to snack on a male after mating with him would produce an average of nearly 51 more eggs than a female who decided not to partake in a mate-meal. They also found that the males who fell victim to sexual cannibalism actually had a larger biological influence over their offspring compared to males who only mated and were not eaten.

“When a female ate a male after a mating event, she was found to have around 17.7 per cent more of his biological material in her reproductive tissues, including her eggs and ovaries, than a female who only mated and did not cannibalise her mate,” says Kate.

The findings, the researchers say, provide evidence towards why sexual cannibalism may have evolved in praying mantis species. They note, however, that further research needs to be done in order to find out whether males may opt for a sexual cannibalism scenario compared to a situation where they live to mate another day.

“The cannibalism process not only allows a male to have more biological influence over his offspring, but also means that male could potentially fertilise more eggs from that female. Whether this is a mating strategy remains to be seen, although we can speculate that things like mate availability and the success of a single mating event might affect this,” concludes Kate.

A new research project led by Dr Michelle Power from the Department of Biological Sciences has found that human sewage disposal in Antarctica presents a risk of introducing non-native bacterial species, specifically E. coli, into endemic Antarctic wildlife, potentially affecting its diversity and evolution.

Published in the Journal of Environmental Pollution and funded by an Australian Antarctic Science Grant from the Australian Antarctic Division, the research has detected E. coli genes in seals, penguins and invertebrates that are commonly associated with E. coli from humans.

“Some of the identified E. coli strains that we have detected in seals are known to cause disease in humans and birds. Antibiotic resistance genes, currently a major global issue, were discovered in many of the E. coli strains we tested. The antibiotic resistance genes were not detected in penguins or seals but were found in an Antarctic shellfish species which filters the water for its food,” said Dr Power.

The study, performed at Davis Station – one of four Australian Antarctic stations – included the collection of marine sediments at various coastal points within a 10 kilometre radius in addition to faecal samples from southern elephant seals, Adelie penguins and Weddell seals. Divers also collected heart urchins and Antarctic soft-shelled clam as part of the study.

“With more than 30 nations operating in Antarctica, and around 4000 people living in Antarctic research stations during the summer months, the potential impact of their presence to the surrounding ecosystem cannot be underestimated,” continued Dr Power.

Guidelines currently in place for treatment of sewage, established by the Antarctic Treaty system, allow research stations to dispose of untreated sewage directly into the sea – within certain parameters. With most research stations located on the coast of Antarctica, the research provides scientific evidence to support development of improved regulations for human waste disposal.

“There is currently no acceptable measure of impact of untreated sewage disposal in Antarctica and I would argue that simple genetic tools can, and should be used to determine the extent of gene pollution across Antarctica,” concluded Dr Power.