What is the impact of urban infill on biodiversity?
Thursday May 6th 2021
7:45 pm
Mawson Lecture Theatre
Earth Sciences
University of Adelaide
Prof Chris Daniels
CEO International Koala Centre of Excellence, Chief Strategic Adviser to Cleland Wildlife Park
Department for Environment and Water,
SA Government
Adelaide is a biodiversity hotspot --as one of only 15 in Australia, the region is home to an enormous variety of species. And many species are under threat from pest plants and animals, habitat loss and competition for space and resources. However, others are thriving, and successfully managing the transition to living with humans in an urban context. This talk will discuss the relationship between humans and nature in the city of Adelaide and introduce the developing discipline of urban ecology.
Prof Chris Daniels BSc (Hons), PhD, DSc, FAICD
Chris is Chief Executive Officer of the International Koala Centre of Excellence (operated by the Department for Environment and Water) and chief strategic adviser to Cleland Wildlife Park (Department for Environment and Water, SA Government). He is also Adjunct Professor of Biology in the School of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences at UniSA and Adjunct Professor of Zoology at Adelaide University. In July 2020 he was appointed Presiding Member of the “Green Adelaide” Landscape Board for the SA Government. He is also involved in many other environmental leadership activities focused on conserving wildlife and connecting people with nature.
Chris was educated in zoology at the University of Adelaide and the University of New England. Chris has held academic positions at the University of California, Flinders University and the University of Adelaide. His first Professorship was in Zoology at the University of Adelaide (appointed Dec 2005). He was also inaugural Director of the Barbara Hardy Institute at UniSA 2011-2014, and Head of Discipline of Geospatial and Environmental Science at UniSA 2008-2011. Chris’s leadership as Board Chair and organisational Director saw him appointed as a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors in July 2016. Chris was the presiding member of the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges NRM Board (Feb 2011-June 2018) and Chair of the Board of Nature Play SA from Jan 2016 to June 2018. He was presiding member of the Council of presiding members NRM (SA) (2012-2014). Chris was a member of the City of Marion Strategic directions committee (2011-2015), Deputy Chair Tall Poppies selection committee (2010-2015) and is currently a Governor of the World Wildlife Fund, and Patron of the Friends of Woorabinda, the Marine Discovery Centre and the SA Junior Field Naturalists Soc among many other community and science roles. Chris was a councillor of Nature Foundation SA 2016-2018. Chris was also Vice Chair of the SA Parks and Wilderness Board 2016-2019. From July 2018 Chris took over the directorship of Cleland Wildlife Park and was the inaugural chair of the International Koala Centre of Excellence Foundation based at Cleland (2014-2018).
Chris has published 9 books, 1DVD and over 250 scientific and community publications. Books include Adelaide Nature of a City (2005) and Adelaide Water of a City (2010). Awards for these books include the Whitley Award, and awards from the Planning Institute of Australia, Stormwater Industry and Australian Institute of Landscape Architects. Other award winning books include The Possum-tail Tree, The Fearsome Flute players, and Guide to Urban Wildlife. Chris has supervised 16 PhD students. He was on the Editorial Board of the Journal Physiological Zoology from 2003-2011. Chris has held fortnightly sessions on 891 ABC Radio 2002-present, and has run “Citizen Science” initiatives with the ABC between 2007 and 2015. Chris won the South Australian Premiers Science award for communication (2007) and the Medal for natural history from the Field Naturalists Soc SA (2010). Chris gave the CONASTA oration on citizen science at the Australian Science Teachers Conference in 2014. He received a Doctor of Science (DSc) from Adelaide University in 2019.
If you wish to attend it is essential to arrive early to sign in due to COVID
We hope to be able to Zoom the meeting but at this stage it can’t be guaranteed. If attendance via Zoom is available the link will be emailed to members.
