Molecular ecologist Deane Smith will return to his home town of Glen Innes to share stories of outback travel, agricultural science and pest control research next week.
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The former Glen Innes High School student, who has since earned his doctorate in micro ecology, is now part of the Wildlife Research Group at the University of Southern Queensland.
He's currently studying the effects of cluster fencing on pest and wildlife animals, with an eye to using agricultural exclusion fencing for conservation purposes.
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"I've taken a particular focus on the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby, a threatened species from the semi-arid zone in central-western Queensland," he said.
"The hope is that the outcomes and methodology of this research can be applied this to a broader suite of species."
The GLENRAC event, the Adventures of an Outback Ecologist, is scheduled for the Glen Innes Service Club Wednesday January 15 at 7pm.
"I'm looking forward to coming back to my home-town and discussing wildlife management with people closer to my roots.
"My studies mostly take place in deserts and the semi-arid zone/rangelands, but there is a lot of overlap with the Northern Tableland."
He said he's also interested in hearing from local landholders about their experience with local wildlife management.
"Producers often know more about how wildlife systems work than they think, particularly on their own properties, and their understanding of those systems can be invaluable to researchers.
"Landholders and farmers can perform thousands of scientific experiments every year without even realising it, often thinking of them as management decisions."