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2024 Resilient Youth Report Finds Concerning Decline in Students Connection to Nature
The recently released 2024 Resilient Youth Report by WiLDLab reveals a concerning decline in students' connection to nature. For the first time, the report links this disconnection to student wellbeing, as highlighted by project lead and Environment Institute member Dr Mark Kohler.
'Steering Sustainability' a FAME Podcast
Join Professor Melissa Nursey-Bray and Dr Ariane Gienger as they dive into the complexities of building a sustainable future in their podcast, Steering Sustainability. Each episode features engaging conversations with leading experts, offering both sobering and hopeful insights into how we can create lasting positive change.
Looking back on WOMADelaide 2025
The Environment Institute presented The Planet Talks at the 2025 WOMADelaide Festival, held on Saturday, 9th March. Taking place at the Frome Park Pavilion, these thought-provoking sessions brought together inspiring speakers to discuss, collaborate, and spark positive change for the environment. Click to listen to both sessions now.
Urgent Call to Investigate Kangaroo Deaths on Fleurieu Peninsula
Associate Professor Wayne Boardman from the University of Adelaide has called for a thorough investigation into the recent deaths of kangaroos on the Fleurieu Peninsula, challenging assumptions that the cause is phalaris staggers and emphasizing the need to consider environmental factors such as toxins and climate impacts.
[Read more about Urgent Call to Investigate Kangaroo Deaths on Fleurieu Peninsula]
Creating Wasted Whey into Opportunity
New research found by Jack Hetherington from the Centre for Global Food and Resources, has discovered innovative ways to repurpose whey, a by-product of cheese production and one of the largest sources of food loss and waste in the Australian dairy industry.
Saving Urban Trees
Stefan Caddy-Retalic, an adjunct senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide’s Waite Arboretum and an Environment Institute member, comments on thw preservation of the iconic Overbury Drive red gum. He shares his knowledge in urban ecology, gaining attention from major media outlets like The Guardian, Yahoo News, AOL, and MSN.
Giant Spiders and the Secrets of Nullarbor
Environment Institute member Dr Jess Marsh, has become one of the first people on written record to encounter a Troglodiplura spider in the wild, a species as large as your hand and completely eyeless. We extend our congratulations to Dr Marsh as she begins her ARC Industry Fellowship at the University of Adelaide, focusing on the Nullarbor caves and the Troglodiplura species.
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The Urgent Need to Rethink Climate Economics
A new Australian study has found that traditional economic models significantly underestimate the global economic impact of climate change, particularly when considering extreme weather events and interconnected supply chains. Mark Lawrence, Environment Institute member and an expert in climate risk from the University of Adelaide, emphasises that the economic consequences could be even worse than projected.
[Read more about The Urgent Need to Rethink Climate Economics]
How Freshwater Transformed the Coorong's Microbial World
Environment Institute members Chris Keneally and Justin Brookes and their team have conducted groundbreaking research on how floods impact microbial communities in the Coorong Lagoon. Their study revealed that the 2022 flood not only reduced methane-producing microbes but also promoted beneficial bacterial growth, highlighting the vital role of freshwater flows in restoring ecological balance.
[Read more about How Freshwater Transformed the Coorong's Microbial World]
Are we witnessing a major setback for Australia’s nature protection laws?
A new bill introduced to Parliament seeks to limit the federal government’s ability to reconsider past environmental approvals, even when new evidence shows harm. The move is tied to ongoing salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, putting the endangered Maugean skate at further risk. Dr Phillipa C. McCormack, Environment Institute Future Making Fellow, explores the consequences in her piece for The Conversation, calling for urgent reform of Australia’s outdated environmental laws.
[Read more about Are we witnessing a major setback for Australia’s nature protection laws?]
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