The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is gearing up to host its much-anticipated 21st General Assembly and Scientific Symposium in Sydney August 31 - September 9. The overarching theme, "Heritage Changes," is a clarion call to examine the dynamic shifts shaping the 2020s and the pivotal role heritage plays in driving positive change and fostering a sustainable future. Find out more here.
It is our great pleasure to formally announce the appointment of Jane Powles as our CEO. Jane brings an impressive skill set, experience and background to the role, including executive leadership, policy development and advocacy in a range of for-purpose organisations. Jane comes with a strong passion for working collaboratively to drive change for a more just, equitable and sustainable world and is looking forward to supporting conservation efforts in the region.
After 2 years of teaching online, we are thrilled to once again be able to offer our field-based course on Applying the Conservation Standards.
From 12th -16th September 2022 we will be hosting conservation professionals from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific at the Katoomba Convention Centre for a 5 day intensive, collaborative learning experience in residence and in nature. Registrations of interest are now open, with enrolments closing at the end of July.
In late 2020, the Protected Areas Collaboration for Learning & Research (PAC) was established as a joint venture between the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute and the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. In 2021, The Nature Conservancy also joined the venture through a Memorandum of Understanding. A comprehensive update on the activities and initiatives of the PAC joint venture can be viewed here: https://www.bmwhi.org/protected-areas-collaboration
The Institute is pleased to support the release of the independent documentary ‘Mining the Blue Mountains’ by filmmaker James O’Connor, investigating mining pollution in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage area.
The film features Dr Ian Wright, a BMWHI research associate and WSU water scientist who has been studying pollution from mines and the related impact on waterways in the World Heritage Area for over ten years.
We are seeking to recruit an experienced Programs Manager to join our core team and oversee the Institute’s programs, manage existing research projects, ensuring the delivery of agreed outcomes, and work with the team to initiate new projects and apply for funding.
This is an ideal opportunity for someone interested in working with a diverse research network and taking an interdisciplinary approach to environmental issues.
An iconic Blue Mountains Swamp, home to the endangered Blue Mountains Water Skink and the Giant Dragonfly, is rapidly collapsing as a consequence of cost-cutting decisions made by the Roads and Traffic Authority in 2009.
The Swamp, in Bullaburra, has collapsed due to water run-off from the Great Western Highway. It has also been affected by contaminated water, as shown recently by the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute’s Swamp Monitoring program.
The second phase of our Blue Mountains Upland Swamps project is now underway.
A monitoring program has been implemented, equipment has been procured and installed, our citizen scientists have been inducted, the first official data collection expedition has been completed, and the first dataset has now been analysed. The development of an online decision support tool for assessing impacts and informing restoration efforts is also in progress.
The Institute has been awarded a grant of $130,000 from the Australian Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through their Bushfire Recovery for Wildlife and Habitat Community Grants Program.
The project will engage scientists and the community in conducting critical post-fire fieldwork in the Grose Valley region of the Blue Mountains, to inform remedial actions and preparations for future fire events.
In 2020, the Peter und Luise Hager Foundation in Germany gifted the Institute a generous €30k Euro donation to support our bushfire recovery efforts, monitoring and assessing the impacts of fire on flora and fauna in key areas across the Blue Mountains national park.
Knowing that there is still more work to be done, they have again supported us with another €10k Euro in 2021.
The Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute has initiated a project to engage youth across the Blue Mountains in citizen science. The project has been designed to be as fun and rewarding as possible for the youth participants, who are invited to explore their local environment and contribute towards scientific research by recording observations of flora and fauna on their mobile phones. By analysing the data collected, participants can better understand biological diversity and ecosystem dynamics.
BMWHI Director Dr Rosalie Chapple has been re-elected to the Executive Committee of the Australian Committee for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ACIUCN). BMWHI Chairman, Peter Cochrane, also remains on the Executive Committee as the incumbent IUCN Regional Councillor (Australia).
The Institute is a member of both the ACIUCN and the IUCN, and we are proud to be part of a global community working to protect important natural areas around the world.
2020 has been a challenging year for the Institute, dealing with catastrophic fires and their devastating effects on flora, fauna and entire ecosystems while also navigating the complexities of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, throughout these challenges, our volunteers, board members, associates, donors and partners have continued to come through for us, and it is because of their ongoing support and involvement that we have been able to keep going with our field work, education, research, and engagement programs throughout 2020.
