Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Creative Ecology: Art’S Role In Addressing Environmental And Sustainability Issues In Australia, Michael Meade

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Art has embodied the relationship between humans and the natural environment throughout the ages. As this relationship changed, many artists began to address concerns about the ways humans interact with nature. Today, more than ever, there is a need for channels of communication to address the major environmental and sustainability problems of our time. This study examines how art is influenced by environmental and sustainability concerns and the ways in which it responds to such concerns. By investigating how artists, community organizations, festivals and other initiatives encourage public awareness about environmental and sustainability issues, the study explores art’s role in …

The Role Of Zoos In Creating A Conservation Ethic In Visitors, Elean Kazarov

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research project addresses the role of zoos in creating a conservation ethic in their visitors, with a focus on Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. The zoo educates visitors about animals, species, and habitats as well as conservation and threats to biodiversity. Interactive exhibits encourage the visitors to reflect upon the relationship between humans and animals and humans and nature, as well as solidify the zoo experience in the visitors’ minds. By providing an entertaining experience, the zoo renders visitors more receptive to conservation messages. Other messages increase respect for animals, species and habitats. Individual connections with animals are facilitated …

Post-Fire Demography Of A Dry Eucalypt Forest In The Midlands, Tasmania: A Pilot Study, Christine Urbanowicz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

There have been many efforts to regenerate the threatened and declining dry eucalypt forests found within the Midlands of Tasmania. This pilot study was completed as part of a larger research project on eucalypt regeneration. Researchers need to know where recruits are most successful in order to appropriately place regeneration microsites. I have begun characterizing the baseline demography of a recently burnt remnant forest. I had two objectives: 1. to characterize the stand structure where recruits are successful, and 2. to describe where the recruits are within this structure. Data on location, size, and life history stage of trees were …

Conceptions Of Wilderness In Tasmania, Sam Adels

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With this project I set out collect and compare different conceptions of wilderness from individuals on all sides of the ongoing wilderness protection versus forestry debate in Tasmania. I purposed to share the results with all parties to bring them together to cooperate and work towards wilderness protection and sustainable forestry for the future of Tasmania. I spent 5 weeks in April and May of 2008 researching the history of the concept of wilderness as well as Tasmanian wilderness issues. I interviewed 11 subjects, involved in the wilderness versus forestry debate in many different arenas, including forest ecologists, wilderness academics, …

Storybooks: A Teaching Tool For Sustainability, Amanda Medress

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

If today’s children learn to make decisions with the environment in mind, tomorrow’s future will be cleaner, greener, and energy leaner. Storybooks, which are a creative and imaginative learning tool, can influence children to pursue sustainable lifestyles. Early education through literature can help green decisions be the default mode for the next generation.

This project has two components. The first is to produce research on the following question: what kind of storybook instills environmental regard and motivates sustainable behavior? The second is to produce a children’s adaptation of Greeniology, a green living guide by Tanya Ha, which utilizes the findings …

Why Logging? A Value Assessment Of Forestry Uses In The Huon Forest District, Ryan Bailey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Huon Forest District comprises 762,800 hectares of forests in southwest Tasmania, with 128,900 hectares of that total designated as state forest managed by Forestry Tasmania. These forests are used primarily for wood production, although tourism, carbon storage, leatherwood honey and the specialty timbers industry are competing for access to these forests. This study examines the socio-economic values of these uses and determines whether the Huon Forest District is being utilized efficiently.

To accomplish this, an extensive literature review of past research was conducted. This information supplemented 7 semi-structured interviews that were conducted with experts from the forestry industry, tourism …

Ecosystem-Based Fishery Management In South Australia And Victoria, Rebecca Devries

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The detrimental impact from fishing on various species as well as on the overall ecosystem has increased so much over the years that the Australian fishing industry is currently in jeapordy. Scientists, fishery managers, government agencies, industry, and environmental organizations have therefore been actively developing and researching management strategies focused on finding a balance between fisheries and the ecosystem. A new holistic and promising approach, ecosystem-based fishery management, invested in ecological sustainability and the recognition of the critical interdependence between human well-being and ecological health, is currently proposed as the best solution for fishery management.

This paper will consequently investigate …

Antipodean Inscapes: Reflection Of The Land As A Young Man, Michael Kantor

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The following paper contains a stand-alone piece of creative travel writing. ‘Cloud Juice’ is based on my interpretation of the experiences of the Fall 2006 Australia: Sustainability and the Environment semester. As it is my own personal interpretation it should not be placed in the category of non-fiction. Instead I have tried to write a story that presents the tone of my experience as honestly as possible, rather than simply telling the unbiased facts of the semester. My reason for writing this is to experiment with alternative methods of communicating the growth of an ecological ethic. By focusing on the …

Interpreting Nature In Australia Through Poetry: A Personal Anthology Written Within The Erosion Caldera Of Northern New South, Kyla Allon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My Independent Study Project (ISP) involved traveling within the erosion caldera of northern New South Wales, mainly WWOOFing (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) and writing environmental poetry about the places where I lived and worked. I began by researching past Australian environmental poets so that I could have a strong basic understanding before commencing my own writing. I lived in four different locations within the erosion caldera and strove to form a strong sense of place that is reflected in my poetry. Ultimately, I produced an anthology of poems that capture my responses to the natural environments that I experienced. …