Integration Research for Natural Resource Management in
Australia: An Introduction to New Challenges for Research Practice
Suggested Citation: Bammer, G., O'Connell, D., Roughley, A., & Syme, G. (2005). Integration research for natural resource management in Australia: An introduction to new challenges for research practice [Editorial]. Journal of Research Practice, 1(2), Article E1. Retrieved [date of access], from http://jrp.icaap.org/index.php/jrp/article/view/18/29
This special issue of the Journal of Research Practice focuses on integration research, also known as integrated or integrative research. Integration between disciplines and between research and practice is increasingly recognised as essential to tackle complex problems more effectively. But there is little to guide researchers about how to undertake integration research. This special issue provides a number of case studies of how integration has been approached and exemplifies the challenges facing researchers seeking to embed integration in both existing and new organisations and make it acceptable and respectable. Documenting these developments provides a unique illustration of how integration research is evolving as a type of practice.
The context is natural resource management in Australia. Researchers in this and other areas in the environmental sciences are at the forefront of developing integrative theory and methods, and Australian organisations are recognised leaders in implementing these developments. Other areas, such as public health, security studies, management studies, and studies focusing on geographical regions, such as South-East Asian research, are also building integrative expertise, but they are doing it independently, so that there is little overlap between different initiatives, let alone any coordinated development. Discipline-based researchers are also becoming more and more involved in thinking about how to synthesise their work with that of other disciplines, as well as how to make it more relevant to policy and other areas of application. Our hope is that this group of papers will form the nucleus of a wider discussion about integration research to guide the further development of this new research practice.
The papers were originally written for a symposium on Integration for Natural Resource Management held in Canberra, Australia in May 2004, but have been updated and revised following both discussion at the symposium and double-blind international peer review. The symposium also included policy and other practice perspectives, most of which are published in a supplementary issue of the Australasian Journal of Environmental Management (Bammer, Curtis, Mobbs, Lane, & Dovers, 2005), which is a companion to this special issue. The original symposium papers are available on CD free from http://www.lwa.gov.au/products.asp (enter Code: EC040735).
The symposium was hosted by Land & Water Australia, which has the following mission: To invest in knowledge, partnerships, innovation and adoption to underpin sustainable natural resource management (http://www.lwa.gov.au). There is a growing expectation that Land & Water Australia, as one of 14 rural research and development corporations in Australia, will fund research that will directly contribute to changed practices for managing land and water resources, which in turn will lead to an improvement in the condition of those resources. Integrative research practice is essential for linking research to policy and management in this domain.
The symposium was designed to bring together representatives from the research, management, and policy communities to share understandings of how to do integration, and, at a deeper level, of what integration actually means, and when and why it should be pursued. Stephen Dovers highlights these matters in his paper in this special issue (“Clarifying the Imperative of Integration Research for Sustainable Environmental Management”). This review of how integration is approached in natural resource management was originally a background paper for the symposium. Further reflection on these issues during the symposium led to the development of “Guiding Principles for Integration in Natural Resource Management (NRM) as a Contribution to Sustainability” (Bammer & Land & Water Australia Integration Symposium Participants, 2005), which cover: (a) the value of integration, (b) ways of thinking about integration, (c) approaches to integration, (d) realistic expectations of integration, (e) new institutions and networks for enhancing integration, and (f) funding for integration, all in the context of natural resource management.
The symposium was an unprecedented step towards consolidation and communication of approaches to integrated natural resource management. Most of the key papers focusing directly on integration research are included in this special issue. The papers represent a broad range of research styles, namely case studies, critical analyses, personal histories, and state-of-knowledge reviews. Alice Roughley and David Salt took an oral history approach to provide a retrospective overview of the challenges facing those who were single-handedly charged with integrating the social sciences into five major Australian organisations, which until then had taken a biophysical view of natural resource management (“Introduction of Social Sciences in Australian Natural Resource Management Agencies”). Not only were they expected to represent all of the social sciences, but they were also expected to integrate the different biophysical disciplines. One of those pioneers, Geoff Syme, provides a more detailed personal account of how his organisation, CSIRO, which is the largest research agency in Australia, has continued to grapple with the integration imperative (“Integration Initiatives at CSIRO: Reflections of an Insider”). This has involved the development of “flagship” research programs, fostering integrative “emerging science” areas, building informal teams in response to demand, and incorporating integration into the research management structure.
The next two papers examine how two organisations tackled the challenge of integration as part of their original mandate. Robert J. Wasson and Stephen Dovers chart the 30-year history of a pivotal case in Australia, the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at the Australian National University (“Integrative Research in the University Context: Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, The Australian National University”). They demonstrate the impossibility of including all necessary relevant disciplines under one roof and the tensions between disciplinary respectability and interdisciplinary relevance. The merits and disadvantages of large centre-wide projects and smaller efforts bringing together sub-groups of staff and students are also canvassed. The next paper (“Strategic Integration: The Practical Politics of Integrated Research in Context”), by Lorrae van Kerkhoff, explores a more recent key development: the Australian Cooperative Research Centre Program, which began in 1990. Cooperative Research Centres are natural science and engineering research organisations which bring researchers from different universities, government agencies, and the private sector together with research “users,” such as government, industry and community. They are mandated to be integrative, but given great latitude in how to achieve this. In her critical analysis, van Kerkhoff contrasts the processes used by two Centres and identifies three strategies for connecting research and application: (a) matching research program categories to partners’ implementation program categories, (b) reproducing existing integrative partnership models, and (c) filling gaps in understanding with new technical approaches. Which of these is chosen is, at least in part, influenced by political practicalities, namely the extent of stakeholder decision-making, sources of scientific credibility, and the political risks facing the partners. Van Kerkhoff argues that the “practical politics” of how research is organised offers a new lens for understanding both the practice and theory of integration research.
The two final papers emphasise methodological aspects of integration. Steven J. Cork and Wendy Proctor take us back to the work of CSIRO, examining a major project where CSIRO partnered with four other organisations (“Implementing a Process for Integration Research: Ecosystem Services Project, Australia”). This descriptive paper demonstrates how integration was enhanced by the concept of ecosystem services, in other words, benefits such as food, purification of air, stabilisation of soils, and spiritual inspiration, produced by an ecosystem. An important study outcome was the development and testing of a new integrative tool for participative research, which combined deliberative decision making with multi-criteria evaluation. This enables decision-makers to consider the best available information and to balance multiple, sometimes competing, values in a transparent and structured process. Finally David J. Brunckhorst makes an argument that a bio-cultural region or landscape is the main arena of human interaction with the environment, as it links multiple spatial and temporal scales of biodiversity with human uses and socio-economic imperatives (“Integration Research for Shaping Sustainable Regional Landscapes”). He highlights the importance and challenges of working at that scale and provides three brief case studies.
While each paper stands on its own, some readers will find a deeper understanding of the context useful; therefore we provide a brief overview of Australian environmental issues, government responses, and the natural resource management knowledge system.
Australia’s unique environment provides singular challenges for the management of its natural resources. A verse from Dorothea Mackellar’s poem “My Country” (1911) epitomises some of the greatest challenges:
I love a sunburnt country,Note. Excerpt reprinted from the Dorothea Mackellar Web site http://www.dorotheamackellar.com.au/ with permission of the Dorothea Mackellar Estate.
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror--
The wide brown land for me!
Australia is one of the largest and most ancient continents in the world. There has been little uplift or volcanic activity to rejuvenate the land surface in the last 125 million years, and this means that the land is generally very flat with comparatively few mountain ranges. The long duration of processes such as weathering and leaching have led to high concentrations of minerals (and hence mineral wealth) in rocks, but soils which are shallow, stony and high in salt. They are generally unproductive and fragile.
Australia is the driest inhabited continent, with a climate characterised by low and variable rainfall and high variable temperatures. The unpredictability from year to year is more extreme than in other continents--Australia is indeed a land of droughts and flooding rains. The drainage is in general very sluggish. In large parts of Australia the drainage never reaches the sea, but ends in inland lakes and evaporates leaving large salt pans. The country covers latitudes from 9 degrees South to 44 degrees South and has a very long coastline, providing a huge diversity in climatic drivers and therefore in terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. The continent has been isolated for a very long time, allowing the evolution of unique flora and fauna.
It is estimated that Aboriginal people arrived in Australia 60,000 years ago. The harshness of the land and the variable climate ensured that populations stayed small. There is strong evidence that Aborigines deliberately managed the land through the use of fire--and changed some of the characteristics of the land and ecosystems.
European settlers and convicts arrived in Australia in the late 1700s, and began to clear the land for agriculture, harness some major rivers for transport and irrigation, fish the seas and estuaries, build large coastal cities, and exploit the mineral wealth. The European settlers did not understand the nature of the Australian environment and there was a broad consensus of societal forces including government policy, incentive structures, and regulatory directives on farmers, which led to severe impacts on the land. These include salination of soil and water (becoming too salty to be economically viable for agriculture and pasture), erosion, and loss of native plants and animals through:
The intensity of land and water use has accelerated in the last 3-4 decades, with the long-term consequences only becoming starkly evident quite recently.
Of the current population of just over 20 million people, 80% live within 50 kilometres of the coast (Pittock, 2003), and approximately 65% live in metropolitan areas (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2004). The current pattern of land use, which reflects the major uses of natural resources, is shown in Figure 1. Around 60% of the Australian continent is managed for agricultural and pastoral production, however only 9% has a growing season of more than nine months, the period necessary for long season annual crops and perennial crops. Around 14% of the continent is managed by indigenous communities and a similar proportion is desert country with minimal use. Around 5% of the continent is in conservation reserves and a similar percentage is managed for forestry. Defence and mining lands, urban areas, roads, and water bodies comprise the remaining 2-3% of the continent (National Land and Water Resources Audit, 2002).
Figure 1. Land Use in Australia (National Land and Water Resources Audit, 2002)
The use of natural resources plays an important major role in the Australian economy. The Australian Gross Domestic Product is AUD 813.6 billion (2003-2004), which is ranked 16th by volume and 13th on a per capita basis in the world. The agricultural industry comprises 4.3%, and mining 5.1% of Gross Domestic Product (Wikipedia, 2005). These figures underestimate the real contributions and costs however, and there is currently a move towards “triple bottom line” accounting, which considers financial, social and environmental aspects. For example, Foran, Lenzen, and Dey (2005) have developed a framework which uses generalized input-output analysis of ten indicators (three financial, three social and four environmental) through the whole-of-lifecycles of 135 sectors of the Australian economy. This analysis shows, for example, that for each dollar of final demand, primary production (and its value-added food and fibre products) have greenhouse emission, and water and land disturbance intensities that are considerably above the average across all sectors. By contrast, the mining sector shows good financial and environmental outcomes, but poor employment and income levels for each dollar of final demand. This approach enables an integrated benchmarking comparison across the sectors, providing a different picture to standard economic assessment.
Overall, the uniqueness of Australia’s landscapes, climates, soils, plants, and animals means that, in the main, knowledge about management of natural resources cannot be imported. Australians have to develop their own solutions for their own problems. For agricultural production, in particular, other countries enjoy younger, richer, more forgiving soils with more reliable climate (Campbell, 2005).
Government incentives originally favoured land clearance and other environmentally destructive practices and these were exacerbated by farmers’ attitudes about their right to use their land as they wished, a view that productive (commodity-producing) land use was better than non-productive use, and that the resources were not a limit to growth (Cocks, 1992).
Direct evidence of negative impacts, especially resource depletion, and growing environmental consciousness has led to policies aimed at a more integrated system of managing agricultural land, rivers and estuaries. This is exemplified by the rise of the Landcare movement, which started as a grassroots initiative in the 1980s, and was strongly shaped and funded by government via the Decade of Landcare in the 1990s. In addition, there has also been widespread adoption of an Integrated Catchment Management framework by government, to build on the catchment approach to land management (e.g., Bellamy, Ross, Ewing, & Meppem, 2002).
The institutional and governance arrangements for natural resource management have become increasingly complex and dynamic because of the different levels of government involved, the level of public participation (through movements such as Landcare), and the range of legislative instruments and other structures.
Australia has a three-tiered system of government: the federal or national government, the governments of six states and two territories, and 722 local governments. Responsibilities for natural resource management are split between different agencies at these different levels. More recently, a regional tier of responsibility has also been introduced, where regions have boundaries which match natural biophysical boundaries, such as catchments (e.g., Bellamy et al., 2002; Reeve, Marshall, & Musgrave, 2002).
The Australian natural resource management knowledge system is complex. Starting at the formal research and development end of the system, there are around 40 organisations established and funded by the Australian (national) government charged with purchasing, managing or delivering various aspects of natural resource management science. This number is greatly increased when state- and territory- based universities and other organisations are included and expanded even further when non-government organisations and intergovernmental coordination mechanisms are added. In total, there are several hundred organisations managing formal, scientific natural resource management knowledge. The main funder is the Australian government (Campbell, 2005).
We also note that formal scientific knowledge is just one form of knowledge required for more sustainable management of Australia’s landscapes and natural resources. The skills, experience, rules of thumb and natural talents of land and water managers including farmers, indigenous people and water authorities are also significant (Campbell, 2005).
This background illustrates some of the integrative complexity faced in natural resource management research. While the papers in this special issue only scratch the surface of the organisations involved in natural resource management research, they do cover a number of the key players and initiatives in integration research. They also reflect the development and direction of integrated research on environmental issues in Australia. The Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at the Australian National University pioneered the development of multidisciplinary research and the notion that holistic solutions are required if environmental management is to be effective. The CSIRO has gradually evolved its two major environmental management orientated Divisions, representing about 800 staff, to include systems approaches and comprehensive input to research by socio-economic disciplines. Finally, 18 current Cooperative Research Centres are classified as being dedicated to the environment. Of these, half can claim to be promoting integrated approaches to their issue area. In all, these organisations provide the major impetus towards integration research in Australia.
Nevertheless, the large number of players provides some insight into why effective integration is still more the exception than the rule. On the whole the disciplines have largely kept apart and there is still a considerable gulf between biophysical scientists and social scientists. Even interactions between related disciplines can be limited. This is especially true in the social sciences, where there seem to be relatively few organised interactions between different disciplines, such as between economists and other social scientists. New groupings, as in Social Assessment or Environmental Economics, are forming, but with little interaction, even though they have common interests in many issues, such as scaling and the notions of values and trust-building.
The patterns of use of natural resources in Australia developed during a time when people saw them as unlimited. This provided strong economic growth to many sectors. Many of these resources are, however, now reaching their limits of use--and in many cases their value is being degraded by continued use. Australia is at crossroads--the past rates of increasingly intensive use cannot continue, and the negative environmental impacts are becoming socially and economically unacceptable (Dunlop, Turner, Foran, & Poldy, 2002).
The questions now being asked by Australians are increasingly sophisticated, and will require integrated science, policy, and practice to underpin their responses. The papers in this special issue address how researchers and research institutions can position themselves to more adequately meet these new and considerable challenges.
We gratefully acknowledge the additional editorial assistance of Héctor R. Ponce and, especially, D. P. Dash, whose attention to detail made each paper more accessible to a multidisciplinary audience.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2004). Australia’s health 2004 (Section 4: Population Health, Subsection 6: Health of People in Rural and Remote Areas). Retrieved September 20, 2005 from http://www.aihw.gov.au/publications/aus/ah04/ah04-c08-040804.pdf
Bammer, G., & Land & Water Australia Integration Symposium Participants. (2005). Guiding principles for integration in natural resource management (NRM) as a contribution to sustainability. Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 12 (Supplementary Issue), 5-7.
Bammer, G., Curtis, A., Mobbs, C., Lane R., & Dovers, S. (Eds). (2005). Australian case studies of integration in natural resource management (NRM). Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, 12 (Supplementary Issue).
Bellamy, J., Ross, H., Ewing, S., & Meppem, T. (2002). Integrated catchment management: Learning from the Australian experience for the Murray Darling Basin. Retrieved August 31, 2005, from http://www.landmark.mdbc.gov.au/naturalresources/icm/ICM_Learning_from_Australian_Experience.pdf
Campbell, A. (2005). Knowledge for managing Australian landscapes. Analysing the Australian NRM knowledge system [Unpublished Report]. Canberra: Land & Water Australia.
Cocks, D. (1992). Use with care: Managing Australia’s natural resources in the twenty first century. Kensington, Australia: New South Wales University Press.
Dunlop, M., Turner, G., Foran, B., & Poldy, F. (2002). Decision points for land and water futures (Resource Futures Program Working Document 2002/08). Canberra, Australia: CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems.
Foran, B., Lenzen, M., & Dey, C. (2005). Balancing act: A triple bottom line analysis of the Australian economy. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
National Land and Water Resources Audit. (2002) Australia’s natural resources 1997- 2002 and beyond: Overview report. Canberra, Australia: Land & Water Australia.
Pittock, B. (2003) Climate change: An Australian guide to the science and potential impacts. Canberra: Australian Greenhouse Office. Retrieved September 20, 2005, from http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/science/guide/
Reeve, I., Marshall, G., & Musgrave, W. (2002). Resource governance and integrated catchment management (Issues Paper No 2. Murray Darling Basin Commission Project MP2004). Retrieved August 31, 2005, from http://www.mdbc.gov.au/naturalresources/human_dimension/resgovv8final.pdf
Wikipedia (2005). The economy of Australia. Retrieved August 31, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Australia
Published 17 October 2005
Copyright © 2005 Journal of Research Practice and the authors


We provide house washing services for all residents, and we welcome the chance to clean the exterior surfaces of your home.
Along the exterior surfaces of a home, many unwanted substances can develop over time. Things like dirt, mold, mildew, pollen, algae, insect nests, and other elements can become unattractive, and even unhealthy, for your home’s building materials, and for the people who are around your home, too.
Our house washing services will remove these harmful substances from the surface of your home, which will help to improve your home’s appearance, help to prolong the life expectancy of your building materials, and will help to improve the healthiness of the environment around you, too. By cleaning the exterior of your house, you are creating a win-win situation for your home, and for yourself, as well.
If you would like to acquire a free estimate for a house washing service, or if you would like to schedule an appointment, then please contact the team of cleaning experts from EBS Legends today. We look forward to hearing from you anytime!


In September 2021, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 155 which provided a new California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) statutory exemption for restoration projects. PCI, along with partners at the Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, was instrumental in working with California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Cutting the Green Tape Team to develop the first statewide habitat restoration statutory exemption–for the Lower Garcia River Estuary Salmonid Habitat Enhancement Project.
In the words of Peter van de Burgt, the North Coast Restoration Project Manager for TNC, and PCI alum: “This statutory exemption could not have come at a better time for the Garcia project, and it’s really exciting to have the opportunity to immediately put it into practice. I’m optimistic that the exemption will be an invaluable tool for implementing ambitious restoration projects in a more time- and cost-efficient manner than ever before, which is exactly what we need given the enormity of the challenges we face.”
The Lower Garcia River in coastal Mendocino County is important steelhead and coho salmon habitat. However, winter rearing and outmigration habitat in the estuary is limited due to a history of channelization and simplification for agricultural use, excessive sedimentation from upper watershed land use, and large woody debris clearing. The enhancement project is designed to increase in-channel and floodplain habitat through the middle estuary and expand access to the newly created habitat for salmonids during their most critical life stages. PCI has provided site assessment, design, planning, and regulatory compliance services to TNC for the project.
Our team worked hard to make this use of the new pathway possible, and we’re delighted to be part of the statewide effort to reduce hurdles for large-scale restoration work! PCI is proud to be part of a community that is committed to increasing the scale and pace of salmonid restoration across California.


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Machined from a ‘2 clear or better’ grade of western red cedar, Timber Finger is extremely durable, a natural alternative to aluminium and ideally suited to landscaped settings. Supplied from a proven sustainable source and meeting class 1 requirements, cedar’s rich warm colour and texture promises a unique architectural statement that blends seamlessly with its environment.
Timber Finger can be supplied in either fingerpost or twin post format, supporting aluminium, composite timber or toughened glass panels. Characters can be routed into the profile with the finish left untreated to weather to an attractive silver grey patina or protected with pigmented finishes.
Illuminated signage that incorporates the industry’s most energy efficient lighting technologies can also be used to create an environmentally-sensitive impact. Signbox Timber Finger profiles can be machined with rebates for LED cable management where required.
Available in round section profiles of 130mm diameter and to any length of up to 3 metres, timber finger has a remarkably long service life of up to 25 to 30 years.
sustainable exterior signage systems
Exterior signage will often be the first contact that a visitor has with an organisation or estate. Signage schemes should welcome, inform, direct and protect, but that vital first impression also speaks volumes about what a company stands for and what it represents.
Commercial signage solutions demand a holistic, harmonised approach that addresses issues from aesthetics, navigation and corporate branding so we take time to analyse what the environment calls for before creating an architectural signage scheme that looks and feels right.
Signbox signs are designed to enhance their environment rather than dominate or impose on a landscape so our project managers work alongside building and estate owners, architects and specifiers to project both information and brand appropriately, yet consistently.
Our external signs are custom made to precise specifications that meet planning and building regulations, health and safety requirements and comply with accessibility and DDA directives.
We follow best practice guidelines throughout our sign design and manufacturing process and are proud of our work with products that are environmentally-friendly and originate from recycled or sustainable sources.
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This program enables laboratories to exchange intact mercury thermometers for non-mercury thermometers at no cost.
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- Exchange mercury thermometers with non-mercury thermometers for FREE
Contact EHS at 512-471-3511 to make arrangements to exchange your mercury thermometers. Thank you for helping make The University of Texas at Austin a mercury-free campus.


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We are not a waste hauler or broker but act independently for the financial benefit of our clients.
Our consultants have the time, expertise and motivation to concentrate efforts on cost reduction strategies for waste and recycling management.
Our charitable liaisons encourage re-purposing for the benefit of clients, non-profits and communities. Waste streams we deal with include: e-waste (electronics waste), food waste, furniture, textiles, books, bicycles, paint and more.


When tasting at a winery, it is common to hear about how a wine has extra character because the vines were encouraged to struggle. It’s one of those oft-repeated statements that doesn’t even attract scrutiny, but just receives nodding acceptance before you gulp down a small pour of another wine that tastes pretty similar to the last one. But, like many things that have been rotely repeated, there is an interesting backstory.
Grapevines, when not trained and pruned, are a lot like the other vines, including the Virginia Creeper that adorns the brick walls at liberal arts college campuses. All vines are part of the family Vitaceae and, when left to their own devices, these vines happily grow and climb. They sprout leaves often, without overlapping, to maximize the surface area for photosynthesis. This provides the plant with energy, which it uses to climb higher and make more leaves. Vines also produce berries to attract hungry wildlife -- usually birds -- who, in turn, spread their seed through droppings to pass along the vine’s genes elsewhere.
When things are going well, vines are content to keep growing and make only a half-hearted effort at passing along their genetic code. After all, how likely is it that the seed that a bird eats and subsequently relieves itself of will find a better situation than in fertile soil directly next to a brick wall? Especially if the school administration that owns that wall happens to revel in the aesthetic of ivy-covered buildings! So, the comfortable vine wastes little energy ripening its berries, instead allowing them to remain sour. A desperate bird may eat them, but many of the berries simply fall off, allowing those seed to germinate in a place that the parent vine already knows is a successful environment.
However, when the vine is struggling to grow, either because of pests, diseases, or lack of water, nutrients or sun, the options are quite limited. The vine can, and will, grow toward the sun and will search for something to climb. But, if it is in a particularly inhospitable locale -- for instance, many wine regions -- it will choose a more prudent course for its future generations and try to entice a bird to bring its seeds to a better site. With birds having numerous dining options available, this miserable vine will do its darndest to be one of the first choices, making its berries the plumpest, sweetest and juiciest.
When humans first discovered wine, with current estimates being about 7000 years ago, it was made from grapes that were grown wild, with many of the vines climbing the trunks of trees. This wine was likely thin and harsh, but it’s hygienic qualities made it remarkable, people readily adopted it and worked to improve its taste.
Several thousand years later, in 65 AD, Columella, a Roman writer, advocated for the use of stakes rather than trees to train vines, principally to reduce the number of injuries that occurred from tending to the grapes while climbing tree limbs. This marked a significant step in the slow, iterative process of human alteration to the vine’s growing habitat to improve the quality of the berries every year since. Now vines are manipulated with great sophistication; planted on sites where other vegetation couldn’t thrive, carefully trained to limit its vigor, pruned to maximize ripening, and sparingly given water and fertilizer.
In humans, the grapevine has found its complement. The goal of seeds is to spread the vine as far and wide as possible. Now the vines used in winemaking, originally native only to Europe and the Middle East, are found in substantial numbers throughout the world. They were brought on the first expeditions to foreign lands and have been cultivated with care ever since. The vine’s strategy of using energy to ripen grapes worked, perhaps not as initially intended, but it’s a beautiful partnership nonetheless.


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Asbestos HVAC Duct Work Danger
by Dan Derkum
HVAC duct work in many older attic spaces can be asbestos type. It is also very possible that this same asbestos type ducting is located in concealed wall, ceiling, and floor spaces of the home. This can be very dangerous to the occupants of the home as asbestos fibers can become airborne when the HVAC system is being used. Contractor is not permitted to alter or attach any new work to this type of duct work.
A substantial percentage of homes built in the 1960's and 1970's had asbestos ductwork installed during original construction.
Left undisturbed, asbestos-containing materials usually do not create any health risks. However as the product breaks down due to heat, aging, frequent contact, remodeling activities, and poor installation, tiny particles may be released into the air and ductwork itself and possibly inhaled into the lungs. Asbestos fibers are microscopically small. Those which seem to be visible to the human eye are actually threads of thousands of fibers.
Asbestos is commonly associated with the following diseases:
- Asbestosis: A noncancerous respiratory disease that results from progressive scarring of the lung tissue caused by lodging of asbestos.
- Mesothelioma: A rare cancer of the lining of the chest and abdomen that is almost always associated with previous asbestos exposure.
- Lung Cancer: Inhaled asbestos particles act as a carcinogen when lodged in lung tissue.
About the Author
Dan A. Derkum is the owner of DAD's Construction, a leading South Orange County, California design-and-build remodeling and renovation contractor.


CALL FOR PAPERS
2024 3rd International Conference on Urban Planning and Regional Economy（UPRE 2024）will bring together leading researchers, engineers and scientists in the domain of interest from around the world.
The topics of interest for submission include, but are not limited to:
◕ Traffic management and supply chain
◕ Regional policy and local economic transformation
◕ Scenic spot development and tourism economy
◕ Urban modernization and high-tech economy
◕ Environmental protection and sustainable economy
◕ Resource development and industrial structure
Manuscripts reviewed by experts from the conference organizing committee will be accepted and published on Conference Proceedings. The published papers will then be submitted for CPCI/CNKI indexing.
2024 3rd International Conference on Urban Planning and Regional Economy（UPRE 2024）


More than 34,000 households in 594 villages have been involved or benefitting from the involvement in TABI supported livelihood activities. The types of results that have been achieved include:
- enhanced capacity to produce.
- increased food production and nutrition.
- increased income or increased exposure to the market.
From 2009 – 2016, TABI tested out more than 25 Agro-biodiversity livelihood options through a small grant mechanism called Sub-project Agreements (SPAs). These activities were mainly implemented by district and provincial staff with some limited support from NGOs and national authorities (NAFRI, DoF, etc).
A crucial part of supporting ABD-based livelihoods is the development of staff capacity to develop, draft, implement and monitor activities through the SPAs. TABI’s efforts to engage Provincial and District staff in the full process through mentoring and on-the-job training in combination with various workshops, has resulted in increased partner staff capacity and some of the SPAs are now self-sustained. As a mean to further outscale the SPA-modality, the production of a basic tool (manual in Lao language) on design, management and implementation of ABD based SPAs has been initiated with the expectation to contribute to the SPA-modality during and after the end of TABI. In addition to increased staff capacity for SPA-management, technical knowledge and skills in specific areas has also increased substantially among both villagers and staff, through technical training on specific subjects such as broom grass making, honey production, mushroom growing, etc.
Key activities carried out in 2016-2017:
Theme, and Livelihood Option
- wet rice cultivar improvement and seed production chain: ‘Khao Gai Noi’
- wet rice cultivar improvement and seed production chain: Black Sticky rice
- upland rice cultivar improvement and seed production chain
Organic vegetables and crops
- Organic vegetable production
- Native Pig
- Native Chicken
- Orange Orchards – various types
- Native Banana Plantation
Industrial Tree Crops
- Coffee under light forest (chestnut)
NTFPs in AgroForestry and Village Forestry
- ‘norloy’ bamboo shoot, medicinal NTFP etc
- Native tea (forest, garden)
- Yarn (benzoin – Styrax)
- Traditional medicine
- Bamboo Shoot Processing
Wet rice paddy Land development
- small scale traditional weir for wet rice production
Cropping soil management
- Legume inter/cover cropping in upland maize fields
Aquatic resources for food and cash
- Fish raising in the rice field
- Management of Shrimp reserve
- Management of Fish Reserves
- Crispy river weed processing, marketing
- Beekeeping and honey production
- List of key data on SPAs and SAA for Year 5, Phase 2 and Year 1 Phase 3
- ABD Profiles for 2015-2016 and 2016-2017
- ABD livelihood options from SDC


We are a third-generation family-owned company in the Central Valley. We're proud to be California’s largest dried fig grower-processor.
Roy Jura and his son Keith – both life-long members of the California fig industry with extensive backgrounds in farming and processing - founded the company in 1989.
San Joaquin Figs quickly established itself as an industry leader by consistently producing top quality fig products using a “customer first” philosophy. Today, we pack a complete line of California figs under our Nutra Fig brand.
San Joaquin Figs is the only independently owned fig-processing company with its own source of supply, owning over 1,000 acres of figs, of which 320 acres are farmed organically. The acreage includes all of the major commercially grown varieties.
“100 years ago, my grandfather took the old world knowledge and tradition of Italian farmers and created something new right here in the Central Valley of California. Today, we proudly continue this tradition and farm over 1000 acres of figs. As an Italian American, figs were a part of his cultural heritage but Michele paved the way for his son, his grandchildren and his great grandchildren to continue the tradition of cultivating this amazing fruit.” - Owner Keith Jura
“Growing figs is something I can feel really good about. As a mom, I'm always trying to make sure my kids are getting lots of healthy food in their diet. One thing about figs that is great is that they are packable and transportable, they are naturally preserved as a dried fruit so you can just have them.” - Owner Nichole Chomicki
San Joaquin packs a complete line of California dried figs, which includes consumer packages, bulk and industrial products-all packaged under the Nutra Fig label. The company also processes and markets organic figs, which is a market segment experiencing rapid growth. More recently, we have begun creating other snacks like Fignuts- fig and nut bars and carefully curated trail mixes for your pleasure!
We make sustainable practices a priority. Here are some ways we practice sustainability.
Our solar field runs our irrigation pumps.
Rather than using herbicides for weed control, we practice mulching and mowing.
Over half of our figs are organically farmed.
Sub-surface irrigation and drip irrigation reduce water use and water loss.
We don’t till the soil of our fig orchards after they are planted. Instead, the soil is cultivated to encourage the growth of naturally occurring nitrogen fixing microbes. This helps reduce water from dropping through the soil too quickly, reducing the overall irrigation demands, and reduces the need for fertilizer, keeping a healthier tree that lasts longer.
A naturally occurring spring and a river on our property are main water sources. These help maintain and recharge our groundwater level.
The crops we plant are carefully assessed against water resources, to ensure our water demand is at equilibrium with our water supply.
We want to farm for another 100 years in California and water sustainability is the most important part of that plan!
We use the California Almond Sustainability Program to assess sustainability practices at our almond orchards each year to learn about new practices which we might be able to adopt.
We strive to use the most efficient irrigation technology and methods like micro irrigation drip lines for minimal water loss to evaporation or percolation past the root zone. Annual reviews for distribution uniformity and pump efficiency are conducted to ensure efficiency is being maintained. To ensure the right amount of water is used at each field we have installed soil moisture monitoring probes.
As part of our fertility program, we use nitrogen alternatives—adjuvants to improve soil health and nutrient availability and uptake by root systems.
In partnership with Seeds for Bees, we planted almost 50 acres of honeybee forage. This helps improve pollinator health by providing additional pollen sources for bees, which play a key role in the production of 35% of the world's crops. The cover crop also improves soil health with organic matter, is beneficial for soil structure, and reduces the need for applied nitrogen because of nitrogen fixing plants in the cover crop mix.
We partnered with Monarch Joint Venture to plant 3 acres of Monarch butterfly food source plants—milkweed plant species that are native to our region of California.
In order to minimize the use of herbicides we mow 50% of the orchard floor rather than blanketing with chemical control.
We minimize the use of pesticides by using cultural methods that include the removal and destruction of mummy nuts to lower the following year's navel orangeworm population and maintain orchard perimeters to reduce the need for miticides.
Here at San Joaquin Figs, we love to find new ways to be more sustainable so that our legacy can continue on for generations to come.


Thanks to innovation and widespread adoption, solar energy has become
cheaper to generate than fossil fuel. There’s also no question that it’s much cleaner and more sustainable as an energy source.
Solar Buy Buy Back
Whether you have solar panels already or are looking into getting solar energy, you need the right energy plan.
7 Insider Tips
Every Person Should Know Before Going Solar
Do You Qualify for a Solar Energy Buyback?
When the weather is nice, your solar panels will be working a lot harder than your air conditioner. This means you’ll have extra energy you’re pushing back to the power grid. Any utility worth its salt will have a smart meter on your home, and they’ll tally up the kilowatt-hours you’re giving them. What they do with this tally, however, will determine how much you should buy, and in some cases, the answer will be “none”. If your energy provider isn’t crediting you for your extra generation, you shouldn’t give them any!
Determine the Right Size System for Your Energy Needs
Even if your utility offers 1:1 net metering, they probably won’t write you a check for sending them extra energy month-over-month. You might send excess energy back to the utility in the springtime, and use up those credits in the hot summer, but you’ll want to make sure that you use as much as you produce over the course of a year. In short, don’t buy more PV than you need.
To understand your specific energy demands, your solar consultant should look at a full year of energy bills if you have them. They should then use a non-biased, third-party data
source to calculate how much solar you’ll need to generate that much energy. To get the numbers right, they should consider the orientation and pitch of your roof, shade from nearby trees and other buildings, and even the local climate in your area. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offers a free, highly accurate service called PV Watts for easily forecasting a PV system’s production, so there’s not much excuse for not
giving an impartial projection.
Watch Out For Fuzzy Math
Total System Wattage
Sometimes called “system capacity” or “system size”– is the generating capacity of all the panels combined. A single panel in 2020 might be run from 300 to 350 watts. Twenty of these will make for a 6 to 7 kW (a kilowatt is 1,000 watts) PV system, which is smallish to - average for a Texas area residential PV system. 20 kW systems aren’t unheard of for large homes that use a lot of energy.
Price Per Watt
When comparing quotes from competing solar consultants, you can get a solid, apples-to-apples comparison just by looking at this rate. Simply divide the total system price by the total system wattage, and you’ll have a meaningful rate you can take to the bank. Bear in mind that this rule only applies to the PV portion of the project. If there are extras like batteries, roof replacement, etc., the calculation gets a bit more complicated.
Total Cost vs. Effective Cost
In the United States in this day and age, there are incentives for going solar. At the very least, the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit will give you back 26% of the cost of your solar on your next tax return. You’ll want to know whether the prices you’ve been quoted are treating these “deferred savings” the same way.
EXAMPLE: $23,680 With a $8,320 Tax Credit!
Understand How Shade Will Affect Solar Performance
Partial shade from a chimney, a neighbor’s house, or a nearby tree won’t necessarily be a dealbreaker, but your consultant should consider the effect of shade when discussing your home’s solar potential. A good consultant will have a variety of tools for accurately assessing the impact. This might be an optical tool like a Suneye, or a design application like Aurora, and they might not be able to offer a super–dialed-in value until you’ve engaged them to design your system. But they should be willing and able to discuss it openly, and they should absolutely have the salt to let you know if solar doesn’t look like a very good option. Most relevantly, you as an informed consumer have the common
sense to say “seems pretty shady to me!”
If you’re weighing the environmental ramifications of trimming trees to increase your solar production, you can rest easy knowing that a typical residential PV system offsets as much carbon as a small forest, easily several hundred mature oaks! On the flipside, carbon offset isn’t the only benefit trees provide, and you may just need to choose one over the other.
Don't Get Pressured Into Making a Rush Decision
This may seem like Buying Stuff 101, but every salesperson in America can get their manager to offer you a deal that supposedly ended yesterday. With that in mind, you should never feel like you need to sign today because tomorrow it will be too late. A lot of salespeople in the PV business can take advantage of the fact that they’re the first person you’ve talked to about solar, and they’ll try to get you to sign before you’ve done your research.
Buying immediately from someone you like and trust isn’t necessarily a bad thing...solar really is a no-brainer for the majority of Texas homes, and you won’t go wrong engaging a trustworthy company. But if you feel unsure about something, or it doesn’t all make sense, don’t take a gamble on rushing yourself to get in on some sweet savings. It will still be there once you’ve taken the time to wrap your head around it.
Understand How Shade Will Affect Solar Performance
Solar loans allow folks to go solar without coming out of pocket to the tune of a new car. They typically come with low interest rates, no liens, no prepayment penalties, and they’re intelligently structured to optimize your tax credit money to keep your monthly payment low. However, like most good things in life, all those
great benefits come at a cost. Solar loans have underwriting fees charged by the lender; these fees represent a sizeable portion of the cost of the system–as much as 10% or even more! It’s a bit like “buying points” on your mortgage, and while the fees are unavoidable, the loans are still very much worthwhile in spite of them. But for some folks with the right financial situation, there might be a better way.
If you’re hemming and hawing about just paying cash, you probably should. Unlike with buying a car, cutting out the solar lender saves your installer a chunk of cash, and they should be glad to pass the savings on to you. Whether you decide to finance or pay cash, you are owning your power rather than renting it.
Have a Consumption Meter Installed
Modern PV systems come with highly sophisticated inverters which record how much energy the panels generate. Generation is perpetually being recorded, and homeowners can log in with a cool little smartphone app and see both real-time and historical production for each panel, and for the entire system. At the same time, there's a smart meter on your property that tracks how much energy moves back and forth between your electrical system and the utility. With simple arithmetic, you can figure out how much energy you used in your home in any given time period. If you feel like your solar isn't reducing your energy bill as expected, you can run a little analysis to find out whether the system is underperforming, or if your energy consumption has just increased. Higher rates, lifestyle change, atypical weather, aging appliances and new loads like swimming pools can drive your energy expense up significantly.
However, it’s tedious to be crunching numbers on a regular basis to know how you’re using energy. Fortunately, there’s a tool for that–a relatively inexpensive component called a consumption meter–which ties into your electrical system to log how much juice flows through your home’s circuits. This provides the missing piece of the puzzle with no effort on your part, and also serves as an additional data point to confirm what would otherwise just be a pretty good assumption about your usage. Compare your consumption data going forward with your pre-solar energy bills, and you’ll know whether your solar is doing what you expected it to do. Your installer should have the ability to provide a consumption meter at minimal cost, and should also be of a mind to empower you with as much insight to your solar as you can get.
Be a Savvy Solar Buyer
After decades as essentially “future tech”, only practical on niche applications like satellites and remote, off-grid loads, photovoltaic solar has reached “grid parity” in Texas in recent years. This is the point where the cost of solar energy has officially become lower than the average cost of grid energy, almost all of which has historically been generated from burning fossil fuels. Environmental concerns aside, most Texas residents will save substantial money, or at least break even, by installing solar on their homes. Not everyone is a can-candidate however, and those who are should be able to discern the very best options for their situation. As proponents of our industry who have a vested interest in good business practices, we at KW Solar believe an educated customer is a good customer. And a customer who got burned will–quite understandably influence numerous others to steer clear of solar in order to avoid making similar mistakes.
We hope that with this information, you’ll feel confident taking the next steps toward investing in your own clean, renewable energy. If you’re ready to put your knowledge to use, we’d be honored to be the solar installer who accompanies you on this journey. Feel free to reach out to one of our solar consultants for a candid, noncommittal conversation or check out our website for substantially more information.


Made from pure, hand-harvested volcanic ash from Iceland's geothermal lava fields, Icelandic Volcanic Ash soap is rich in minerals and antibacterial sulphur which helps slow down the aging process by stimulating collagen production. Used as a skincare remedy for centuries, the ash in this soap is active and provides a mild, natural exfoliation while absorbing toxins for the ultimate clean. 4.3 oz
What it smells like: Think a big, cozy, aged-to-perfection leather armchair, a bonfire on the beach, earthy, warm wood heating up in a dry sauna.
Key Ingredients: Sustainable palm and coconut oils, charcoal, volcanic sand, volcanic ash, volcanic soil.


Are hand dryers sanitary?
After we wash our hands, we are often given two choices: should we choose the toilet hand dryer, or the paper towels? Which is more environmentally-friendly and which is the more sanitary option? Also, is there a difference between conventional hand dryers and newer blade models? Where does the electricity come from? What about paper towels, are they recycled? The real answer to all these questions is that it’s complicated. Obviously, as we all know, the way we wash our hands is hugely important; effective washing can reduce the amount of bacterial and viruses that can then be transferred elsewhere. The value of effective hand washing has been extensively studied, but there has been much less research looking at the role hand drying plays.
Warm air dryers vs blade dryers
In the past, some newspapers have reported that using a commercial hand dryer after washing your hands “is so unhygienic that it might be better to not wash at all”. Should we also rub or should we not rub our hands under the dryer? What about bacteria and viruses? Whilst some conventional electric hand dryers have been shown to indeed exacerbate the issue, recent studies show that blade hand dryers, when used for the recommended 10 seconds, are more effective than conventional warm air dryers at removing bacteria from the hands. Research has also shown that keeping your hands still, instead of rubbing them, decreases the amount of bacteria on them. Newer blade models are ultra-rapid and use two high-pressure streams of filtered room-temperature air to blow water off the hands, which are drawn through the airstream.
Researchers have concluded that people are more likely to actually dry their hands properly with a blade dryer and the design discourages you to rub your hands meaning bacteria transfer is less likely.
Another worry is whether these rapid hand dryers actually make the problem of bacteria transfer worse by sucking in bacteria and viruses in the toilets, that’s then deposited on clothing etc.
Our new blade style hand dryers have Hepa filters in them which capture very small particles, including any bacteria and other contaminants from the air. They also have an added UV light that safely and effectively kill bacteria.
So, we’ve cleared up the problem of which hand dryer is better but we still haven’t answered whether you should choose low energy fast hand dryers over paper towels. Hand dryers in general can get a bad press, mainly stemming from manufacturers of paper towels, but should we listen?
Essentially, hand dryers are significantly cheaper to run and can save organisations large amounts of money compared to the costs of paper towels. Hand dryers are the noiseier option though so paper towels may be the better choice for areas that require very low noise levels.
Let’s look at the science though. According to Healthfully, the average dryer uses 0.018 kilowatt hours of electricity for 30 seconds, or around 2,200 watts of power total to run. This means that approximately 26.61 pounds of carbon dioxide is given out when it is used three times per day. Environmentally, the energy intensive process to produce paper towels compares unfavourably to this, and even recycled paper towels have been found to be less eco-friendly than the latest breed of fast low energy hand dryers. The worst performing of them all were the warm air dryers, which have been found to be up to 80% less efficient than a Bremmer blade dryer. The conclusion? The option to choose (over 90% of the time), is the newer low energy dryer with hepa filter and UV light, which has been shown to be the most efficient, hygienic and greener option.


Investigating the natural world has always defined my character. Over the years, I grew to love any activities that brought me outdoors and into the woods. I learned to appreciate the environment and the creatures that live within it.
When I started my career as a middle school Life Science teacher some 18 years ago, I purchased my first “real” camera. I learned what I could from basic photography courses and photography books, and began my quest to capture the powerful imagery which Nature bestows.
My creative purpose is to effectively merge the worlds of Natural Science and Art, but in the absence of natural elements, I am impelled to be resourceful, creating interesting images using commonplace objects and playthings.
I reside in Congers, NY with my husband and two children. I credit my active membership in the Rockland Photography Club for the education, motivation and inspiration that has nurtured my growth as an artist.


This site is under construction. Please keep checking back to get updates. In the meantime, here is a brief introduction to what we are all about.
In 2011, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) conducted a demographic and economic study regarding birding in the United States. The study found that in 2011 there over 47 million individuals in the United States over the age of sixteen who regarded themselves as birders. Of these 47 million, over 2 million were Michigan residents. In addition, the study estimated that birders spend approximately $41 billion on trips and equipment for the purpose of birding, generating a total economic impact of over $107 billion!
Over the last few years, many regions in Michigan have developed birding trails with the purpose of attracting birders to their area. The Saginaw Bay Birding Trail, The Superior Birding Trail, The Sleeping Bear Birding Trail, The Beaver Island Birding Trail, The Sunrise Coast Birding Trail, and the North Huron Birding trail have all now been established. Information regarding each of these trails can be found on Michigan Audubon’s website at http://www.michiganaudubon.org/go-birding/birding-trails/.
Antrim, Charlevoix, and Emmet Counties host a wide variety of protected areas and habitats that attract a large number of Michigan’s over 400 bird species. Whether it is a pair of nesting, federally endangered Piping Plovers, a Snowy Owl visiting for the winter, or the many warblers and waterfowl that pass through the area on their way to and from their breeding grounds, the tip of the Northwest Lower Peninsula offers exciting birding opportunities. Local parks, nature preserves, and natural areas make prime birding locations easily accessible and also highlight local conservation efforts.
With this in mind, a group of individuals and conservation related organizations in these counties are developing the Sunset Coast Birding Trail. The trail will provide information about birding in this region and highlight sites that provide prime birding opportunities to encourage birders to visit the area. Primary sites will be highlighted on a website, a printed map, and will also feature signage at the site itself. There will be approximately 30 primary sites on the birding trail – roughly ten per county. Because a printed map has limited space in which to feature sites, additional sites that offer good birding opportunities will be identified that will be featured on the website only.
The trail will also point visitors to other local amenities and attractions such as hotels/campgrounds, restaurants, museums, and other tourism oriented establishments. Birders visiting the area will need a place to eat, place to stay, and may also shop and visit attractions. Given that the prime birding months span from September through May, visiting birders can provide a boost to the local economy during the slower seasons.
Successful birding trails in more than 20 states are demonstrating that trails bolster economies, bring people closer to nature and create support for conserving habitats. The Sunset Coast Birding Trail will offer a unique opportunity to showcase the diverse natural features of Antrim, Charlevoix and Emmet counties and generate an economic benefit to the local communities.


A new Alcoa funded project will see groups come together to improve the health of key Peel waterways.
The $2 million 'Three Rivers, One Estuary' vision was launched on Friday with multi-agency and community approaches set to help bolster the health of Peel's waterways.
The projects, headed by The Nature Conservancy, Peel-Harvey Catchment Council, and Greening Australia, aim to improve the health of the Serpentine, Murray and Harvey rivers along with the Peel Harvey Estuary, which is internationally recognised as a wetland of significance under the Ramsar Convention.
Stakeholders across government, community and the environmental sector came together in Mandurah for the launch, made possible through funding from the Alcoa Foundation.
Alcoa of Australia Chairperson and Managing Director Michael Parker used the launch to call on the community to get behind the vision and the three projects spearheading it.
“Collaborations like Three Rivers, One Estuary allow for a big vision and great success as we tap into the strengths of individual initiatives and create synergy for an even greater purpose," he said.
"Our hope is that other environmental and land management groups, governments at all levels, and the broader community will get behind their work. There will be plenty of opportunities for us all to roll up our sleeves and help make an even bigger difference together.”
The Nature Conservancy Australia Marine Manager Dr Chris Gillies said they would hold a series of public presentations and workshops to coincide with these projects, seeking the community’s input into what in-water projects will return the highest conservation benefit in the area.
“Our local and international experts will work with the community to discuss the latest restoration methods for improving fisheries, reducing nutrient runoff and protecting shorelines against sea level rise and flooding,” Dr Gillies said.
“This will help us determine the best projects we can implement in the area to deliver the maximum conservation outcome.”
Peel-Harvey Catchment Council Chairman Andy Gulliver and Greening Australia chief executive officer Brendan Foran echoed the same message, urging community members to get involved.


The Bathurst Wine Region covers three local government areas: Bathurst, Lithgow and Oberon. This cool climate region has vineyards at elevations ranging from 700 to 1050 metres, making the region ideally suited to cool climate grape varieties in addition to other popular and some lesser known varietals. The extended ripening period enhances the subtle, often lower alcohol characteristics associated with cool climate wines.
Bathurst Regional Vignerons Association (BRVA) was formed in 1998. Its major role is to represent the members’ interests by sharing information and resources to benefit production of fine wines and to promote the region’s wines effectively. A significant initiative of BRVA members was to establish the National Cool Climate Wine Show. The Show was founded in 1999 with a panel of respected wine judges who, from the outset have judged to international standards. Over the years, the Show has grown in size and stature to become the premier cool climate wine show in Australia. It has always existed to benefit, promote and provide world class feedback for Australia's cool climate wine growers.
The winemakers of BRVA, under the banner Wines of Bathurst, are spearheading a range of promotions to increase awareness of the region and the quality of its wines both locally and further afield. The region has always been a significant agricultural and horticultural area; its small wine industry continues to grow in stature with a number of local wines awarded medals at prestigious wine shows and one, a local Shiraz, named one of NSW top wines.
Wines of Bathurst also supports the region's excellent produce and creative talent through collaboration with local producers and chefs in annual and one-off events promoting the best the region has to offer in food, wine, beer and spirits. Wines of Bathurst’s on-going “Take a local home for dinner” campaign on Facebook features wines and winemakers from the region. The local community has embraced the regional wine industry and you will find many local drops at restaurants, cafês, hotels and bottle shops.
Varieties produced in the region include:
Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Sauvignon Blanc, Arneis, Semillon, Gewurztraminer
Shiraz, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Petit Verdot, Lagrein


In Cheap Pest Control Brisbane, our technicians are fully qualified, licensed and highly skilled. We’ve been involved in the Pest Management for more than 15 years and all of our technicians have over ten years of pest control experience. We inspect your property, thoroughly, to provide you with the best pest management possible, rather than blind extensive spraying. We proudly use the latest, natural approaches to minimize your family’s exposure to insecticides. We use pet and child-friendly insecticides that have no negative impact on the environment. In all treatments, we will make sure that you are 100% satisfied with our services.


The Grant Farm Secures $3M for Green Energy Projects
For Immediate Release Contact: Shawn Garvey 530.559.2791
$3 Million Awarded for Waste to Energy Facilities
Nevada City-based The Grant Farm secures $3 million for two energy projects that will create 525 construction jobs and 75 permanent green energy positions
Nevada City, California – The California Energy Commission approved nearly $3 million for two high profile projects represented by local Fund Development company The Grant Farm that will transform Waste-to-Energy facilities in Northern California.
The awards — $1.49 million for the Advanced Bioenergy Center Mendota, and $1.31 million for the Sacramento BioRefinery #1 – fund the pre-development and engineering costs to construct two landmark biorefineries that will utilize hundreds of tons of green waste by converting it to fuel for buses, electricity and high value compost.
Advanced Bioenergy Center Mendota
The Grant Farm managed, coordinated and wrote this successful application for $1.49 million in funds from the California Energy Commission for the Advanced Bioenergy Center Mendota (ABCM), a multi-partner collaboration that includes the Mendota Advanced Bioenergy Beet Cooperative, UC Davis, California State University, Fresno; Spectrum Energy Solutions, IR1 Group and Shell Oil. This application received the highest score of any competing application in the state of California.
When complete, the proposed $200 million ABCM facility will:
- Process nearly 1 million tons per year of locally-sourced sugar beets
- Utilize 80,000 additional tons of almond prunings and other agricultural waste that state law will prohibit from burning on June 1, 2010
- Generate 6.3 Megawatts (MW) of certified Green-e electricity;
- Produce 33.5 million gallons of advanced ethanol and 1.6 million standard cubic feet (SCF) of renewable biomethane
- Process wastewater on behalf of the City of Mendota and create a net positive of 365 acre feet of irrigation water per year
- Create up to 325 construction, engineering and design jobs; 50 BioRefinery Operations positions, 40 to 50 Feedstock Operations jobs and 160 farm labor positions in a community which currently claims the highest unemployment rate in the United States
- Generate $90 million in direct economic activity
Sacramento BioRefinery #1
The Grant Farm has managed the Public Fund Campaign for Clean World Partners’ proposed Sacramento BioRefinery #1 (SBR1) since 2009. Partners in the project, to be sited at the Sacramento Recycling & Transfer Station, include the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), UC Davis, Yolo County Transit District, CALSTART, and others. SBR1 was awarded $1.35 million from the California Energy Commission to fully fund pre-development costs.
When complete, the proposed $23 million facility will:
- Provide a reliable, locally produced supply of 71,324,285 SCF of compressed natural gas (CNG) for the Yolo County Transit District (YCTD) CNG Bus fleet—displacing 584,000 gallons of gasoline a year, or approximately 84 percent of YCTD’s annual demand
- Produce average daily outputs equaling:
- 195,409 SCF of biomethane
- 19,977 SCF of hydrogen
- 3,313 gal of concentrated liquid fertilizer
- 8,521 gal of clean water
- 15 TPD of marketable compost
- Divert 36,500 tons of organic wastes annually from area landfills
- Reduce GHG by 15,512 metric tons per year
- Create 227 full-time, direct and indirect jobs during the project performance period and 16 full-time, permanent jobs
- Demonstrate a growd waste-to-energy solution developed with state funding at the University of California, Davis for national and global export. Successful commercialization and licensing will prompt private, state and federal investment in the billions of dollars
The Grant Farm specializes in identifying public funding partnerships and implementing public fund campaigns for organizations seeking state and federal loans, grants, and tax credits for critical renewable energy projects throughout the United States. Principals at the firm have more than 35 years of combined experience in public funding, technical writing, strategic planning, and advocacy. Since 1995, they have helped develop more than $375 million in renewable energy, cleantech, transportation and infrastructure, and conservation projects seeking funding from a variety of public agencies—including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Energy Commission, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Transit Administration and the California Energy Commission.
The Grant Farm is a member of Sierra Commons, an innovative business community housed at the former site of the Stonehouse Brewery in Nevada City. Sierra Commons is a project of One-Stop Business and Career Center and the Private Industry Council of Butte County.
The Grant Farm recently leveraged its success at Sierra Commons, expanding to a second office in downtown Sacramento, California.


Keynote Speaker 2
Dr. Jonny Rutqvist is a Senior Scientist and Head of Hydrogeology Department, Energy Geosciences Division, at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). He holds a PhD degree in Engineering Geology from the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. For over 30 years, Dr. Rutqvist’s research has been focused on geomechanics and modeling of coupled thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and chemical (THMC) processes in geological media for a wide range of geoscientific and geoengineering applications, including geologic carbon sequestration, nuclear waste disposal, geothermal energy extraction, unconventional oil and gas, and underground energy storage. Dr. Rutqvist was one of the pioneers applying coupled fluid flow and geomechanical modeling to geologic carbon sequestration, including modeling of induced seismicity and caporck leakage. Dr. Rutqvist has authored over 200 peer-reviewed journal papers, and is a four-time recipient of the American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA) Awards.


Forecaster warns state to brace for May
Shhhh! Hear that? Don’t hear anything? Exactly. Oklahoma has essentially escaped the usual sounds of spring – pelting hail, the swoosh of high rains, high winds, the crash of damage on the other side of the door.
And interestingly, this is tornado week in Oklahoma.
While tornados have stuck elsewhere in the U.S., Oklahoma’s weather has been uncharacteristically quiet so far, said Gary McManus, associate state climatologist, Oklahoma Climatological Survey.
“The tornados have pretty well missed us and we really haven’t been that active with any type of severe weather,” said McManus.
McManus conceded it has partly been luck. Some storms have formed, wreaking havoc, then losing steam over Oklahoma. Others have formed very close to us, but didn’t drop a tornado or a hail stone until passing us by.
So why the respite? Without throwing about fancy weather terms, basically, several weather phenonenoma have kept the Sooner state a little cooler than usual. Tornados usually are born when cool air above clashes with warm air, combined with a few other ideal weather-related circumstances.
But don’t become too comfortable, yet. Several of the worst storms in history have hit Oklahoma in early May, is in right now.
May usually brings ideal tornado conditions – warm weather near the earth’s surface, Oklahoma’s high winds and the cool temperatures in the so-called jet stream, about 10,000 or more above the ground.
“There’s just a perfect combination of everything that happens during May that makes it our main tornado threat month,” McManus said. People should never think we’re out of the woods when we get into May.”
“I would always caution that each May is going to the worst month we’ve seen. That way we’re always prepared.”
Based on statistics kept since 1950, the state’s tornado season usually averages 53 annually. It peaks in May, and then begins easing off in the summer.
So far this year, southern US states have been visited by well over 100 tornados, many of them leaving damage and tragedy in their wake.
According to officials from the National Weather Service, a couple of tornados touched down on March 8 in western Oklahoma, including an EF2- rated twister that damaged parts of tiny Hammon, OK.
A weak tornado touched down near Bryans Corner in Beaver County on April 22. No damage or injuries were reported. Oklahoma’s tornado count so far this year is three.
Oklahoma’s muted severe weather season so far has resulted from a combination of favorable climate factors.
McManus also cautioned that complacency is not a wise approach.
A quiet start is not always an accurate indication of what the rest of the severe weather season will look like, he said.
Oklahoma experienced a very quiet January-April in 1998 with only two tornadoes reported. The storm season soon became much more active with 22 tornadoes reported during both May and June. The total for that year ended at 83.
That serves as a reminder to stay prepared because the state’s fortunes can change rapidly with the next bout of severe weather.
Tornado sirens remain important tool for citizen safety
Although the spring 2010 has been quiet in terms of severe weather, tornado sirens remain an important community tool, city emergency officials say.
In Oklahoma City, the sirens mean the National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for one or more counties that Oklahoma City stretches into.
The City sounds all of its sirens in the county for which a warning has been issued.
The sirens are residents’ cue to go indoors and immediately turn on a television or radio and get information about the storm’s intensity and location.
“Activating all of the sirens may irritate some residents, but it is incumbent on us to err on the side of safety,” Oklahoma City’s emergency manager, Police Sgt. Frank Barnes said. “We want to give all residents sufficient time to take protective actions.
“We know it can be sunny on Midwest Boulevard in the eastern half of Oklahoma City while a tornado is brewing near Rockwell in the western part of the City.
Severe weather and tornados move, and drivers need to know what they might be traveling into. It also gives people an opportunity to call family and friends in the threatened area to make sure they heard the warning.”
Sirens sound for three minutes each time they are activated and are sounded each time a new warning is issued.
“It’s important to know that when the sirens stop, it does not indicate the threat of a tornado has passed. Oklahoma City does not give an “all clear” signal.”
Those who need to take cover should bring a battery-operated or all-hazards weather radio with them so they can track the storm and will know when danger has passed.
There is no uniform statewide or nationwide policy on when to sound tornado sirens. Different cities have different policies.
Oklahoma City tests tornado sirens at noon on Saturdays when there is no threat of severe weather.


New Roots Farm Incubator Coop
Address: 501 10 St N Moorhead, MN, 56560
Email Address: email@example.com
New Roots Farm Incubator Cooperative was designed to provide support for beginning farmers by offering a lease to farmland, the shared use of equipment & facilities, and training that provide support for launching fresh vegetable production. We currently have 12 farmers sharing a 3 acre parcel north of Moorhead, MN.
We follow organic farming practices, with heavy use of compost and hand tools.


Natural Rubber Dummy - Sage Green - Cub and Bear Co.
The Natural Rubber Dummy with its round/cherry shape teat is one of the safest and most hygienic dummies in the market! With its one-piece design it eliminates places where bacteria can hide. The round shape teat coupled with the large soft shield touches the baby's nose, providing closer simulation to breastfeeding. Gorgeous Sage Green colour.
Small (0-3 months)
Medium (3-6 months)
Large (6 months +)
FEATURES / CARE
No chemical softeners
Made with 100% sustainable rubber from the Hevea Brasiliensis
Eco friendly biodegradable dummies, Eco packaging
Natural Rubber Soothers meet Australian Safety standards for soothers (AS2432-1991/2008) FDA, European standards (EN1400) and GB 4806.2-94 standards
Natural Rubber Soothers is a family run Australian business that offers eco friendly and ethically made products. They want to help families make safer and greener parenting choices by offering safe and natural dummies and tethers.


Ilha De Queimada Grande
Golden lancehead newborns and youthful snakes feed on invertebrates. Scientists consider thatabout eleven,000 years in the past, a rise in sea levels gradually separated the Ilha da Queimada Grande Island from mainland Brazil, resulting in the isolation of the species. The snakes, due to this fact, advanced over thousands of years on a unique path compared to their mainland cousins.
In truth, people as soon as tried to wipe them out by setting fires, in hopes that they could then use the island for growing bananas. And overzealous collectors have triggered the inhabitants to say no by over-collection of specimens for science in addition to for the unlawful wild animal trade. The species feeds totally on migratory birds that use the island as a rest-stop, so in fact potential changes from sea stage rise or any adjustments in the habits of migrating birds might also spell disaster for the species.
The island consists of bare rocky areas, open grassy areas, and lowland rainforest; the latter covers approximately 60% of the complete island , and is the typical habitat of the target species. Altitudinal variation in the island ranges from 0 to 200 m above sea degree . The local weather is subtropical with two outstanding seasons; one wet and heat and the other dry and cold (April to September, see for particulars).
Brazil’s Forbidden Snake Island
However, the island can be residence to many other giant birds, millipedes, varied lizards, spiders, and other snakes. Any of those creatures might probably prey on neonate vipers or viper eggs. Based on the limited information on this species, the golden lancehead viper has no predators on the island. The golden lancehead doesn’t make many headlines in comparison with different dangerous snakes.
Of course, Duarte et al. also stress that there’s a lack of remark of this species, as a result of inaccessibility of the island Queimada Grande, and that simply because a relationship between B. insularis and different species has not been noticed doesn’t mean that such a relationship doesn’t exist. In the past, fires have been intentionally started on the island in anattempt to remove the golden lancehead snakes sothat acreage on the island could be utilized for plantation agriculture. The island’s name, Ilha da Queimada Grande, is a Portuguese title that loosely translates to Slash and Burn Fire or Big Burnt Island. The name refers to an try made by early builders to determine a banana plantation on the island through the slash and burn methodology, which is an environmentally harmful method. Such activities probably led to the dying of a major population of snakes on the island.
Unfortunately, because of lack of direct observation, not much is known of the golden lancehead and its ecological function on the island. Thankfully, the commonest snakes in the UK usually are not lethal, with the adder the one venomous species. Many of the birds that arrive on the island and find yourself being food for the snakes originate on the mainland in Brazil, which lies some 33km away.
Significance Of The Golden Lancehead Snake
Accounting for detectability improves the estimation of population charges, together with abundance and dynamics, crucial for managing species . Improving detection likelihood estimates by way of good sampling design and predictor variables is essential as a result of it offers support for the evaluation of all other parameters . This, in flip, permits simpler management tips to be applied in snake populations , . Since the black-market demand has risen, the population of snakes in Snake Island has decreased by 15% in the final 15 years. The major purpose and the main menace to the animal is habitat destruction.
Ilha da Queimada Grande, located about 90 miles off the São Paulo coast, seems like one other a kind of beautiful locations—at first look. Almost every Brazilian is aware of concerning the island, however most would by no means dream of going there—it’s infested with between 2,000 and 4,000 golden lancehead vipers, one of many deadliest snakes in the whole world. The research of snake populations has gained more consideration up to now years, however information on inhabitants biology and dynamics of most species remains to be lacking. To our information, the golden lancehead is the primary Neotropical snake to have such information out there while accounting for imperfect detection.
” says Daily Mail commenter “Libbitylobs” in a moment of quiet self-reflection. Herpetologists at Brazil’s Butantan Institute have developed an anti-venom for the navy and scientists to take with them once they go to Snake Island. But they aren’t actually certain how a lot to manage within the case of a snakebite, or how the serum may affect the sufferer. To discover proof of this conspiracy, you want look no additional than Ilha da Queimada Grande, a tiny island with an enormous name that’s about ninety miles off the coast of Brazil.
Other Snake Profiles:
insularis are discovered within the wild, if that population is wiped out, then the species might be extinct in the wild. Adult Bothrops insularis are the one animals on the island of Queimada Grande which have been reported to eat birds. There are different fauna, similar to frogs, lizards, and birds, on the island that eat invertebrates, however as a result of bugs are so plentiful in ecosystems, they may not be a limiting resource. Therefore, research must be carried out to determine whether or not juvenile and newborn golden lanceheads should compete for meals with different fauna. Sexually mature Bothrops insularis mate throughout August and September, and have been known to mate both in the timber and on the bottom. The common dimension for a litter of golden lanceheads is 6.5 newborns.


Sustainability Efforts Towards Cost Optimization of Building Energy Performance In Architectural Design
Marko Jaušovec, PhD in Architecture, Assistant Professor, UM FGPA
Metka Sitar, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor, UM FGP
The building industry's high consumption of raw materials and energy has a significant impact on sustainability, with the EU building sector alone responsible for 38% of CO2 emissions and 40% of energy consumption. To reduce emissions, the EU introduced the Energy Performance of Buildings Directives, which Slovenian Regulations for the Efficient Use of Energy in Buildings further harmonized in 2010.
While sustainable architecture guidelines focus on energy efficiency measures, life cycle cost (LCC) evaluation is necessary to assess the cost-effectiveness of building alternatives over their lifetimes. However, many LCC assessment methods exclude operational costs, such as maintenance, service, replacement, cleaning, and demolishing costs, that add considerable value to the building's lifetime period. Additionally, most LCC analyses are limited to life-time periods of 30, 50, or 80 years, missing an assessment of cost evolution during defined intervals. To fill this research gap, a study introduced a comprehensive cost- optimized evaluation method based on Building Information Modelling (BIM) supporting LCC assessment. The study focused on heating systems' cost-effectiveness, with gas, pellet, and heat pump systems evaluated for three advanced prefabricated system envelopes used for a single-family house. Accordingly, the study included five BIM use purposes categories of the BIM based LCC assessment as (i) gather, (ii) generate, (iii) analyze, (iv) communicate, and (v) realize. In order to exploit the automated evaluation process in the computing environment several programs were used, as ArchiCAD, the BIM software for architectural design and modelling for the case study BIM model, and the BEM evaluation, carried out in combination with Legep, a tool providing a database for building elements including the respective costs for construction, energy, water, wastewater, cleaning, maintenance, replacement investment, regular repair, observed in their time cycles over the 50 years’ life time.
The study's assessment confirmed the assumption that the optimal value parameters of high-performance buildings do not only depend on energy-efficient design solutions, and operational costs calculated by LCC analyses do not only depend on energy costs. The study outcomes represent a novelty in terms of the feasibility of building constructions, providing interesting insights into sustainable architectural design. Link:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338251136_Sustainability_Efforts_towards_Cost_ Optimization_of_Building_Energy_Performance_in_Architectural_DesignOptimizacija_trosko va_u_okviru_odrzive_energetske_ucinkovitosti_zgrada_u_arhitektonskom_projektir
The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.


Energy Management Solutions for Everyone
Who doesn't love coming home to a warm, welcoming house? Or for your heating/cooling system to automatically adjust the temperature based on pre-selected scheduling? An energy management system allows you to monitor and control the energy consumption of your home's heating and cooling systems, the lights, the electronics, and some large household appliances, giving you a detailed history, as well as an accurate real-time analysis, so you know exactly what to expect the next time you get an energy bill.
Even more than just managing consumption, an energy management system also allows you to monitor the energy that is being created by your solar power, solar thermal or hydrogen fuel cell. Managing your energy is no longer about just trying to use less, but it is also helping you to work to become energy independent one day. Profound Technologies is ready to help you manage your energy systems with the most modern technological advancements available.
So why is Profound Technologies the leader in energy management systems?
Energy management systems are supposed to bring technology home, making your life better and simpler, not more complicated. You want the technology to blend naturally into your home and lifestyle. Really, you just want everything to work, and work reliably, so you don't have to think about it. That's what you get with a Profound Technologies energy management system.
Profound Technologies' energy management solutions don't just add technology to your home; they simplify all the technology that's already there. They don't add layers of complexity; they remove them.
Your life, family, and home are unique. Unlike "one size fits all" solutions, a Profound Technologies' energy management system is infinitely customizable to blend in with your lifestyle.
Premier support is more than a responsibility at Profound, it's an extension of their commitment to providing the best, easiest customer experience. Profound Technologies is supported by a nationwide network of technicians, and they are ready to assist you with energy management system options.


Sarah-Louise Ruder is a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia’s Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability. Interdisciplinary by training, Sarah-Louise is an environmental social scientist studying food and agriculture in Canada. She holds a Master of Environmental Studies and an Honours Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo and Queen’s University, respectively. Her research explores transitions to more sustainable, food secure, and just food systems and the politics of novel agri-food technologies. She employs critical, reflexive, and intersectional feminist approaches across her research, writing, teaching, and activism.


Chicago Booth: 2017 Energy Forward Conference
The trends and opportunities that are defining the energy markets this year and into the future.
Please join us Friday, April 21st in Chicago for the 2017 Energy Forward conference, as we examine trends and opportunities that are defining the energy markets this year and beyond.
You'll gain insights from industry leaders, network with investors and practitioners, and plant yourself in the center of Chicago's energy community. Topics and questions will included the outlook for US oil markets and upstream activity, outlook for the US renewable sector, energy policy developpment and effects on markets, investment opportunities in the smart grid and utilities, and innovative new energy business models,
Register HERE Today!
This event is hosted by the University of Chicago Booth School.


Do you have redundant IT equipment you’d like us to collect, completely free of charge?
Fill in the form below with details of your organisation and the items you’d like us to collect, and we’ll be in touch to arrange a collection at your convenience.
** If you produce more than 500 kg annually of any waste classified as Hazardous and the site producing the waste is located in Wales; you are legally required to register your site as a producer with National Resources Wales & receive a site Premises Code. Please tick exempt if less than 500 kg.
Sites in England, Scotland & Northern Ireland are not required to register, please tick exempt.


Take climate action into the community
At Kensington and Chelsea, we’re taking climate change seriously. In October 2019, we declared a climate emergency, and since then our Climate Change Team has been responsible for delivering our Climate Emergency Action Plan. Working towards carbon neutrality and taking a stand for nature is a fundamental part of our ambitious plans for the future. But we can’t do it alone. As a Climate Emergency Engagement Officer, you can help us reach our goals, putting the people and environment of Kensington and Chelsea first at every turn. This is a truly unique opportunity to make an impact where it matters, and to deliver real change and support to the socially and economically excluded communities, traditionally underrepresented and residents most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
In this role, you’ll develop a strategic climate engagement strategy that aims to promote greater awareness about tackling the climate crisis across Kensington and Chelsea and involving residents in climate decision making. You’ll build strong partnerships and genuine collaboration with residents, schools, businesses, and a whole host of other organisations across the borough, working in tandem to increase participation and civic engagement on the climate change agenda.
Working closely with the members of the Climate Change Team, you’ll help inform, engage, inspire, and empower residents, communities, partners, and businesses to take climate action in their local areas. This will involve outreach, organising events and trainings, developing and delivering communication campaigns, consultation and codesign work, and delivering projects. This is a varied and multifaceted role, and so you’ll need to show real flexibility in supporting the Climate Change Team reach their goals.
Please refer to the Job Description for more information
You’ll be educated to degree level in an environmental subject or other relevant subject area, with demonstratable knowledge about the current climate change issues affecting local authorities. You’ll also have an excellent understanding of environmental sustainability issues, climate change, energy – including current legislation and national policy in an inner London setting – and the ability to provide appropriate guidance relating to them.
With experience of developing and implementing practical solutions to environmental and sustainability issues, you’ll be capable of managing and delivering in all aspects of programmes - from inception to delivery. A natural communicator, you’ll be capable of communicating and engaging with a wide range of individuals and groups both verbally and in writing. On a personal level, you’ll be a quick learner with great problem solving, project management, and analytical skills. You’ll have the ability to work under pressure, make effective decisions, and deliver against deadlines. Most importantly, you’ll be a person passionate about getting communities involved in reducing the impacts of climate change on people and natural places. This is an exciting opportunity to do your bit for the planet, and progress your career in a dynamic and motivated local authority.
Please do not upload any documents, including CVs/Covering Letters or supporting statements, as these documents will not be reviewed and could result in your application not being shortlisted.
You should describe how you meet the person specification requirements for the position you are applying for in Section G of the application form.
We are committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.
We engage our staff with a variety of learning types including face-to-face and virtual learning because we want to ensure our staff understand our values and behaviours, grow their skills and develop their careers.
This post is covered by the Fluency Duty, as outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers.
We do not accept speculative CVs from any source.
Please note, we will primarily contact candidates by e-mail throughout the recruitment process, please monitor your email junk / spam folder as our system generated emails may be allocated to these folders by your email settings.
Interview date: Week commencing 29th August 2022