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From
the Fire Trail to the Freeway
Bruce
Mitchell
A chainsaw, GPS, compasses, maps, first
aid kit, swag and a computer, don’t seem like the
usual combination of items you might find in the back of a
scientists car.
For NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Research
Officer, Bruce Mitchell however, they are almost essential.
Working in the Blue Mountains region of NSW, Australia, Bruce
describes these items as part of the equipment he uses daily.
"I use them everyday,” Bruce explains. “Driving on fire
trails, I have to have a chainsaw on hand at all times.”
Habits are hard to break apparently, as even though Bruce
was not out in the Bush today, his trusty chainsaw - along
with all his other equipment - can still be found in the boot
of his four-wheel-drive.
Beers by the Lake
...it was time to kick back...have a couple of
beers, and enjoy the view of the lake.
A lot smoother than fire trails; Bruce spent most of his April
14th on the freeway, driving from Sydney to the University
of New South Wales Field Station, at Smiths Lake on the NSW
Central Coast. For the next six days he was going to be staying
at the field station and helping out as a guest demonstrator
for a University field camp.
After arriving at Smiths Lake late in the afternoon, Bruce
helped to set up the camp for the students who were coming
up the next day. When that was done it was time to kick back
with a few of the other demonstrators who had also arrived
early, have a couple of beers, and enjoy the view of the lake.
Dam Pigs
In his work for the NSW NPWS, Bruce is currently researching
the impact and abundance of Feral Pigs in the Warragamba Catchment
area. The
Warragamba Catchment area comprises more than 9,000 square
kilometres and includes the land surrounding all the rivers
and streams west of Sydney that flow into Lake Burragorang
and Warragamba Dam.
"We don’t have much of a handle on what damage the pigs
are doing out there – or how many there are,” says Bruce.
“Looking at how many there are will probably be fairly difficult,
so I’m going to concentrate mainly on the impacts and the
threshold
levels of damage.”
"...It’s difficult work, but it’s interesting.”
By determining how large feral
pig populations get before they start to cause serious
damage, Bruce is hoping to be able to better inform wildlife
officers when they need to begin culling
operations.
From Dogs, to Pigs, back to Dogs
Although he has always loved the Bush, Bruce came to science
a bit later than most students. After completing an apprenticeship,
he decided he needed a change and enrolled in a Bachelor of
Science at UNSW. He completed his degree with honours in 2003
after spending his final year studying the interaction between
foxes
and wild
dogs in the Blue Mountains.
This is an area Bruce hopes to return to in the future.
" This will probably be it for feral pigs, I have had
enough of them,” he laughs. “I want to get back into Canid
ecology if I can. It’s difficult work, but it’s interesting.”
Written and edited by David Murray
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