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Changing
the World One Trap at a Time
Dr
Brad Murray
Dept. of Environmental Sciences
University of Technology Sydney
The night is nigh, and we are marching through the frenzy
of paths in the bush. We set up our traps in earnest of what
we may find the next day. This is a day in the life of an
Ecologist.
WEDNESDAY 12TH OF APRIL: AN EARLY START
Today I wake up at 6am to answer the question; does the invasion
of exotic plants have a positive or a negative effect on native
biodiversity?
The previous evening, a couple of my graduate students and
I had been tramping through the bush to set up a trapping
grid in the area of the Manly Dam catchment. We are doing
a biodiversity survey of small mammals to explore their habitat
of native vs. exotic plants.
This morning, we check the Elliot traps to see if any Antechinus
(native insectivorous marsupials), native rats
or indeed any introduced rats (black and brown rats) have
been caught. Our bait in the traps is a mix of oats and peanut
butter. It is extremely pungent, and attracts hungry mammals
(including us at 6am, especially if breakfast has been skipped).
So far we have found three Antechinus and a native bush rat
– all in native vegetation far from weeds. We weigh the animals,
determine their sex and release them. Just another 98 traps
to go!
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY
We are happy to find that within an urban environment surrounded
by houses, roads and football fields, pockets of native
mammal biodiversity still survive and thrive.
The rest of the day is spent documenting the vegetation in
which the traps have been set. We also set out pitfall traps
to assess the range of invertebrates that live in the different
types of vegetation.
WHY DID I CHOOSE TO PURSUE THIS LINE OF WORK?
I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to
contribute meaningfully to the betterment of our beautiful
world. The conservation of biodiversity
is absolutely essential,
and not just for its intrinsic value. Biodiversity provides
us with the goods and services we need to survive. Where
would we be without food, medicine, and clean air and water?
HOW DID I GET HERE?
I did a Bachelor of Science degree
with Honours in Science
at The University of Sydney followed by a Ph.D.
at Macquarie University. I then worked as a research scientist
at CSIRO
in Canberra for 3 years, before moving back to Sydney for
a Lectureship at UTS. With
that all completed, I now spend half of my time in the bush
and half of my time at the University teaching and working
with research students.
ADVICE FOR BUDDING RESEARCHERS/TEACHERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Find what you believe in and pursue it with
dedication, discipline, commitment and
passion. Forget about the naysayers – if
you truly believe that what you are doing is right,
you can achieve anything.
Reporter: Melinda Wong. |
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