Natural Resources to celebrate volunteers

News article |

The huge contribution of volunteers to natural resource management in the Northern and Yorke area will be celebrated at a lunch in Clare on 16 May as part of National Volunteer Week.

This year's theme, 'Celebrate the Power of Volunteering', marks 25 years of National Volunteer Week and from 12-18 May the work of volunteers across the nation will be recognised and applauded.

Natural Resources Northern and Yorke has more than 1500 volunteers involved across a range of areas including bird watching, heritage restoration, tree planting, waterway management, fencing, pest control and education.

Northern and Yorke Volunteer Support Officer Wendy Cliff says the work of volunteers in local natural resources is invaluable.

"National Volunteer Week 2014 enables us to honour our volunteers who selflessly provide their skills and time to our cause," she says.

"From 12-18 May, we join with other organisations across Australia to celebrate our exceptionally skilled volunteers who are not only an asset to our organisation, but to the way we provide services and support to the community as well."

Volunteers with Natural Resources Northern and Yorke are invited to a lunch to mark the occasion on 16 May, from 11am-2.30pm at Artisans Table, Clare.

Guest speakers Dr Peggy Rismiller, OAM, and Dr Lynley Johnson will provide an insight into their work.

Dr Rismiller is an environmental physiologist and educator who studies the interactions of living organisms and environmental cues.

Associated with the University of Adelaide, Dr Rismiller supervises undergraduate and graduate students as well as a number of volunteers. She is a senior researcher at the Pelican Lagoon Research and Wildlife Centre, a visiting lecturer at the Hannover School of Veterinary Science, Germany, and was awarded the Order of Australia for services to science in 2006.

Dr Johnson is a veterinarian, currently living in Peterborough, who worked for eight years at Adelaide and Monarto Zoos, where she was the primary veterinarian for the giant pandas. She has also worked in Thailand, South Africa, Europe, America and Indonesia.

Numbers for the lunch are limited, so to register your interest in attending, or for information about volunteering, please phone 8841 3444 or email dewnrnorthernandyorkevolunteers@sa.gov.au

Dr Peggy Rismiller

Peggy Rismiller received her Masters and PhD in Biology in Germany. She is an environmental physiologist and educator who studies the interactions of living organisms and environmental cues. Her special interests are circadian rhythms, body temperature regulation and reproduction. In 1988 she immigrated to Australia, made Kangaroo Island her home and began life history studies on echidnas, tiger snakes and goannas.

Peggy supervises undergraduate, graduate students and many volunteers. She works closely with the media, tourism, conservation groups, zoological gardens and the greater community.

She is affiliated with the University of Adelaide, senior researcher at the Pelican Lagoon Research & Wildlife Centre, and a visiting lecturer at the Hannover School of Veterinary Science, Germany.

In 1997 she was elected a member of the international Society of Women Geographer. In 2003 she received an award for climate change research and in 2006 was awarded the Order of Australia for services to science.

Dr Lynley Johnson

Lynley was born and raised in Adelaide before commencing her veterinary studies in Brisbane and then Melbourne.

She spent time during her veterinary degree in the jungles of Thailand where she studied elephant calves. Upon completion of her veterinary degree she has spent time in South Africa, European Zoos and American Chimpanzee rehabilitation centres.

After 8 years at Adelaide and Monarto Zoos, where she was the primary veterinarian for the giant pandas, she took time on sabbatical to work in Indonesia, at the Bali Safari and Marine Park.

She is currently on maternity leave from Zoos SA and living in Peterborough with her partner and daughter.

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