Professor Paul Curtis from Cornell University is currently visiting the UNE School of Law in order to progress work he is undertaking with Professor Paul Martin from the Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law. Professor Curtis and Professor Martin are working together on a project relating to what Australian’s would refer to as invasive species management- that is how best to manage animals who are defined as pests.
Even though the US and Australia both have similar challenges in terms of managing wildlife- the types and kinds of the offending wildlife are slightly different. In Australia most of our problems with wildlife stem from introduced species such as foxes and rabbits. In the US though the problem often hails from an overabundance of native species. Many of the problematic native species of animals in the US, such as white-tailed deer, coyotes and Canada geese, thrive in areas where humans have taken up residence. On the other hand, having people residing in these areas is not attractive to the natural predators of these species, such as coyotes , as predators are shy and would rather stay away from humans wherever possible.
Canadian Geese
White Tailed Deer
Professor Curtis works at Cornell University in the Department of Natural Resources. As part of his job Professor Curtis engages in extensive community engagement where he learns the stories of the local residents. He then provides guidance based on his experience as to what may best help the area or stakeholder group.
Cornell University is situated near Ithaca in New York State. When most of us think about New York- New York City and Long Island is probably the image that comes to mind. There is however, a whole other aspect to New York State which is comprised of idyllic wilderness and a pristine river system and this is where Ithaca is situated. Ithaca is a smaller regional centre with a population of 35,000 residents. Interestingly enough an extra 35,000 students also call Ithaca home for nine months of the year. Unlike UNE the vast majority of these students are based on campus. Aside from being an educational centre the Ithaca region also specialises in wine growing, dairy farming, fishing and tourism!
River in Ithaca
Apart from being surrounded by an exquisite and pristine environment, Cornell University is also unique as it is both a public and private university. This means students with exceptional academic ability are welcome to study there notwithstanding their socio- economic situation.
We are sure you will all agree it is terrific to see experts from the US and Australia working together in terms of sharing their experience and coming up with strategies to protect our precious biodiversity!
