A new degree course in restoration ecology being offered by The University of Western Australia (UWA) at its Albany Centre will make effective use of local land and waterway restoration initiatives as part of its field work component.
The Course Coordinator, Dr Barbara Cook, said that Albany provided an ideal location for the course because UWA, through its Centre for Excellence in Natural Resource Management and the Institute for Regional Development, had established strong networks with environmental scientists from government agencies, such as the Departments of Agriculture and Environment and CALM.
“This is a degree that really makes use of the Albany location in terms of biodiversity and natural resources,” said Dr Cook, a Research Fellow at the Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management. “As the restoration of environments is a major issue in Australia right now, we are taking advantage of the fact that there are lots of examples of restoration initiatives in Albany – from the replanting of seagrass in Oyster Harbour to the restoration of riparian vegetation.”
The entire course will be delivered in Albany, with electronic lectures coming from the UWA campus for the Perth based units in the degree. Many of the second, and particularly third year units, will be delivered entirely from Albany, and there will be an emphasis on field based studies.
Students interested in knowing more about the course should access the web site www.albany.uwa.edu.au or phone the Albany Centre on (08) 9842 0888 or UWA Admissions in Perth on (08) 6488 2477 (outside Perth: 1800 653 050).
* Copy supplied by UWA
