scholarly journals Envisioning Predator Free Miramar

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Shanika Tuinder

<p><b>Rapid urbanisation and population growth has led to the fragmentation of vital ecosystems, disconnecting communities from the natural environment, and escalating the worldwide biodiversity crisis that we are currently experiencing. In 2015, New Zealand responded to its biodiversity crisis with the most significant large-scale conservation strategy the nation has seen. The Predator Free 2050 initiative aims to facilitate environmental changes for its indigenous flora and fauna to thrive again.</b></p> <p>New Zealand’s conservation approach has typically focused on predator management through off-shore islands and in fenced eco-sanctuaries. However, in order to achieve this nationwide predator-free status, conservation efforts must be extended into the urban realm. The success of this will rely heavily on the engagement of the public. This presents an opportunity to potentiate new knowledge around the links between community engagement and conservation in order to generate socio- ecological relations in urban environments. From a case study approach, this research will explore how landscape architecture can respond to the issues of biodiversity loss, land scarcity, and urban disconnect from nature by strengthening the relationship between social infrastructure and ecological health in an urban environment.</p> <p>Miramar Peninsula (Wellington) has seen strong community efforts to become the first predator free suburb in the country. Its size and defensibility make it a logical starting point to begin predator management across Wellington city. Watts Peninsula is a prominent cultural and historical landmark located on the northern tip of Miramar Peninsula. Despite its rich heritage, the area receives low levels of public use and is overrun by exotic species. Recently, government funding was allocated to provide recreational, safety and cultural benefits through the establishment of a reserve at Watts Peninsula. This presents an opportunity to address the future upgrade of the reserve by following the principles of Predator Free 2050 initiative, linking conservation with socio-ecological resilience.</p> <p>Watts reserve has been approached as a case study for developing design-led research. The research is oriented towards facilitating the ecological transformation of the area at the same time that social inclusiveness is embraced. In order to generate tangible changes, a range of small, strategic and feasible spatial interventions have been explored. The applied research methodology showcases the capacity of universities to develop civic engagement by linking national debates with local needs. The final aim of the research is to reflect how landscape architecture can catalyse the urban conservation movement to improve the habitability and sociability of our cities.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Shanika Tuinder

<p><b>Rapid urbanisation and population growth has led to the fragmentation of vital ecosystems, disconnecting communities from the natural environment, and escalating the worldwide biodiversity crisis that we are currently experiencing. In 2015, New Zealand responded to its biodiversity crisis with the most significant large-scale conservation strategy the nation has seen. The Predator Free 2050 initiative aims to facilitate environmental changes for its indigenous flora and fauna to thrive again.</b></p> <p>New Zealand’s conservation approach has typically focused on predator management through off-shore islands and in fenced eco-sanctuaries. However, in order to achieve this nationwide predator-free status, conservation efforts must be extended into the urban realm. The success of this will rely heavily on the engagement of the public. This presents an opportunity to potentiate new knowledge around the links between community engagement and conservation in order to generate socio- ecological relations in urban environments. From a case study approach, this research will explore how landscape architecture can respond to the issues of biodiversity loss, land scarcity, and urban disconnect from nature by strengthening the relationship between social infrastructure and ecological health in an urban environment.</p> <p>Miramar Peninsula (Wellington) has seen strong community efforts to become the first predator free suburb in the country. Its size and defensibility make it a logical starting point to begin predator management across Wellington city. Watts Peninsula is a prominent cultural and historical landmark located on the northern tip of Miramar Peninsula. Despite its rich heritage, the area receives low levels of public use and is overrun by exotic species. Recently, government funding was allocated to provide recreational, safety and cultural benefits through the establishment of a reserve at Watts Peninsula. This presents an opportunity to address the future upgrade of the reserve by following the principles of Predator Free 2050 initiative, linking conservation with socio-ecological resilience.</p> <p>Watts reserve has been approached as a case study for developing design-led research. The research is oriented towards facilitating the ecological transformation of the area at the same time that social inclusiveness is embraced. In order to generate tangible changes, a range of small, strategic and feasible spatial interventions have been explored. The applied research methodology showcases the capacity of universities to develop civic engagement by linking national debates with local needs. The final aim of the research is to reflect how landscape architecture can catalyse the urban conservation movement to improve the habitability and sociability of our cities.</p>


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 308-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsuying C. Ward ◽  
Ming-Tsan P. Lu ◽  
Brendan H. O'Connor ◽  
Terry Overton

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline findings from practitioner research with a university faculty learning community (FLC) that organized itself to effect bottom-up change. The study explores beliefs about the efficacy of collaboration among members of the FLC and serves as a best case of grassroots faculty collaboration during a period of institutional change. Design/methodology/approach – This is a case study using semi-structured interviews with FLC members and document review of short-term learning data from students who participated in workshops offered by the FLC. Findings – Creative faculty responses to challenges posed by large-scale institutional transformation improved the teaching and learning environment for faculty and students. This case study highlights four characteristics that were crucial to the success of this FLC and which could provide a helpful starting point for faculty collaboration at other institutions. Research limitations/implications – This is a preliminary, self-reflective study with a small number of participants working at a unique institution. Findings are presented not as strictly generalizable truths about faculty collaboration in higher education, but as “lessons learned” that may be valuable to other faculty seeking to take a more proactive role in contexts of institutional change. Practical implications – This case study highlights four characteristics that were crucial to the success of this FLC and which could provide a helpful starting point for faculty collaboration at other institutions. Social implications – This study illustrates how bottom-up, faculty-led collaboration can address institutional problems in a university setting. Creative faculty responses to challenges posed by large-scale institutional transformation can improve the teaching and learning environment for faculty and students. Originality/value – This study documents one FLC’s innovative responses to institutional challenges and shifts the conversation about university-based teaching and learning away from bureaucratic mandates related to faculty interactions and productivity and toward faculty’s organic responses to changing institutional conditions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Bomhauer-Beins ◽  
Corinna de Guttry ◽  
Beate Ratter

The concept of resilience has greatly contributed to the scientific discussion on human–nature interactions by analysing the dynamics, relationships and feedbacks between society and the natural environment at different levels. In this paper, we analyse how culture and societal dynamics influence those connections and, at the same time, have the potential to eventually hinder or foster social-ecological resilience. In order to do so, we take the example of a natural element which is also a cultural icon: the Conch (pronounced ‘konk’). Conch is a marine mollusc with significant social and cultural value for the islands’ society of The Bahamas. In the last decade, a decline in several Conch stocks has been documented, calling for an urgent sustainable management strategy. Nevertheless, only little efforts are happening. This case study offers an innovative understanding of resilience by introducing an aspect which is too often overseen: the role of culture in shaping social-ecological resilience. In this case study, the role of culture proved to be crucial as the cultural significance and embeddedness of Conch has made the management process challenging. But at the same time, culture can be used as a positive impulse towards adaptive management and as a starting point for sustainability. When culture materializes, it affects not only societal dynamics but also the vulnerability and the resilience process of the entire social-ecological system.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 193-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leon Bodenhagen ◽  
Kerstin Fischer ◽  
Trine S. Winther ◽  
Rosalyn M. Langedijk ◽  
Mette M. Skjøth

AbstractThis article discusses the process of developing robot use cases using large-scale ethnographic observation as a starting point. In particular, during 296 hours of ethnographic observation of the workflows at seventeen departments at Odense University Hospital, 607 processes were described and subsequently annotated. The ethnographic method provided rich, contextually situated data that can be searched and categorized for use case development, which is illustrated on an example use case, describing the process and illustrating the type of data elicited, discussing the problems encountered and providing downloadable tools for other researchers interested in similar approaches to use case development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Mertens ◽  
Alastair Brown

Human impacts on the Earth have become so pervasive as to drive global scale changes leading some scientists to propose a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. A name which reflects the huge and sweeping changes human activities have caused to the Earth. Furthermore, these rapidly expanding and accelerating activities threaten to push aspects of the Earth system beyond&nbsp; the relatively stable and safe space in which the entirety of human history occurred, the Holocene. This safe operating space is characterised by a set of nine planetary boundaries1 within which humanity should be able to continue to develop and thrive for generations to come. These include: climate change, biosphere integrity, biogeochemical flows and freshwater use. Crossing these boundaries risks generating large-scale, rapid or irreversible environmental changes. Reducing the environmental impact of our activities in order to keep within a safe operating space for humanity and the linked goal of providing a basic social foundation for everyone requires global actions. Every individual, company, institution and organisation, whether large or small, public or private, needs to contribute &ndash; &lsquo;think global, act local&rsquo;. Scientific publishing as a key player in discussing and disseminating research on climate heating and the biodiversity crisis has transformed from print to digital journals and e-books over recent decades but we must do more. The European Association of Science Editors (EASE) is an international community of individuals and associations engaged in science communication and editing. As such, EASE can help and support its members to engage in different ways to achieve and communicate efforts to reduce our environmental footprints for example by becoming carbon neutral (or even carbon negative) irrespective of the type of organisation they work in. Below are some suggestions for how editors can take steps to reduce their environmental footprint in their own particular circumstances and thereby contribute to the overall effort to reduce environmental damages. Not all suggestions will be relevant to everyone and structural or organisational change will have a greater impact than individual actions, but together we can make a difference.


1996 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Halpin ◽  
Barbara Herrmann ◽  
Margaret Whearty

The family described in this article provides an unusual opportunity to relate findings from genetic, histological, electrophysiological, psychophysical, and rehabilitative investigation. Although the total number evaluated is large (49), the known, living affected population is smaller (14), and these are spread from age 20 to age 59. As a result, the findings described above are those of a large-scale case study. Clearly, more data will be available through longitudinal study of the individuals documented in the course of this investigation but, given the slow nature of the progression in this disease, such studies will be undertaken after an interval of several years. The general picture presented to the audiologist who must rehabilitate these cases is that of a progressive cochlear degeneration that affects only thresholds at first, and then rapidly diminishes speech intelligibility. The expected result is that, after normal language development, the patient may accept hearing aids well, encouraged by the support of the family. Performance and satisfaction with the hearing aids is good, until the onset of the speech intelligibility loss, at which time the patient will encounter serious difficulties and may reject hearing aids as unhelpful. As the histological and electrophysiological results indicate, however, the eighth nerve remains viable, especially in the younger affected members, and success with cochlear implantation may be expected. Audiologic counseling efforts are aided by the presence of role models and support from the other affected members of the family. Speech-language pathology services were not considered important by the members of this family since their speech production developed normally and has remained very good. Self-correction of speech was supported by hearing aids and cochlear implants (Case 5’s speech production was documented in Perkell, Lane, Svirsky, & Webster, 1992). These patients received genetic counseling and, due to the high penetrance of the disease, exhibited serious concerns regarding future generations and the hope of a cure.


2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. McMullin ◽  
A. R. Jacobsen ◽  
D. C. Carvan ◽  
R. J. Gardner ◽  
J. A. Goegan ◽  
...  

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