On the evening of Thursday 30th July, MCCG held its first Public Meeting of 2020 in Brookfield Hall. Prof. Jennifer Firn from QUT gave us a very interesting talk on the subject ‘The tale of two non-native grasses’. Prof. Firn, who is an environmental ecologist, proved to be a very enthusiastic and engaging speaker. She told us that there are approximately 2200 non-native (exotic) grasses that have been introduced to Australia since white settlement, far outnumbering the native species. Some of them have agricultural benefits, but many have spread into conservation areas where they have a negative impact on biodiversity and traditional aboriginal methods of land management. The talk was greeted enthusiastically by the audience, which was limited by the need to comply with covid-19 restrictions.
Photo Caption: Jim Pope presenting a gift to Prof. Firn in appreciation of her talk.
