WMSSA Events and Activities

The WMSSA holds and contributes to a number of events including public meetings, workshops and conferences. The Society also undertakes other activities aimed at raising awareness of weeds, their impacts and best practice management and behaviours. This page provides details for the following activities:

• Public Meetings
• Workshops
• Conferences
• Other Activities

Public Meetings

Public meetings are held approximately every two months in Adelaide at various venues. The meetings are free of charge and are open to all members of the public. Members of the WMSSA are informed of public meetings via an email network and the Society's newsletter WeedWise. If you would to suggest a discussion topic for a public meeting or would like to make a presentation, please email us at info@wmssa.org.au

Next Public Meeting

WMSSA Annual General Meeting

3.30pm, Tuesday 13th November, 2007 at the
Charles Hawker Lecture Room 5, Waite Campus, Adelaide University.

Past Annual General Meetings

WMSSA AGM
4.30pm, Thursday 9th November, 2006
Charles Hawker Conference Centre, Waite Campus, Waite Road, Urrbrae

AGM proceedings including the election of new committee will take place during the course of the afternoon. Drinks and nibbles will be available. We look forward to seeing you there!

Past Public Meetings

The Society has been fortunate enough to have had local, national and international experts deliver interesting and informative presentations at public meetings. Topics have included:

• Early detection systems for weeds
• The community perspective on environmental weed management
• Climate change in natural and agricultural systems: What might it mean for weeds?
• Stories from Europe - New directions in weed management
• Management of Opuntia species and Wheel Cactus
• Plants, weeds and cultural change - the environment and introduced plants since Roman times
• Adelaide’s Botanic Gardens - plant collections, current research and weed issues
• California and southern Australia: similar climates but why different weed problems?
• Aquatic weeds and their impact
• Computer assisted weed management - computer modelling of weed invasions in South Australia
• The future of Regional Weed Management in South Australia
• Fire for weed and native vegetation management
• Significant parasitic weeds - a focus on Orobanche ramosa
• World developments in spray application technology
• New techniques to control weeds - current research at Roseworthy
• Control of plant invasions: win (a few), lose (many) and draw (a lot more)
• The threat of new weeds
• Weeds for sale - how to solve the problem of invasive garden plants
• Herbicide resistant crops - the risks and benefits
• Australian natives as weeds!
• Successes and failures against weeds
• Biocontrol - What's new?

Workshops

Perennial Grass Weeds Workshop

In February 2004, the WMSSA hosted its first workshop at the Waite Institute. The South Australian Perennial Grass Weeds Workshop was a great success with over 140 attendees. A diverse range of issues were discussed and there was lively debate amongst particpants. A summary of the workshop was published in March 2004 edition of WeedWise which is available here. The workshop papers also were published as a special issue of Plant Protection Quarterly.

Conferences

15th Australian Weeds Conference hosted by the WMSSA

The Society will be hosting the 15th Australian Weeds Conference to be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre in September 2006. The theme of the conference is Managing Weeds in a Changing Climate and it will appeal to all weed professionals who are faced with change, whether it be a change in climate, investment, ecology, government, research, society or weed flora.

The WMSSA invites you to share experiences of managing weeds when surrounded by change. For more information and to register for the conference, visit our conference web page www.plevin.com.au/15AWC2006

Other Activities

WMSSA Information Stalls at Garden Shows and Festivals

The WMSSA has always looked to promote weed awareness through stalls and information displays at various environment related public events. WMSSA members have been active participants at these events helping set up and attend stalls at various environmental and garden expos and festivals.

Report from recent WMSSA stalls

In October 2004, members of the WMSSA in collaboration with other environmental groups helped out on 'weedy' stalls at two home and garden shows in Adelaide. The Sunday Mail Home Show and Adelaide Flower and Garden Expo at the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds and the Festival of Garden Living (see photos) at Veale Gardens, South Terrace attracted thousands of enthusiastic gardeners and home renovators. Common garden plants with the potential to escape were on display along with a number of pamphlets, fact and identification sheets, posters and of course Woody the Weed!

Stalls at both shows attracted a number of interested people. Many were quite surprised that the plants on display were plants they have in their garden, not realising that they were environmental weeds! Having displays at these sorts of events has raised awareness amongst Adelaide gardeners that not every plant is a friendly one and garden thugs continue to be planted to the detriment of our native bushland. Many thanks to everyone involved in organising and setting up the displays and the volunteers who helped on the stalls and answered questions and provided advice to members of the public.

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