Last year, the Ecological Society of Australia (ESA) held their annual conference in WA, specifically in the beautiful city of Fremantle - so I obviously had to go! I met so many great people, presented part of my PhD research, and learned so much about the latest ecological research going on throughout Australia. This year, the Ecological Society of Australia joined together with the New Zealand Ecological Society, for EcoTAS17: Putting Ecology to Work!
A pretty nice view of the Hunter Valley from the EcoTas conference!
I'd like to share a few of my favourite moments and personal highlights from the conference, including many of my favourite tweets shared from the conference hashtag #EcoTAS17 - enjoy!
1) Learning about the latest ecological research!
There was such a diverse array of research topics covered in just one week for both Australia and New Zealand. From amazing insects, to tree mortality, to conserving rare species and managing invasives, to the social sciences of ecology, and so much more! Much of this research was also brilliantly summarised in #EcoTAScomic form! I've included one of my comic attempts here...
2) Postgrad Day!
Many thanks to Adrienne Nicotra and Susanna Venn for giving us postgrads the opportunity to meet other postgrads, discuss important topics, and ask questions of a diverse post-postgrad panel! Always an enjoyable day, and I can't wait for the next one!
3) Meeting so many awesome people!
Everyone at this conference was so nice, and it was a pleasure to chat with the organisers, professors, postdocs, fellow students, and everyone in between! I was honoured to be able to meet Bill Holsworth, who has generously provided funds for my research. Special shout-out to the people I originally met through Twitter and to my Perth friends, many of whom were winners at the end of the conference!
4) Presenting my PhD research
I presented a poster about my stable isotope research on the carnivorous plants of the Kimberley region, at the Barbara Rice Memorial Poster Session. I really appreciate everyone who came by to see my poster, and have a chat about the work I've been doing. It was super fun, interesting and motivating to talk with you all!
5) The Science Communication symposium!
As somebody who is super passionate about sci-comm, I was really excited to learn about novel ways to share ecological research, and a bit of the science behind science communication. This symposium did not disappoint, and I was glad to see it was one of the most popular sessions! I'm really looking forward to seeing what the Sci-Comm Research Chapter will evolve into over the years, and excited to contribute in any way I can!
7) Exploring the beautiful Hunter Valley region of NSW
This one is better explained by pictures than words, but oh boy was the conference venue beautiful, with stunning views and wildlife right on our back door! Not to mention all of the lovely stores in town for buying local wines, cheeses, and chocolate fudge!
Before I go, I'd just like to say a few thank yous!
Thank you to the conference organisers for putting together an amazing program, thank you to all of the amazing speakers & poster presenters for sharing your awesome research, and thank you to everyone who tweeted so that we could all look back on a great week!
Notes
If you're interested in learning more, I'd definitely recommend checking out the EcoTas website, the Ecological Society of Australia, the New Zealand Ecological Society, and the hashtags #EcoTAS17 and #EcoTAScomic on Twitter!
If you see your tweet featured in this blog post, and would prefer that it is removed, please message me on Twitter @floraskates and I will do so!