Research pipeline
Who gets funded will depend a bit on where money comes from. The founder’s focus is Taxonomy (naming species) as an upstream priority (before they become extinct and we can't do it anymore). We will initially focus on some more practical priorities such as Spiders in Agriculture (which is a favourite of the founder). As funds managed get larger we will appoint a research advisory panel to help prioritise. This will allow competitive selection of the best R&D projects.
Contact us if you would like to see your project here or would like to fundraise for your own work. Contact us if you would like to partner to fund these or other projects.
See our annual reports for more information on where we invest.
Social Capital to underpin natural resource management.
The way people relate to other species and the landscape is out of balance and harmony. Extinctions of species and degenerating landscape functions will come back to bite us if we don’t get this right. The Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services IPBES recognise that indigenous approaches are often better at managing landscapes than science alone. While we have National Parks, environmental regulations and treaties mixed with private property these social and institutional arrangements are changing fast.
This research and development program will focus on indigenous approaches to ecology and relationships in the landscape. Preserving and celebrating the oldest continuous cultures and languages can help preserve functional ecologies associated with these cultures. These systems usually involve systems of totems. Understanding these approaches will help ecoconnected people understand the meaning of their species.
https://www.ecoconnect.me/martuwarra
Adansonia gregorii the Australian Boab tree in the Martuwarra Fittzroy river. Boab is also called Djungeri, the Bardi aboriginal name is Larrgid and the Nyikina people of Derby call it Larrkardiy.
Spider protecting fruit
Predators for productivity
Predators prevent or postpone pumping pesticide and promote productivity in potatoes, peas, parsley, and particularly perennials like Pinot noir, and pistachio. OK, so that's my fun. This project is a collaboration between Ecoconnections and the Australasian Arachnology Society with Horticulturists and Viticulturists across the world.
Many spiders living in vineyards and horticultural enterprises across the world are undescribed. They are also doing a great job. Eating pests and keeping these agro-ecologies in balance. This project will encourage horticulturists, viticulturists and anyone working in agriculture to use Citizen Science applications and especially record spiders and other predators. link to details on how to join in
Taxonomy in New Guinea
New Guinea is highly biodiverse and provides great opportunity for Taxonomists. Dillian Nason discovered 14 new frog species during work for her honours degree. Dillian will be encouraged to develop a network of local Citizen Scientists to further her survey work of amphibians. Where funds allow the taxonomic effort will be expanded beyond amphibians.
Amphibian taxonomy will be considered in the general strategic context of Taxonomy for New Guinea.
Podcast with Dillian
Dillian Nason sampling frog DNA in the lab
Male Oritropha spp
Identification of native butterflies and moths.
More than one thousand species of these animals occur on the island of Tasmania but most are poorly known. Surveys will be conducted in a variety of habitats to discover their distribution, record their larvae and the plants which they depend on for food and nectar.
All new species discovered will be formally described, named and their conservation status determined.
Biodiversity survey of native grasslands.
Native Tasmanian grasslands are rich in species of flowering plants and small animals. Only a small percentage of this habitat remains in good condition and this area is still declining. Comprehensive surveys are needed to document the native species which are typical of these environments before the opportunity is lost.
Male Munionga spp
Dirceaesiodora spp looper
Gondwanan plants and associated species:
Australia has many plants which have survived since the time of Gondwana (300 million years ago) when the southern hemsiphere land masses were joined. This project will examine the animals which depend on these plants to determine if they too are Gondwanan in origin, and therefore give a glimpse of the plant-animal communities of early Australia.
Support an emerging artist:
Ecoconnected people are encouraged to do some art to express themselves and the place of their species in the universe. Sue Liu is an emerging wildlife artist raising funds to publish a series of hand drawn books. This project will support part of Sue’s publication costs.
How much do you spend on petrol, eating out, coffee? Ecoconnect someone and reshape the economy by funding some biodiversity research and development.