USE OF CITIZEN SCIENCE TO ENGAGE UNDERGRADUATE SCIENCE STUDENTS IN BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT

Use of Citizen Science approaches provide an opportunity for enhancing understanding in biodiversity. Citizen Science contribute to develop skills in students to conduct and develop participatory inventories of biodiversity. Here we present the use of the application iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/) in two undergraduate units of study in the Faculty of Science at The University of Sydney, in which learning outcomes focus on students being able to identify the major components of biodiversity and how this could be assessed through various methodologies. An introduction to Citizen Science was embedded in the junior unit Concepts of Animal Management (Year 1), in which veterinary biology, animal science and agricultural programs participate. Students were engaged with learning how to make observations and calculating measurements of biodiversity (eg, species richness) within the main campus of the University (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/biodiversity-richness-usyd-camperdown-campus). Since 2017, more than 120 observations have been made by students. Under COVID-19 conditions, the Wildlife Research (Year 3) unit was taught remotely with students focussed on joining, contributing to and evaluating one of the current Citizen Science projects available in iNaturalist, promoting critical thinking of strategies that engage the public. So far activities have been well received by students, including the unconventional teaching and self-learning outside of the classroom

IMPACTFUL LESSONS THROUGH EMBEDDING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS INTO SCIENCE CURRICULA

The University of Sydney has identified the embedding of cultural competence into academic programs as one of its core Graduate Qualities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). This knowledge, surrounding animals, plants and the environment, is embedded in stories and paintings used to pass on knowledge and cultural practices. Despite the challenges posed in embedding IKS into science curricula due to the perceived conflict of different of ways of doing and knowing things in relation to Western science, this has been achieved in several units of study across the Faculty of Science. Here we present presential and online approaches in which science students, from 1st to 3rd year, engaged with aspects of ecological and biocultural Indigenous knowledge, embedded in the stories of life and paintings by the Ngaanyatjarra People through the Warburton Arts and Knowledge Portal (https://indigenous-knowledges.sydney.edu.au/). Students were asked to reflect on: ways that western science and IKS package information; diverse views about classification of plants/animals; consideration of culture and spirituality in IKS; the relevance of IKS for mainstream societies when solving modern day problems related to conservation of biodiversity; and how the activity helps to improve students’ cultural competence

Extending the boundaries of non-Indigenous science to embrace the cultural curriculum by creating a living compendium of practice

BACKGROUND Embedding cultural competence (CC) into science curricula is key to the University of Sydney’s commitment to producing students with skills and knowledge to work in cross-cultural settings. Within the Faculty of Science, there are eight disciplinary schools who have, to some extent, endeavoured to introduce CC into their delivery and content to ensure students achieve this graduate outcome. Cultural competence inclusion was initiated by the Wingara Mura-Bunga Barrabugu program, with a focus on integration of Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) into non-Indigenous science. PLAN In 2018, we initiated a CC compendium to act as a bridging space between academics, to share content and explore collaborations laterally across the faculty. ACTIONS This paper documents the process of interviewing academic staff and collating the compendium by gathering teaching materials and CC teaching approaches, highlighting the points of highest resonance within each discipline. Academics are using creative and innovative ways to extend their disciplinary boundaries, are embracing personal and professional growth by taking on this challenge and are carving out new pathways in science. REFLECTION These boundary-pushing efforts are however, marginal, and are largely being introduced by non-Indigenous academics, which raises questions about IKS inclusion as a pathway for generating CC. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank the Wingara Mura-Bunga Barrabugu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Strategy and Services for funds for this project

One health in our backyard: Design and evaluation of an experiential learning experience for veterinary medical students

Background: New educational approaches are needed to improve student understanding of the wider sociological and ecological determinants of health as well as professional responsibilities in related areas. Field trips allow students to observe interaction between plant, animal and human communities, making them an ideal tool for teaching One Health concepts. Methods: Veterinary medical students participated in a field trip to a local parklands area, frequented by humans, dogs, horses, and wildlife. Students rotated through 5 learning activities (‘stations’) that focused on: (1) response to exotic animal disease incursion (equine influenza); (2) impact of cultures and belief systems on professional practice; (3) management of dangerous dogs; (4) land use change, biodiversity and emerging infectious disease; and (5) management of environmentally-acquired zoonoses (botulism). Intended learning outcomes were for students to: evaluate the various roles and responsibilities of veterinarians in society; compare the benefits and risks associated with human-animal and animal-animal interactions; and evaluate the contributions made by various professionals in safeguarding the health and welfare of animals, humans and the environment. Following the field trip, students participated in a debrief exercise and completed an online survey on their experiences. Results: Feedback from students collected in 2016/2017 (n = 211) was overwhelmingly positive. The learning experience at each station was rated as 4 (‘Good’) or 5 (‘Very Good’) out of 5 by 82–96% of students. Responses to closed- and open-ended questions − as well as outputs generated in the debrief session − indicated that students achieved the learning outcomes. Overall, 94% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they had a better understanding of One Health because of the field trip. Conclusions: Field trips to local parklands are effective in promoting learning about One Health and can be incorporated into the core curriculum to maximize student exposure at relatively low cost. Keywords: One health, Field trip, Experiential learning, Veterinary education, Cultural competence, Zoonoses, Animal behavio

Sequencing three crocodilian genomes to illuminate the evolution of archosaurs and amniotes

The International Crocodilian Genomes Working Group (ICGWG) will sequence and assemble the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) and Indian gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) genomes. The status of these projects and our planned analyses are described

Expert range maps of global mammal distributions harmonised to three taxonomic authorities

AimComprehensive, global information on species' occurrences is an essential biodiversity variable and central to a range of applications in ecology, evolution, biogeography and conservation. Expert range maps often represent a species' only available distributional information and play an increasing role in conservation assessments and macroecology. We provide global range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species harmonised to the taxonomy of the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) mobilised from two sources, the Handbook of the Mammals of the World (HMW) and the Illustrated Checklist of the Mammals of the World (CMW).LocationGlobal.TaxonAll extant mammal species.MethodsRange maps were digitally interpreted, georeferenced, error-checked and subsequently taxonomically aligned between the HMW (6253 species), the CMW (6431 species) and the MDD taxonomies (6362 species).ResultsRange maps can be evaluated and visualised in an online map browser at Map of Life (mol.org) and accessed for individual or batch download for non-commercial use.Main conclusionExpert maps of species' global distributions are limited in their spatial detail and temporal specificity, but form a useful basis for broad-scale characterizations and model-based integration with other data. We provide georeferenced range maps for the native ranges of all extant mammal species as shapefiles, with species-level metadata and source information packaged together in geodatabase format. Across the three taxonomic sources our maps entail, there are 1784 taxonomic name differences compared to the maps currently available on the IUCN Red List website. The expert maps provided here are harmonised to the MDD taxonomic authority and linked to a community of online tools that will enable transparent future updates and version control