Friday the 27th of April saw the official launch of the TREND program at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide. The night was an opportunity to showcase the work that TREND researchers have already completed, as well as a taste of things to come. Speakers included the Hon Tom Kenyon MP, South Australian Minister for Science. Minister Kenyon gave strong praise for TREND and the work being done.
“With science clearly showing that climate change and global warming are a real threat to our society, it’s exciting to see such cross-disciplinary research as this being undertaken.” Minister Kenyon said.
Other speakers included Dr Paul Willis (Director of the Royal Institution of Australia), and four TREND research leaders; Prof Andy Lowe (Terrestrial Ecosystems), Prof Corey Bradshaw (Marine Ecosystems), Dr Peter Hayman (Terrestrial Primary Production) and Prof Andrew Beer (Human Dimensions) who outlined their achievements to date and work still to come. Feedback has indicated TREND’s cross-disciplinary approach to understanding and managing environmental change in South Australia has resonated with end-users and decision makers.
The launch coincided with the release of the TREND smart phone app which will underpin our Citizen Science program. Currently available on the Android platform, we are currently in the process of developing an Apple iPhone compatible version. Demonstrations of the app received strong interest and we look forward to developing this part of the TREND program.