The State Wide Integrated Flora and Fauna Teams (SWIFT) is a network and an initiative supported by Federation University Australia, the Ballarat Environment Network and the Victorian Department of Environment Land Water and Planning.
They comprises a wide diversity of interests such as Landcare, Conservation and Field Naturalists groups together with members of the community, including farmers and landholders who share an interest in nature conservation. SWIFFT also has involvement with environmental consultants, Local Government, Tertiary Institutions conservation agencies and organisations such as Trust for Nature, Greening Australia, Catchment Management Authorities, Parks Victoria, and the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning.
Their main aims are about maintaining, developing and sharing knowledge and skills within Victorian communities for the protection and management of threatened species and biodiversity conservation. Each year they hold 4 state wide video conferences throughout different locations each with a different theme.
This years conferences are:
Thursday 1 February 2018 - Citizen Science and threatened species conservation Thursday 26 April 2018 - Birds – Woodland Birds, Shore birds, history of song birds Thursday 26 July 2018 - Drones – Ethics of and practical applications (possibly include Animal Ethics discussion) Thursday 25 October 2018 - The importance of multiple avenues of communication in Threatened species and nature conservation - including Conservation Art
If you would like to be involved in these conferences, the local contacts and locations are below:
Colac - DELWP Offices Level 00 Room 2 83-85 Gellibrand St Colac. Contact; Sylvia van der Peet 0427 568 838
Hamilton - PVI Mt Napier Rd Hamilton Video conference Room - Contact Yvonne Ingeme (phone bookings to Reto Zolliger 55730900) Heywood / Portland - DELWP Office 12 Murray St Heywood - Contact Office on 5527 0444. (Evelyn Nicholson local host) Horsham - "Titree" Video Conference Room Level 1 Rm 02 Horsham VIDA - Contact Pauline Rudolph 53620754