Dung Beetle & Seasonal Update Workshop

Speakers: 

Dr. Paul Weston:  Dung Beetle Expert | CSU - Entomology

 Dr. Weston will dive deep into the world of dung beetles with his PhD in Insect Chemical Ecology. 

Phil Graham: Seasonal Update | Director, Graham Advisory 

With over 45 years of experience, Phil Graham's seasoned advice might hit hard, but it comes with a lot of experience. He’ll dish out what’s ahead in the ag season—no sugarcoating, just facts and practical guidance. 

What to Expect: 

• Dung Beetle Identification and Talk: We will deep dive into the world of dung beetles with Paul. Expect the unexpected—what these little beetles do beneath your feet might just surprise you!  Bring your own dung beetles (clean them up first!) and learn how to identify different species.
  

• Seasonal Outlook & Moisture Probes: Discover how moisture probes can enhance your farm management — and get to know some simple tools to help you plan. Plus, get the straight talk from Phil Graham on what’s ahead this season. 

   

Timeline:  

9:30 AM: Morning tea at

10:00 AM: Workshop begins 

- Phil Graham: Seasonal update 

11:00 AM: Dr Paul Weston: Dung Beetle Expert 

- Identifying and packing dung beetles  

01:00 PM: Lunch & head to 2nd farm (address given on the day) 

Note: Participants will need to provide their own transport to travel a short distance (approximately 20 minutes) between the two sites. 

02:00 PM: Workshop ends 

*We are grateful to our generous Landcare members, the Sykes and Lawson families, for offering their farms to host this free event. 

What to bring: 

• Water, hat, protective clothing, and enclosed shoes. 

• Dung beetles & plastic tub: Once you RSVP, we'll email you detailed instructions on how to collect them.   

This workshop is a collaboration between Kyeamba Valley Landcare & Tarcutta Vally Landcare group with Rachel Cullen, Annika Colenso (Murrumbidgee Landcare Inc.) and Kathy Dawson (Southern Forests Community Landcare, WA). Kathy is working on a project to boost dung beetle numbers in WA. Participants are asked to collect, clean, and donate beetles to help other regions across Australia. In return, Kathy is funding the transport of the beetles, as well as an information day for farmers to learn about the important role of dung beetles and identify local species. Any leftover funds will go to the Landcare groups to keep. Local Land Services (LLS) is also supporting the event by funding the seasonal update and lunch. 

  

For more information, feel free to contact: Rachel Cullen 

Mobile: 0404 289 115 

Email: rcullen@mli.org.au 

We look forward to seeing you at the workshop!