Dr Ralph Ogden, ‘Lessons learned for solving the ACT’s water quality problems’

The Healthy Waterways program has been running since 2014 with an aim to improve water quality in the ACT’s waterways. It is best known for building ponds, wetlands, raingardens and other ‘nature-based’ and ‘water sensitive’ infrastructure that treats polluted stormwater in suburbs. However, the program has also funded a lot of research into water quality problems and solutions, and has recently expanded into the rural waterways. So what has been learnt and what are the prospects for making material changes to waterways in the ACT? This seminar will outline lessons learned and provide pointers to how the ACT Government hopes to tackle problems like blue-green algal blooms in lakes and ponds and sand slugs in rural rivers. 

Booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/CJTZD

Biography  

Dr Ralph Ogden has been the ACT Healthy Waterways program manager in the ACT Government for the past four and a half years. Previously he worked as Director of Knowledge and Communications at the Australian Water Partnership, was the Senior Scientist at the National Water Commission, held several Executive Manager positions in the eWater Cooperative Research Centre, and served as Director of Knowledge Exchange in the Cooperative Research Centre for Freshwater Ecology. Ralph has a research background, having studied the ecology of billabongs on the Murray River and tributaries for his PhD at the Australian National University, and then river-floodplain ecology and catchment science in research roles at the University of Canberra and CSIRO Land & Water.

Booking
Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development and thank all those who have donated. 

Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.

It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly.  Bookings can be made from Friday the 20^th October until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached.

Booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/CJTZD