Can odour misinformation help protect valuable plants?

Many plant species in NSW, including local flat-“leafed” Bossiaea fragrans and small stinky Zieria obcordata, are threatened because native and invasive herbivores — such as wallabies and goats — over-eat them.

Can we trick herbivores into avoiding or ignoring valuable plants?

People identify things mainly by how they look. Herbivores identify things mainly by how they smell, using odour information from afar to decide where to go and what to eat. 
We are designing and testing artificial odours to send false information to herbivores. By using virtual neighbours and ‘invisibility cloaks’ we can signal to herbivores that “this area is full of nasty plants” or simply that “this area contains nothing interesting”.

We have shown odour misinformation works in principle: will it work in practice?

Please join Prof. Clare McArthur and the team from The University of Sydney (Peter Banks, Gabe Orlando, Cath Price & Malcom Possell) and Saving our Species (Joanna Haddock & Alison Cowie) as we talk about our ideas and how we are testing them in your local area.  Come and test your own sense of smell and start to think like a wallaby.

Thanks to NSW Environmental Trust for funding this research.

This is an event for environmentally-minded Bathurstians (and other local people) who meet for a monthly drink to socialise, network and explore collaborations.  It is a space created for those interested in environmental sustainability and eco-efficiency, and is hosted by Greening Bathurst.

Event Details:
📅 Date: Thursday, 27th March
🕒 Time: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
📍 Location: The Greens on William, 29 William St, Bathurst
🎟 Entry Fee: $5 (cash at the door - or a gold coin donation if you are a student or not currently working)

Highlights:

• 60-Second Soap Box: Step up and share your thoughts on local conservation and sustainability. Keep it respectful, and let your passion shine!

• Tasty Nibbles: Enjoy snacks before the presentation.