The Hunter Science Festival held at Newcastle Museum as part of National Science Week was…
Public lecture by Professor Biruté Galdikas held in Aug 2024
On Tuesday 6 August 2024 Newcastle was honoured with the visit of Dr Biruté Galdikas, the global expert in orangutan research and conservation, fresh from 53 years studying orangutans in the jungle of Borneo.
Speaking to a sell out crowd, Dr Galdikas captivated us in Newcastle Town Hall with her stories of her journey over 50 years of studying orangtans first hand in the Borneo jungle and threats facing this unique animal.
In the early 1970s Louis Leakey, the Kenyan pioneer of human evolution, raised funds to send three young female scientists out into the field to study the great apes. Birute Galdikas with the orangutans in Borneo, Jane Goodall with chimpanzees in Chombe, and Dian Fossey with the gorillas in the mists of Africa. These three women have been pioneers in the study of the great apes. Sadly only two of Leakey’s “Trimates” continue the conservation fight to preserve these wonderful apes for our grandchildrens’ children.
Galdikas has created the most complete record of wild orangutan behaviour ever recorded, documenting the long orangutan birth interval, the over 400 types of food consumed by orangutans, the orangutan social organization and mating systems, the flanged adult males in combat, consortships, and even wild orangutans giving birth, providing unprecedented detail about orangutan ecology.
Dr Biruté Galdikas continues her work in the jungle protecting the orangutans and their habitat in the Research Centre called “Camp Leakey” she created in 1971, making it the longest study ever conducted in the world by a senior researcher on a species other than humans. Through her efforts some 450 orphaned orangutans have been returned to the Tanjung Puting National Park.
To have this eminent conservationist spend time at our University of Newcastle mentoring our conservation researchers and research students has been both an honour and a privilege. She stands as an icon for women in science and a role model for women in STEM.
She is the President of the International Orangutan Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of the International Committee of the Global Biological Corridor. Professor at Simon Fraser University, Lecturer at Universitas National in Jakarta, Indonesia, and PhD in anthropology.
Some quotations from her autobiography “Reflections of Eden”, published in 1995:
“I have always felt that rescuing orangutans is as important as studying them. By working to return the captives to the forest, I was trying to eliminate the captive orangutan trade in the area and thus protect those still free.…
…….Orangutans, along with other great apes, are our closest living relatives. The great apes remind us, more than any other species, of our connection with nature. Because of our closeness to them, scientists often use them in experiments as surrogates for humans. By contrast, we pay no attention to the “nature experiment” that is taking place right now in the rainforests. As we watch the great primates decline towards extinction, we are witnessing our own future on an increasingly inevitable planet. If we act to save our closest relatives and their tropical habitats, we will be taking the first step towards our own salvation”.
Ruth Linsky (pictured withDr. Galdikas above) joined Dr Galdikas in her visit to Newcastle., and is a dynamic Canadian whose passion for primatology has ignited a remarkable journey. Influenced by the wisdom of Dr. Galdikas, Ruth embarked on an awe-inspiring adventure at Camp Leakey, nestled amidst the enchanting vistas of Kalimantan’s Tanjung Putting National Park. From her initial steps as a conservation volunteer to her current pursuit of academic excellence, as a PhD student under Dr Galdikas’ supervision, Ruth’s commitment knows no bounds.
Ruth has already unveiled groundbreaking research in her Masters thesis. Through innovative genetic testing, she unraveled the intricate web of orangutan interconnections, illuminating crucial dispersal patterns vital for their survival. By deciphering these patterns, she continues the research effort to avert a catastrophic collapse of orangutan populations—a challenge shared by species worldwide, including the beloved koalas.
Ann Jones – charismatic ABC presenter and “What The Duck” podcaster (pictured above in conversation with Dr Biruté Galdikas, at Newcastle City Hall) was the host for the evening.
Ann Jones is a broadcaster, nature lover, interviewer and has a PhD in history. Her PhD involved travelling around the world collecting oral history interviews and spending months in musty archives in Britain. As if that wasn’t enough, she also studied Broadcasting at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Ann’s unique skills in listening have made her a brilliant interviewer and her love of nature has led to radio and television documentaries about science, wildlife and conservation.
If you missed this fantastic opportunity at the historic Newcastle Town Hall or you wish to relive it, a recording of the night is now available here…
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