"Where Do Eagles Dare?" & "Battle in the Bush" Screening, Leura

The evening will involve the presentation of 2 Australian natural history films, as outlined below. Doors open at 4:30pm and the evening begins at 5:00pm. The filmmakers will introduce their films with a short speech and both will be available to answer questions at the conclusion of the second film, which will be at approximately 7:30pm. The question time is optional and guests may leave as soon as they desire.

Tickets are a set price for individual seats and any profits made will go to the filmmakers, both of whom are self-funded individuals, and the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute, who have helped organise the event.

DVDs of Where Do Eagles Dare? will be available on the night.

FILM 1, 5:10pm

BATTLE IN THE BUSH

Running Time: 35 minutes

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/123903967

This film is an aesthetically pleasing science communication documentary exploring the role predators play in biodiversity conservation and the changing face of conservation in Australia.

Battle in the bush is a ~35 minute film exploring key questions that have arisen from my research undertaken as post-graduate student in the Centre for Ecosystem Science at the University of NSW and supported by the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute. My findings have revealed that dingoes play a crucial role in the structure and function of forest ecosystems in NSW. However, dingoes also pose a threat to the livestock industry and, as such, are lethally controlled in many National Parks. Removing the top order predator doesn’t come without repercussions. My findings are showing that a series of trophic cascades ensue following dingo removal resulting in degraded ecosystems dominated by invasive predators and overabundant herbivores. The negative ramifications of these shifts in faunal assemblages have proven devastating for our small and medium threatened mammal species. This present a tricky eco-political situation where what’s best for agriculture isn’t best for biodiversity conservation.

Enter the Tasmanian devil. Over the last year and a half I have teamed up with UNSW mathematician, Dr. Thomas Britz, UNSW ecologist A/Prof Mike Letnic and devil researcher A/Prof Menna Jones to ask the question: what would happen if we put devils back on the mainland as a surrogate for dingoes? To answer this question I meet up with experts all over Australia to find out what they think about rewilding? What is it going to take to save our species?

FILM 2, 6:10pm

WHERE DO EAGLES DARE?

Running Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/71886595

Where Do Eagles Dare? is the story of a mission to unlock the secrets of the largest predatory bird in Australia, the Wedge-tailed Eagle. The film follows Simon Cherriman, a young West-Australian ornithologist, as he embarks on a quest to fulfil a boyhood dream, and for the first time ever, satellite track Wedge-tails in the remote wilderness. This film documents a unique research project, but is also a wildlife film, set largely in the desert of central Western Australia. It aims to showcase this beautiful environment, its creatures, and a unique conservation project being undertaken by the WA Department of Parks & Wildlife and the Martu People.

You can watch a selection of Simon's short films and read more about his environmental work here: www.simoncherriman.com