PSN Monthly Meeting October 21

Frogs and Bees : Martyn Robinson, Australian Museum Naturalist

or 'Biological control and enhanced biodiversity in the permaculture garden'!

Australian Museum Naturalist Martyn Robinson never knows what he's going to find on his desk when he goes to work each day. - these are notes from his conversation with Richard Fidler, ABC Radio:dio:

Martyn Robinson is a man deeply immersed in the natural life of our island continent which contains, as we know, some of the most bizarre and beautiful creatures in the world.

He even thinks cockroaches are beautiful. Some of them.

Martyn get all sorts of things sent to him in the mail - from big spiders to dead, stinking marsupials - from people wanting them identified.

He's also been known to eat moths, can train an octupus to open a champagne bottle and keep slugs in his shower (they eat the mould).

Including holiday jobs as a boy, Martyn's been at the Museum for over 35 years, and his many books range from ''A Field Guide to Frogs' to 'The Secret Social Bees that live in Lantana'.

Martin has worked at the museum in a number of different sections including education, arachnology, entomology, birds, palaeontology, library, terrestrial invertebrate ecology, worms,  science communication, Visitor services, and search & discover.

The natural world is a constant source of interest to him.

Martyn's work has also involved -

• Networking with other organisations for mutual gain (e.g. NPWS, Sydney Aquarium, Taronga Zoo,  ANGFA, ANBRC, SGAP).
  
• Contact and liaison for media organisations (e.g. documentary makers, BBY, Totally Wild, Harry’s Practice, Wonderworld).
• Media interviews, research for media organisations, liaison with media contacts (e.g. documentary makers, BBY, Totally Wild, Harry’s Practice, Wonderworld). 
  
• Assisting in setting up, maintenance, running, trouble shooting and planning of SITC.
  
• Lectures, teaching demonstrations, and talks to interest groups as required  (Museum Volunteers, APS, Gardening Clubs, ANGFA convention, Land Care groups).

His books/articles include –

1993 A Field Guide To Frogs Of Australia from Port Augusta to Fraser Is. including Tasmania, Reed Books.

2000 Frogs & Toads, Random House Australia

2000 Native Bees of the Sydney Region a Field Guide (A. Dollin, M. Batley, M. Robinson, & B. Faulkner), ANBRC publication

1998 Aussie Bee Issue 6, The secret social bees that live in Lantana, ANBRC

1999Aqua Geographia Vol 20, Freshwater Crabs, (S. Ahyong & M. Robinson)

July-August ’99, Spiny Crays, Rivus

Sept-Oct ’99, Pygmy Mudskippers, Rivus

Nov- Dec 2000, Travelling North, Rivus

Nov-Dec 2001, Red Water Mites, Rivus

Robinson, M.  2002, Green Guide Dangerous Creatures of Australia, New Holland Publication

Robinson, M.  2002, Successful butterfly colony transfer?, Butterfly & Other Invertebrates Club Inc. Newsletter, March 2002,

Robinson, M.  reprinted 2002, A Field Guide to Frogs of Australia from Port Augusta to Fraser Island including Tasmania, Australian Museum/Reed New Holland Publication

Be early. $5 non-members. Please bring a mug for tea.

Enquiries to : vp@permaculturenorth.org.au'