Watch out – bustards about
Species spotlight: the Australian bustard (Ardeotis australis)
He’s someone in the industry who probably needs no introduction to many, having been an integral part of making Sydney Airport operations run smoothly for 34 years.
The first in a series of articles profiling industry personnel proactively managing wildlife hazards. Davy Semal (pictured on the right), currently Cairns Airport aerodrome operations manager, has been with the airport for two years.
For the past nine years, Avisure has been contracted to Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Canada’s second busiest airport, to safely deliver the airport’s wildlife management program. YVR’s location on Sea Island in the Fraser River Delta make it essential for the airport to lead a comprehensive 24/7 wildlife program as the surrounding marshes, mudflats and agricultural habitats on and around the delta attract millions of shorebirds, waterfowl, and gulls each year.
Autumn – March, April and May – in northern parts of Australia is often marked by increasing flying- fox activity, as they fly to feed on the nectar of flowering melaleuca and eucalypts.
Milly Formby flew into Ballina just before Easter, on her epic ‘migration’ around Australia. Avisure, having strong connections to the area through ongoing work with Ballina Byron Gateway Airport (BBGA), was proud to sponsor the Ballina leg of her journey. Jill Brix, Avisure general manager, and Julie Stewart, BBGA manager, caught up with Milly after her arrival.
Milly Formby is a multi-talented zoologist and self-confessed bird nerd, who is flying an Airborne M4 Sport microlight 20,000 km around the coast of Australia to highlight the importance of shorebirds, sharing her passion and adventures with primary schools on the way.
Phil Shaw, the founding director of Avisure and sister company Ecosure will be presenting on ‘Wildlife strike statistics and legal cases’ held by the NSW branch of the Aviation Law Association of Australia and New Zealand.
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we throw the spotlight on Kylie Patrick, Avisure’s principal consultant, who has been an integral part of the company since 2003.
Avicast is Avisure’s very own podcast, focusing on news and trends in aviation wildlife hazard management. The podcast celebrates two years of production in February 2023, with 23 monthly episodes produced to date.