Geoff talked about Quenda Relocations and habitat requirements for Quenda, which provided background if we want to become involved in Quenda management abd conservation in the East Perth area.  Several members of the EPCG also attended, as they are also interested in Quenda.

   

 

Quenda (also called Southern Brown Bandicoot) are small animals with coarse dark grey or yellow brown fur above and creamy-white below and a short, tapered, dark brown tail. The ears are short and rounded. The tail is lightly furred and often shortened or missing altogether, probably as a result of fighting.  Despite predation by foxes and cats, they occur in many parts of the metropolitan area, especially in the suburbs in the hills.  The Quenda is omnivorous and the diet includes invertebrates (including earthworms, adult beetles and their larvae), underground fungi, subterranean plant material, and very occasionally, small vertebrates.  Quenda are prolific breeders with up to 12 young a year being reared. 

Major threats to the Quenda include fragmentation and loss of habitat on the coastal plain and in the Wheat belt, fire in fragmented habitat, predation by foxes (particularly in more open habitat), predation of young by cats and predation around residential areas by dogs.

Geoff said the main contribution that a group such as ours can make is in monitoring quenda numbers in the East Perth area, and in providing cheap nesting areas (such as timber pallets covered in brush, which will prevent foxes and cats from getting at the quenda).  He concluded by offering to assist us if we want to pursue a ‘quenda project’.

 

 

This was a great night mightily enjoyed by all.

Here's a couple of pics but I will include many more in a special addition of HH coming up soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Justin describes Loki as the smartest authority on Google in Perth.

 

• Is your phone listening to you? - No, but here's the reality
• The past - the bid auction
• The future - machine learning
  • Training AI - tagging a website, tracking your behaviour and interests.
  • Remarketing, 'you may also like' etc.
• Should we be worried?
  • No. Regulation is catching up with technology. No health based assumptions, intense restrictions on political advertising, advertisers increasingly being forced to be transparent, eg. 'why am i being shown this ad?'
• Live demonstration of ai writing copy.

 

 

 

 

Lauren will be back with us this Tuesday to tell us about the Rotex Club that the past outbound exchange students have formed.  It is being very active in the community and we look forward to hearing about it.

 

 

 

For all Quiz Night aficionados.