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Honours Australian Natural History Medallion 2010 Donald PA Sands OAM Dr Don Sands is presented with theAustalian Natural History Me- dallion 2010, by Professor Lynne Selwood, President of the Royal SocietyofVictoria.(PhotobyJoan Broadberry). Thewinnerofthe2010AustralianNaturalHis- projects have included: feasibility studies for tory Medallion is Dr Donald PA Sands OAM, controllingAmericanfruitflieswithAustralian an Honorary Research Fellow with CSIRO parasitoidsassociatedwiththefamilyOleaceae; Entomology in Brisbane. Although Don surveys ofinsectherbivores ofLygodium ferns retired in 1997,followingacareerthatspanned (mainlyL. microphyllum)onCapeYork,north- 30 years as an entomologist at CSIRO, he has ern Queensland, PapuaNewGuinea,Northern continued to be actively involved in a number Territory and northern Western Australia; de- ofmajorprojectsthatfocusoninsectconserva- velopment ofmethods for rearing and testing tion. These projects include ecological studies for European insect herbivores ofan invasive on the naturalhistoryofinsectsandtheirfood weed,giantgrassArundo\andthedevelopment plants, and theirinteractions. Tliiswork often ofnew methods to rear a dia.spid scale insect takes place within the context ofinvolvement andagall-formingwasp,foruseagainstthetar- withlocalcommunitygroups. getweed.Donscontributionstotherearingofa Since2004 Don has visited the United States diaspidscaleinsecthavebeenacknowledgedas regularly and participated in several biologi- savingmorethan amilliondollarsin theUS. cal control projectswith stafffrom the US De- Dr Sands has a long-standing interest in fire partment ofAgriculture. These natural history ecology, which has led to his measuring the 266 TheVictorianNaturalist Honours impacts offire on insect biodiversity, initially He is no less committed in his written out- in New South Wales and then in Papua New put for both scholarly and popular audiences. Guinea, duringaperiod withthePNG Depart- His published work comprises more than 120 ment ofAgriculture, Stock and Fisheries. This refereed articles, books andchapters, ofwhich focus was continued in Brisbane, where Don about 27 have been published within the past monitored the butterflies of Mount Coot-tha 10 years. Tltese more recent papers have con- for several years, observing major detrimental centratedon thenaturalenemiesofinsectsand effects including loss of Lepidoptera species weeds,methodsforsafety testingagentsasbio- and plants from deliberately lit and control- logicalcontrolagents,andtaxonomicandinsect ledburns'conductedbythelocalCouncil. This conservationprojects. Inthesameperiod,Don work resulted in the publication in 2005 ofan has also authored a further 15 popular articles advisorydocumentonfiremanagement(aTire on thesesubjects, published in newslettersand Code'),whichDon co-authored. community publications. Ihese works include Between 2007 and 2009 Don presented a Conservation ofBirdwingButterflies, published series ofinvited lectures in Queensland, NSW in2002,whichDoneditedwith SueScott. and Victoria, on insects and fire ecology. He Don’s work on the conservation of the was an invited participant in the Queensland Richmond Birdwing butterfly began in the reviews ofthreatened species, in the ‘Back on 1990s, as a conservation endeavour involv- Track’ seminars and a member ofthe Conser- ing schoolchildren. This project enjoyed some vationCommittee(2003-2009). Hisviewswere success; in 2005 heightened awareness and re- presented also at an insect/fire workshop in quests from the community induced Don and Victoria in 2009, whichwas sponsored byDPI Sueto formanewGroup, theRichmond Bird- and LaTrobeUniversity. wingRecoveryNetworkInc.(RBRN)involving Don’s dedication to public education and in- members ofthecommunity in recovery ofthe volvement in natural historystudies is evident butterflyand its rarefoodplant. Between 2005 in hisowncommitment in theseareas. Hewas and 2009, RBRN grew to have more than 400 a founding member ofThe Hut Environmen- members and promoted a number of meas- tal & Community Association (THECA) at ures aimed at conserving the iconic butterfly Chapel Hill in Queensland, which has spon- species. These included planting food plant soredaseriesofbiennialcommunityworkshops vinesto re-establish corridors forthebutterfly; on a range ofenvironmental topics. Don has studieson in-breedingdepression occurringin assisted in the organizing ofthese workshops, fragmented habitats; propagation by nurseries provided presentations, and published articles of the rare food plant for habitat rehabilita- intheTHECAnewsletter. Heisalsoamember tion; and education programs. Don served as oftheMoggillCreekCatchmentGroupandhas PresidentofRBRN untilmid2009. participated in their habitat and plant nursery Don Sands was nominated for the Australian activities. Natural History Medallion by the Australian Dr Sands is a regular speaker to a range of Entomological Society for his contribution to natural history groups, including natural his- biodiversity,conservationandeducation. tory societies, garden clubs, native plant societies and entomological societies. In the past 10 years hehasgiven numerouspresentations, including public talks and PowerPointpresen- GaryPresland tations at environmental events, where he em- 40WillliamStreet phasized the importance of the identities and BoxHill,Victoria3128 ecology ofinsects in implementingall conservation programs. Don hasalso ledexploratory and natural historyexpeditionsto places ofin- terest for studying Lepidoptera, including Iron Range (several visits including 2007); Cape York Peninsula (2005); and Flinders Ranges, SouthAustralia (2006). Voll27 (6) 2010 267