The Hochuli Lab

The PhD thesis drafts are coming in thick and fast (stay tuned for some exit seminar videos 😀) and some new opportunities are emerging. Fans of Big things, City things, and Bird things can bring these interests together and undertake projects as part of the Big City Birds project.

If you’re interested to research urban bird behaviour, adaptation, ecology, &/or social attitudes for Honours, Masters or PhD please contact Professor Dieter Hochuli. Other urban bird species can be discussed. PhD applications close 30/11/21.

Working with:
Professor Dieter Hochuli, University of Sydney
Dr John Martin, Taronga Conservation Society
Dr Lucy Aplin, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour

Latest from the lab! Younger children - especially girls - feel more strongly connected to nature than their older peers.
Below, we summarise a new open-access paper led by Ryan, with Dieter as a coauthor alongside Lisa Given and John Martin.

1 in 2 primary-aged kids have strong connections to nature, but this drops off in teenage years. Here's how to reverse the trend New research found girls particularly liked to see wildflowers, hear nature sounds and touch animals and plants.

Check it out! Current members of the Hochuli and Latty labs put our heads together to highlight a few holiday activities for budding naturalists. Out today in The Conversation:

Nature detectives in the backyard: 3 science activities for curious kids this summer Summer holidays are a great way to explore local nature. You can grow some slime moulds, become a pollinator analyst, or make caterpillars and find out who is hanging out in your backyard.

Want to catch a buzz on a Saturday morning? Join Dieter for an online session discovering the pollinators of the Inner West. This webinar on Saturday November 14 at 10am hosted by the Inner West's own Green Living Centre will talk about who visit our inner-city flowers, ways to encourage more of them to do so, and how you can help us understand local biodiversity by getting outside and staring at flowers.

The food we eat, the flowers we smell, the trees we are shaded by - they're all dependent on pollinators. Would you like to learn more about pollinators and how to attract them to your garden?

Prof Dieter Hochuli, Professor of Ecology at the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, will introduce you to local pollinators in our free webinar on Saturday 14 November, 10am to 11.15am. It's part of Australian Pollinator Week.

Sign up to the webinar:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/discovering-pollinators-of-the-inner-west-tickets-126627998753?aff=Facebook

Photo of Common Blue-banded Bee (Amegilla cingulata) by Erica Siegel Wildlife Photography

Ever wondered how urbanisation affects hoverflies? Check out Manuel's wonderful submission to the "Visualise your thesis" competition.

And if you have a Sydney uni email account (and you like the video) you can vote for it as part of the "Viewer's Choice award at https://sydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4NNCmlCZh5BTkRn https://digital.library.sydney.edu.au/nodes/view/7688

The Ecology of Urban Hoverflies (the Forgotten Pollinators) Read the full record details for Video: The Ecology of Urban Hoverflies (the Forgotten Pollinators)

In this world nothing can be said to be certain other than death, taxes, and Uraba lugens capturing the imagination of the internet. This time it's CNN sharing the story of these head stacking marvels, featuring a few comments from Dieter.

Meet 'Mad Hatterpillar,' the caterpillar that uses its old heads for defense Some caterpillars fend off attackers by emitting toxic chemicals or smells. One species stacks its molted heads atop each other to act as false targets for predators.

Come share your isolation observations on one of the latest projects the lab is part of, the Urban Field Naturalist. It's a project that's emerged from conversations between people interested in the environmental humanities, design and ecology and it's a great way to see how different people look at nature near them.

The Urban Field Naturalist Project: An Invitation Seeking to create openings into other kinds of worlds.

A reminder from the lab that you can still go outside and enjoy nature in our cities during these strange times. Features some of the results from papers led by Lucy during her PhD, including the latest in Urban Ecosystems featuring our favourite Coloradan from :)

3 ways nature in the city can do you good, even in self-isolation Noting nature around you – it could be a glance outside, tending plants, or 'green' exercise – will improve your well-being, research shows. The coronavirus pandemic has made it even more important.

Updates on this page have been a little infrequent this one can't wait! Can you spot the happy PhD submitter being congratulated with a Zoom round of applause at this week's lab meeting?

There is a lot to share, even in these unusual times. We've got some new people, new projects, and new papers. Even the world's worst group version of happy birthday from a few weeks ago.

Putting the fun into funnel-web spiders. Some comments from Dieter in this piece on how wet weather brings out the boys in search of love.

Funnel-web spiders: 'bonanza' of sightings expected due to hot and wet weather The Sydney funnel-web spider is believed to be the most venomous spider in the world

Something for the more cheerful nihilists following the Hochuli Lab Page... Dieter talks about insects in the apocalypse with the charming AND funny Mick Neven.

Dieter is a Professor of Ecology and Entomology at Sydney Uni - a Bug Guy, so he knows all about the Insect Apocalypse, why bees are dying, plus he's eaten loads of bugs, so he's a bang up ripping guest for the podcast. Put it in your head, you'll dig it. Link in the comments or get it where all good pods are found.