Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (27 min. 15 sec.) ; 165324674 bytes |
Summary |
Coorong Wetlands. Where the Murray River arrives at the coast in South Australia, the wetlands of the Lower Lakes and Coorong are a critical refuge for an array of local and migratory birds. During the decade-long drought, however, the region ran dry - bird numbers plummeted, fish could no longer swim in the muddy waters, and the soil turned acidic. There were fears the lakes would never recover. But, in the latter half of 2010 rain returned to the region. From the surface, the Coorong now looks like a healthy system. Over 170,000 waterbirds visited the lakes in January 2012. But researchers aren't so comfortable. Dramatic changes to food sources of the birds suggest that the water system is still in recovery. Anja takes to the skies for a bird's eye view and Derek and Simon investigate the health of the local fish and fowl.Wine making technology. Technology is indispensible in modern wine making, displacing the romantic notion of fermenting a fine drop. Maps taken from the air help guide viticulturalists to manage the famous terra rossa soils of Coonawarra using strategies such as composting thirsty vines and planting companion plants to absorb water. The vine leaves are also tapped and scanned to provide information that determines a precise watering regime. The result is all in the tasting, a chance for our road weary trio to dress up and prove that there is still romance in the art of fine winemaking.Penguin dogs. In a world-first, Maremma sheepdogs are protecting penguins from hungry foxes. Middle Island, off the coast of Warrnambool, once housed a healthy population of penguins and seabirds. But after years of fox predation the number of penguins plummeted. To stop the foxes, a local farmer suggested that Maremmas - gorgeous Italian dogs traditionally used to protect chickens from wild dogs - be brought in to look after the penguins. There has since been a remarkable recovery in penguin numbers, from fewer than 10 in 2005 to approximately 200 in 2012 |
Event |
Broadcast 2013-03-07 at 20:00:00 |
Notes |
Classification: G |
Subject |
Animal behavior.
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Lakes -- Environmental aspects.
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Penguins.
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Wine and wine making -- Analysis.
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Victoria -- Warrnambool.
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South Australia -- Coonawarra.
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Form |
Streaming video
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Author |
Higham, Jason, host
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Taylor, Anja, host
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Fitzgibbon, Ian, reporter
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Harzmeyer, Justin, reporter
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King, Kristie, reporter
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Marsh, Alan, reporter
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Muller, Derek, reporter
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Pampena, Simon, reporter
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Dittmann, Sabine, contributor
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Hera-Singh, Garry, contributor
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Hodder, Suzanne, contributor
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Jenkins, Allen, contributor
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Kidman, Catherine, contributor
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Paton, David, contributor
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Ye, Qifeng, contributor
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