DrRoan Plotz

Wildlife Ecology and Animal Behaviour research to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. Also to enhance Climate Resilience through the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge. Because solving our greatest environmental challenges will require interdisciplinary collaboration, I direct my research towards this by combining disciplines, Indigenous Knowledge, communities and wildlife wherever I can.

Knowledge Areas include: Wildlife and Behavioural Ecology, Indigenous Engagement, Indigenous Knowledge, Community Climate Resilience, Human Ecology, Escape Ecology, Human Dimensions of Wildlife.

CURRENT PROJECTS INCLUDE:

2023 - ongoing: FLIGHT INITIATION DISTANCES OF THE WORLDS MAMMALS
Description: Disturbance of mammals by humans distresses and displaces animals and constitutes a major conservation problem. One measure of disturbance is the distance at which they begin escape behaviour; this is known as Flight Initiation Distance (FID, where flight means "escape" of any kind, including flying). FID varies in relation to a range of parameters, and the information allows us to better understand how humans impact wildlife and develop ways to mitigate those impacts.

Partners: Deakin University, Sri Lanka Wildlife and Conservation Society, Peradeniya University, Sri Lanka ...


2024 - ongoing: COSPPac TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE - strengthening the links between the Pacific and Australia.
Description: The objective of the Project is to foster two-way understandings and relationships between Pacific and Australian First Nations people in the weather and climate space, specifically focusing on Traditional Knowledge (TK).

Partners: Deakin University, Bureau of Meteorology, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) and local Australian Indigenous agencies and communities.


2024-2026: CLIMATEWATCH VANUATU: Enhancing Community Climate Resilience.
Description: We are expanding Earthwatch Australia's citizen science program ClimateWatch beyond Australia. ClimateWatch Vanuatu will provide an innovative opportunity to scale biodiversity data collection, and contribute to climate forecasts based on both contemporary and indigenous knowledge.

Partners: Earthwatch Australia partners with the Vanuatu Meteorology & Geohazard Department (VMGD), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional
Environment Programme (SPREP) and Deakin University to deliver ClimateWatch Vanuatu.


2013 to 2018: TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE PROJECT, The Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific (COSPPac), Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
Description: COSPPac is an Australian-Pacific Aid program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and implemented by the Bureau of Meteorology. COSPPac is working with the National Meteorological Services in several Pacific Island countries to improve climate communication by helping improve the recognition and use of traditional climate knowledge.

As an academic, I still work with National Meteorological Services across five countries and regional environmental and cultural organisations to include traditional forecast knowledge into climate products. The traditional knowledge collected will also be used as a tool for communicating climate messages to local communities.

In 2018, I led the transition of the Traditional Knowledge Project managed by the Bureau of Meteorology to the Pacific region (SPREP) and last year I joined with EarthWatch Australia, SPREP, Vanuatu Meteorological and Geo-Hazard Department to help develop a mobile app to improve the collection of animal and plant indicators in Vanuatu.