Lifelong passion leads to investment in groundbreaking research

Wetlands support approximately 40 per cent of the world’s biodiversity. They play a critical role in the health of humans and the planet as a whole. But to protect them we must first understand them. Chris and Gina Grubb know this well, generously donating $400,000 to new research that will improve our understanding of these valuable ecosystems.

Australasian Bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus)

Chris and Gina Grubb are driven by a desire to ensure future generations can appreciate nature and biodiversity, as they have.

Growing up in South Africa, Chris dreamed of becoming a farmer or a veterinarian. But life had other plans and instead of working with animals, he entered the financial sector. He now has more than 40 years’ experience as an investment fund manager in Asia and Australia.

However, his love of the natural world never left him. Through the years, he has been involved in the Bush Heritage Board, including three years as its president. Chris and Gina continue to give their time and money to various conservation efforts – now including a new Charles Sturt-led research that will help build a better understanding of Australia’s wetland birds.

“It was during my student days, when camping and birding, that I first developed an appreciation of how growing human populations and resource extraction threatened many of the world’s ecosystems. I realise that even a small contribution in money or kind could still make a difference, and it made me feel good to be contributing.

“The primary aim of the research we are supporting is to enhance knowledge of a relatively hidden aspect of the bird world, so we know better what destroying wetlands is costing the environment and its species. The second aim is to apply groundbreaking Australian technology to bird monitoring, which we hope will have global application.”

By combining ecology and computer science to identify the distribution of wetland birds by monitoring their sounds, it’s hoped that the research will vastly improve our understanding of breeding in response to climatic and seasonal factors and improve on-ground management of both private and public wetlands across Australia. This project will also inform new ways of dealing with big data. The process of harnessing artificial intelligence to crunch through vast datasets looking for a single ‘squeak’ or ‘squark’ has applications far beyond this project – from remote medical diagnostics to the interpretation of satellite imagery.

“Nature is not just a source of inspiration for us. It also provides mental and physical therapy in an increasingly busy and congested world. Our aim is to contribute to better understanding nature so we can appreciate more fully its complexity and wonder, which will hopefully help us learn to protect and care for it better and not just see it as something to be exploited or conquered.”

If you’re interested in learning more or helping this vital research to continue, visit csu.edu.au/office/advancement/giving-to-csu/ active-funds/eavesdropping-on-wetland-birds