PLEASE NOTE: Please note this lecture will now be presented by Dr Mark Harvey, Head of Terrestrial Zoology.

Discover the intriguing fieldwork of Western Australian Museum curators in some of the State’s most remote and diverse environments in the next In the Wild West lecture at the WA Maritime Museum on Friday 6 July.

Senior Curator Dr Bill Humphreys will reveal the varied and adventurous activities associated with collecting subterranean species in the State’s caves and ground waters in ‘Downunder down under: collecting in the dark zone’.

“A hotspot of biodiversity lies beneath our feet here in Western Australia, but accessing it is not always easy,” Dr Humphreys said.

“It often involves a variety of methods - from fishing down boreholes in the desert, setting traps, abseiling, diving and crawling in caves, to hammering spikes into river beds and digging pits in gravel.”

In the free public lecture Dr Humphreys will discuss some of his most physical field experiences and detail some of the new discoveries coming out of Western Australia.

“WA has moved from being globally inconsequential to the number one spot in terms of subterranean biodiversity over the last 20 years,” Dr Humphreys said.

“Over 750 new species of subterranean animals have been discovered in the Kimberley, Pilbara and Yilgarn regions during that time.”

Dr Bill Humphreys is a Senior Curator in the Department of Terrestrial Zoology at the Western Australian Museum. He has edited a number of books and peer reviewed papers, and in 2008 was awarded a Eureka Prize for Excellence in Taxonomic Research in recognition of his work on the diversity of subterranean life in Australia

Bookings are essential for In the Wild West lectures and can be made online at www.museum.wa.gov.au/inthewildwest or by calling the WA Maritime Museum on 9212 3813.

The Harry Butler lecture series: In the Wild West is proudly presented by the WA Museum in partnership with Chevron Australia. The series showcases the work of Museum scientists, curators and associates in the areas of natural and social sciences.

Lecture: Downunder down under: collecting in the dark zone
When: Friday 6 July, 6:00pm
Where: WA Maritime Museum, Victoria Quay, Fremantle
Bookings Essential: www.museum.wa.gov.au/inthewildwest
Cost: By gold coin donation

Niki Comparti, Western Australian Museum, 9212 3840, Niki.Comparti@museum.wa.gov.au