Bob Graham
About Bob
Bob Graham is a professional geographer and convenor of the Bruny Island Environment Network
Background
Bob Graham is convenor of the Bruny Island Environment Network (BIEN) and has worked in and enjoyed many different areas of Australia from tropical North Queensland to SW Tasmania. Growing up in North West Tasmania he thought that birds were either, sparrows, seagulls or crows. That changed in the '70s after a trip to the Coorong with dedicated 'Birdo' friends. Since then birds have become an integral part of both his every day and professional life. After purchasing Karingal (a bush block with dilapidated farmhouse) on Bruny in 1977, Bob says that "getting to know the birds, their habits and their ever changing behaviour from season to season and year to year in and around the 'block' has been one of the most rewarding exepriences of my life".As a professional geographer and planner, the relationship of birds to where they live, how they survive and how they cope with environmental change has been an ongoing fascination for Bob. Working for over 40 years in diverse environments such as Lord Howe Island, North Queensland, SE Queensland, Cape York Peninsula, the Darwin Region, throughout Tasmania and on several national projects has allowed Bob to enjoy many different birding experiences. At the same an interest in birds and their relationships with the natural world have made Bob aware of the tenuous hold that many species have in a world which places more value on developing land for creating economic wealth rather than wise stewardship that respects and values birds and their habitats.
Articles by Bob
An island where natural processes are at work
For more than 40 years Bob Graham has observed the ongoing natural processes on Bruny Island. These processes remind us that we are part of everything that surrounds us
Birds playing in wind at the neck
You quite often see birds, particularly the Pacific Gulls and the New Zealand Kelp Gulls using the wind running over the sand dune at the neck to play, circle and swoop back and forth for hours.
Why are beaches curved?
It seems like such a simple question, “why does a beach have a curve on it?”. Yet even small beaches have a curve. This is because the energy of a beach is concentrated in the middle.
Observing improving ecology in Simpsons Bay
The ecology of Simpsons bay has improved in recent years. Shorebird numbers here have increased. There are a number of reasons behind this improved ecology.
Why is the sand finest at the top of a beach?
When a waves come in, there is an enormous amount of energy, but it loses that energy as it sweeps up the beach, dropping heavier particles first and then dropping the finer particles of sand.
Bruny Island launch: Bob Graham on the hidden world behind the photos
In this series we'll introduce you to some key people involved in building the Bruny Island field guide. Here, geologist and convenor of the Bruny Island Environment Network Bob Graham talks about the hidden world you don't see through the tourist photos.
Protecting shorebirds on Bruny Island
Protecting beach birds is not just about focussing on where they might be when they’re breeding. Its about saying – “these birds occupy many beaches”.
A colony of Swans moves into Bruny Island
Local naturalist Bob Graham observations on a colony of Swans that moved into Adventure Bay and then thrived over the past 25 years.
Earth's history in Adventure Bay's rocks
At different parts of Adventure Bay you can find Sandstone that pre-dates life on Earth, to mudstone rich in fossils, to Dolerite cliffs that were once, millions of years ago, flows of molten lava.
Marine and coastal life at Coal Point
At a number of spots along the coastline near Adventure Bay, such as at Coal point, are fascinating rock pools and coastal and marine life.
Bruny - two islands joined by a Tombolo?
There is a theory that Bruny Island used to actually be two separate islands that became joined over time by a 'tombolo' - a narrow sandy isthmus that builds with sand deposits over time
Contrasting beaches at the Neck
There are two incredibly different coastal environments to the west and the east of the neck, as explained here by geographer and naturalist, Bob Graham