31 October 1994 Lincoln's Stand a Real Buzz!

Lincoln University will be in full flight, literally, at this year's Christchurch A and P Show.

The theme in the Show's Canterbury Court pavilion is "Take Flight" and the University will be fitting in with this in a number of ways.

Prominent in the University's display will be a giant bumble bee, drawing attention to significant research the University is doing on the use of bumble bees as pollinators of field crops such as Lucerne. Call by the Lincoln stand and you will find out all about this fascinating work being carried out by Dr Steve Wratten and masters student Marie Schaffer of the University's Department of Entomology and Animal Ecology.

Also featured at the Lincoln stand will be work the University is doing on the tracking of kea, bats and petrels, using radio telemetry and other technological methods to establish their range, territorial boundaries and other movement data.

The tracking of the Westland Petrel, for example, should fill a major scientific information gap on the precise movements of this bird which can be sighted as far afield as Australia and South America. Ecologist Kerry-Jayne Wilson of the Department of Entomology and Animal Ecology is supervising this work.

In relation to human flight, it's notable that Lincoln is the only University in New Zealand to have a Professor of Transport Studies, Professor Chris Kissling, and to offer a B.Com (Transport) degree, so it's logical that aviation aspects of transport will be featured at the University's stand too.

In addition, the University's Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism will be featured and its material will deal with flight in relation to tourism and recreation.

Yes, there will be plenty to see and hear about from Lincoln under the "Take Flight" theme, so be sure the visit the University's stand.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.