Dr Erinn Fagan-Jeffries (Outreach and Media, Invertebrates Australia) and Dr Kate Umbers (Senior Lecturer in Zoology, Western Sydney University and Director, Invertebrates Australia)

It will be of no surprise to an ESA audience that invertebrates underpin the functioning of just about every ecosystem in the world. As nutrient recyclers, pollinators, seed dispersers, and as a critical food source for the more ‘cute and cuddly’ creatures, it is invertebrates like worms, insects, arachnids and corals which are the key to environmental health in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats.

Also likely no new discovery for ESA members, is that despite their importance, invertebrates are vastly under-studied, undocumented, and underappreciated by the general public and policy makers. 

Whilst there are many of us working solidly behind-the-scenes to try and change this, one scientific paper or advocacy campaign at a time, by banding together we might be able to make a significant difference to the perceived value of invertebrates in Australia. 

Invertebrates Australia is a new environmental charity that is dedicated to improving the way in which invertebrates are valued, ecologically recognised, and viewed by the general public. With both a scientific research and advocacy focus, the charity aims to be a data-driven hub that can provide expertise and advice, and make unbiased, evidence-based recommendations about invertebrates to government, industry and conservation workers. 

Whilst less than a year old, Invertebrates Australia already has several active projects, including a citizen science project focussing on documenting Christmas beetles around the country to try and determine if a decline in numbers is occurring, and an ARDC-funded project developing a traits database and vulnerability assessment framework to assess fire susceptibility of Australian invertebrates.

There are lots of ways to get involved with Invertebrates Australia; for more information and to get in contact, head to https://invertebratesaustralia.org/ 

Images

(L): Invertebrates like this wolf spider play integral roles in the ecosystem (image credit Kate Pearce).

(R): Despite being critical for ecosystem function, invertebrates like this colourful grasshopper are understudied and underfunded – something Invertebrates Australia is trying to change (image credit Kate Umbers).