ISCO Conference - Sydney, Australia

Presented by Ron Bell

Six of us took part in the trip to the International Soil Conservation Organization (ISCO) conference in Sydney, Australia. On September 23, Bob Bradley, Dennis Haugen, and myself joined Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association (SSCA) members Dave Bueckert, Gerry Willerth, and John Kiss at Regina Airport. Twenty-six hours later we arrived in Sydney all a little ragged but ready to take in some sights.

Sydney is a beautiful city with it's large natural harbour and many hills. While taking a ferry to downtown Sydney you see the famous harbour bridge and the even more famous Sydney Opera House. Having a couple of days we toured the royal Botanical Gardens and museums in the area. Darling Harbour, where the convention was held, is a very charming tourist area with its exhibition halls which look like a sailing ship.

The conference we attended was the 7^th ISCO conference. Its theme was "People Protecting Their Land". Three hundred and fifty delegates from 38 countries attended, half of these were from Australia. Most delegates were either soil scientists or extension workers. Frankly, the conference was not what we expected. While many of the presentations would have been of most interest to a soil scientist, they tended to be a technical nature and did not seem to relate to the actual ways we could act to protect our land. The presentation that I found most interesting were made by either extension workers or producer-oriented groups. John Kiss, the executive manager of SSCA, gave an excellent presentation on the approach they have taken in delivering conservation programs in their province. Many of the delegates were genuinely interested in whether that approach was working and maybe the message is getting through. The president of ISCO, Bob Junor, in his introduction stated that "The more significant advances in land rehabilitation and adoption of sustainable land management practices are being achieved where the managers of land are actively taking part in the planning and implementation of soil conservation programs." Another indication that views are changing is that for the first time is that Australia's medal for contribution to conservation was given to a farmer.

Although the day sessions were long and at times grueling we were treated to evening entertainment. After the first day we went on an evening dinner cruise of Sydney harbor. On the second evening we attended a banquet at the recently renovated Sydney Town Hall.

After a week in Sydney we were very happy to get into our rented van and see some countryside.