Tue, 23 Aug
|Mount Waverley Youth Centre - Hall A
August Gathering 2022


Time and Location
23 Aug 2022, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm AEST
Mount Waverley Youth Centre - Hall A, 45 Miller Cres, Mount Waverley VIC 3149, Australia
About the Event
Hope you can join us at the CSSA August Gathering! For those unable to attend the hall we will still be Live Streaming to the CSSA Members-Only Group and Zooming (details on how to join can be found below).
Our Guest Speaker this month is Assistant Professor Jared Margulies - Why do collectors break the law to obtain cactus and succulent plant material?
Cacti and succulent plants represent some of the most threatened plants in the international horticultural trade. I will share findings from a recently completed international study involving a survey of 441 members of the cacti and succulent hobbyist collector community. The aim of the study was to understand collector perspectives on CITES and on the threats illegal wildlife trade poses to cactus and succulent conservation. I will discuss these findings, which includes evidence about the prevalence of illegal behaviors within collecting communities. Importantly, I will discuss motivations for such behavior, and how this study can help develop more productive dialogue between passionate collector communities and CITES for the betterment of cactus and succulent conservation.
Jared Margulies works as an assistant professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Alabama. His forthcoming book, The Succulent Subject (University of Minnesota Press) , is about cactus and succulent plants, desire, and illicit trade. Dr. Margulies was previously a recipient of a Fulbright-Nehru grant, which supported his PhD research on human-wildlife conflicts in South India. Before moving to Alabama, Dr. Margulies was a postdoctoral research fellow the Department of Politics at the University of Sheffield, UK. He received his PhD from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2017.
POTM: Astrophytum
HALL RULES* TO ENSURE WE ARE COMPLIANT WITH CURRENT RESTRICTIONS AND COVID SAFE PRACTICES TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE:
• Please note that failure to comply with these rules may mean that you will be denied access to the CSSA Gathering or be asked to leave the venue. • Members/Visitors/Guests need to sign in with the CSSA, this is for Society Insurance Purposes and must be completed. • Please DO NOT attend if you are unwell or have any symptoms of Covid-19 (temperature over 37.5°C, runny nose, cough, aches/pains, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea, sore throat, loss of sense of smell or taste, fever/chills/night sweats, headache, shortness of breath, fatigue), have tested positive to Covid, have had close contact with anyone confirmed or suspected of having Covid-19, or have been required to self-isolate (please refer to https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/checklist). • Hand sanitiser will be provided, and you are encouraged to use it on entering and before signing in. • Face masks are no longer required (but as per the Vic Government Rules it is strongly recommended to wear a mask if you cannot physically distance). • Social distancing of 1.5 metres is required inside the venue. • Number of attendees is restricted to 125, we reserve the right to refuse entry should the permitted capacity be reached. • Due to the size of the kitchen facilities and requirements for safe distancing, Supper will not be provided. Members, Guests and Visitors wishing to have a hot drink and something to eat at the Supper Break are asked to provide their own tea/coffee (e.g. thermos) and snack. • Due to venue size and social distancing requirements, table space for Sellers may be limited, if you are planning to sell, please ensure you advise the CSSA Secretary (secretary@cssaustralia.org.au) as soon as possible. • *Please note that these rules are subject to change dependent upon Victorian state restrictions at the time of the meeting. • The order of proceedings will be as follows (approximate times): 6.00pm Hall will open to setup the venue (if you can assist with set-up this would be appreciated) 6.45pm Sellers may enter the Hall to set up their sales 7.00pm Members/Guests/Visitors may enter the Hall 7.30pm Zoom room opens 7.45pm Live stream to CSSAustralia Members-only Group starts 8.00pm Official meeting start 9.00pm Speaker’s presentation commences 10.00pm Gathering closes (if you can assist with pack-up this would be appreciated)
FOR THOSE WISHING TO JOIN THE MEETING VIRTUALLY:
>> CSS Australia Members are provided the Zoom details via email and the Members-Only FB Group
>> If you would like to join the Monthly Gathering Zoom room as a Guest/Visitor, please send us a PM no later than 24 hours prior to commencement of the Monthly Gathering.
Guests/Visitors are welcome to join our Monthly Gatherings either at the hall or via Zoom for up to three occasions, after this time we ask you to become a Member. More information about our Membership is available on our Website (https://cssaustralia.org.au/membership). Membership costs as little as AU$20 ($15 concession holders) a year – so there is no better time to join than now!