Nick will take us through all aspects of Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture; Commercial & traditional aquaculture, planning & making ponds & dams, water quality & technology, feeding, breeding & harvesting, permits, aquariums, polyculture & aquatic life (fishes, plants, crayfish & prawns). We’ll also look into backyard aquaponics and whether this is a genuinely sustainable way to produce high-quality food. In the afternoon we’ll go on a field trip to Nick Romanowski’s property & nursery “Dragonfly Aquatics”. Nick's nursery is not open to the public, so this is a rare treat!

As well as being a renowned writer, Nick Romanowski is an experienced teacher and lecturer, and has a wealth of knowledge and practical experience. A biologist who has worked with aquatic plants and animals for well over thirty years, from managing a wholesale aquarium to commercial breeding and propagation. He has written extensively on wetlands and plants for habitat and water treatment, and has a particular interest in the environmental impacts of aquaculture.

Nick’s expertise in growing water plants is recognized worldwide, and his tenth book "Edible Water Gardens - Growing Water-plants for food & profit", the first complete guide to growing and using edible wetland plants worldwide, was released by CSIRO publishing [Hyland House] in October 2007 (and can be ordered through any good bookstore). Most of the plants photographed in this book are grown at his specialist nursery "Dragonfly Aquatics" in southern Australia, giving you a taste of what you'll encounter on the workshop and site visit. His 9th book, "Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture" was released by UNSW press early in 2007. This book is recommended reading in preparing for the workshop. It can be ordered through UNSW press.

As places are limited to a maximum of 12 people, make sure you book in straight away for this workshop to avoid disappointment.