Distance education can provide the ultimate in learning flexibility. It was the perfect option for stay-at-home mum Belinda Robson who enrolled in Marine Studies http://ping.fm/2fF4N She says... "I have appreciated and valued the feedback from my tutor and am thoroughly enjoying my course. Being a stay at home mum with another baby on the way I have also greatly appreciated the chance to be able to complete the work at my own pace, as some weeks/months it's hard to find the time".

Australian & Irish working mums are the best in the world at caring for their children. Why is this important? Find out here: http://ping.fm/eeula

2011 Earth Hour is a record breaker... http://ping.fm/Sod6r

Revamping the website.

We are working hard on revamping our course outlines and have made changes to the following sites: Psychology and Counselling http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/psychology-counselling-426.aspx Sports Turf Management http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/sports-turf-management-38.aspx Viticulture http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/certificate-in-horticulture-viticulture-95.aspx Animal Husbandry http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/animal-health-animal-husbandry-ii-170.aspx Agriculture http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/agriculture-courses.aspx Animal Health Care http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/animal-health-care-165.aspx Biochemistry http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/biochemistry-ii-plant-animal-360.aspx Editing II http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/editing-ii-384.aspx Life Coaching http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/life-coaching-33.aspx Marine Studies I http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/marine-studies-i-286.aspx Certificate in Horticulture – Viticulture http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/certificate-in-horticulture-viticulture-95.aspx

The break in the drought may mean more opportunities in nursery employment as the general public gains more confidence and starts planting again. Greater diversity may also result! Plus a need for more trained staff.

Blitz on updating Course Outlines

We’ve been doing a blitz on adding extra content, and revising existing content across many of the course outlines on our Australian web site; including all of the following courses.

Botany II  http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/botany-ii-plant-growth-and-development-400.aspx

Viticulture  http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/viticulture-87.aspx

Horticulture I   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/horticulture-i-34.aspx

Horticulture II   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/horticulture-ii-plant-knowledge-35.aspx

Horticulture III   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/horticulture-iii-plant-health-36.aspx

Herb Culture   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/herb-culture-156.aspx

Plant Breeding   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/plant-breeding-222.aspx

Wholesale Nursery Management   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/wholesale-nursery-management-71.aspx

Australian Natives II   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/australian-natives-ii-102.aspx

Landscaping Home Gardens    http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/landscaping-home-gardens-128.aspx

Hydroponics I   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/hydroponics-i-307.aspx

Hydroponic Management    http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/hydroponics-i-307.aspx

Machinery and Equipment    http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/engineering-i-machinery-and-equipment-538.aspx

Mud Brick Construction   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/mud-brick-construction-150.aspx

Pet Care    http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/pet-care-297.aspx

Animal Health Care   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/animal-health-care-296.aspx

Organic Farming  http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/organic-farming-356.aspx

Animal Behaviour    http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/animal-behaviour-psychology-of-animals-31.aspx

Vertebrate Zoology   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/vertebrate-zoology-221.aspx

Environmental Waste Management    http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/environmental-waste-management-285.aspx

Photographic Practice   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/photographic-practice-230.aspx

Leisure Facility Management I   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/leisure-facility-management-i-238.aspx

Health and Fitness I   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/health-fitness-i-243.aspx

Aquafitness   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/aquafitness-256.aspx

Nutrition for Weight Loss   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/nutrition-for-weight-loss-495.aspx

Cardiorespiratory Endurance    http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/cardio-respiratory-performance-human-biology-iii-196.aspx

Marketing Psychology    http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/marketing-psychology-314.aspx

Psychological Assessment    http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/psychological-assessment-379.aspx

Professional Supervision   http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/professional-supervision-370.aspx

Stress Management    http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/stress-management-295.aspx

Biopsychology II    http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/biopsychology-ii-348.aspx

Industrial Psychology  http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/industrial-psychology-290.aspx

Our Bonsai course is ideal for the horticulturist who enjoys this specialism ... Gavin recently enhanced this course adding 10,000 words! http://ping.fm/1ZQ2u

Our bookshop has a new url: http://www.acsebook.com/

Rotten Fruit

The following is an excerpt from an email conversation between two of our staff members:

Question: I was very disappointed to cut open my pineapple this morning and find that it was rotten on the inside. I have been baffled by this many times before because I assumed that fruit should really rot from the outside in not the other way around - given that the outside is the point of contact with oxygen. Or does it rot from the inside out because that is where it would be hotter?

Answer: It isn't rotting it's ripening - pineapples ripen from the inside out. We tend to eat pineapple underripe believe it or not! Once the pineapple starts to break-down a bit the fruit is much sweeter. Left too long though, yes the pineapple will start to be attacked by moulds that will start a rotting process.

When a pineapple ripens, the pectins in the fruit break down - along with other cellular material within the fruit; this converts the sugars to starch.

There is also a protective mechanism in pineapple to prevent animals and birds from eating the seed before they mature - during this protective phase the pineapple produces a protein ingesting ennzyme called bromelain; so the outside stays hard and the inside ripens. This achieves the pineapple's ultimate aim to regenerate, before some pesky bird or animal steals the seeds!

http://www.acs.edu.au/courses/crops-courses.aspx

Congratulations to ACS tutor Maggi Brown, who has been elected onto the board of the UK's peak Organic body -"Garden Organic"!

Are you interested in child development? Have you ever thought about the value and worth of play for children? Having worked in a number of children's settings and youth groups, I wish I'd known more, not only for myself, but mostly for benefit of the children I worked with. Check out our Play Leadership course - it really is a comprehensive course which will help develop your skills and knowledge for working with children effectively http://ping.fm/AZgAX Jade ACS Tutor

Bees buzzing off

The collapse of bee colonies is now global. Is it due to the tiny mite or are there other factors at play? http://ping.fm/vhedP

"Rogue Colleges" call into question the legitimacy and value of accredited English Language courses: http://ping.fm/gI45m

Can we think of light as a nutrient? When deprived of light (full-spectrum) adverse changes in health take place. http://ping.fm/QMPxa

Researchers concerned algal blooms are occurring earlier in the year in the Arctic. This could play havoc with the natural cycles of this fragile ecosystem. See http://ping.fm/T1mSz

Lunar perigree on March 19th. http://ping.fm/3wRvx

Wouldn't it be fantastic to go to NZ to help the quake survivors, or to be able to offer some meaningful support to the flood victims?
http://ping.fm/uQMLQ

Our psychology students might be interested in this:
http://ping.fm/NXIWd