Dr Don Ewart

Consulting Entomologist
Victoria, Australia

Personal

Donald McGregor Ewart BSc(Hons), PhD.  

Background

Ecologist/Entomologist with broad experience in industry, research with CSIRO, government bodies & universities.  Extensive experience teaching urban pest management, providing solutions for stakeholders and developing Australian Standards.  

Employment

Present: Consultancies in the fields of insect ecology, expert assessments, construction and timber decay but also encompassing business work including corporate brand-identity market research. Teaching at NMIT (urban pest management).
Previously: Granitgard Pty Ltd (R&D Manager 1994-2007) , CSIRO (1994-1997), University of Melbourne School of Early Childhood Studies (1987-1994) School Chairperson & Head, Human Development Centre), University of Hawaii (1990-1991 Assistant Professor).

Summary of Qualifications

• University educated entomologist with extensive experience in private/public cooperative environmental research.
• Good knowledge of building and building practices. Design work with architects, builders, clients integrating non-toxic termite barrier systems with energy, water efficiency and fire-resistance systems.
• Teaching experience ranging from postgraduate supervision to TAFE, course creation, external and distance learning. Skilled public speaker.
• Broad consultancy experience, covering research, construction, environmental risks, assessments & reports for legal disputes and marketing.
• Business experience.  Management, sales, quoting, negotiation, warehouse, budgeting, training, export, contracts, staff supervision, product launches, regulator relationships, lobbying, tendering, patents and IP protection.

Research Summary

•  Principal area of research since PhD has been entomology and the management of pests, chiefly termites,  in the built environment.
• A wide variety of contract research for industry and government clients.           

Teaching Summary

Have taught broadly in tertiary settings (since 1981), from university level postgraduates to TAFE (NMIT).  Subjects taught range from ecology, entomology and various hard sciences to urban pest control, IT, administrative systems, human development and pre-school curriculum science. 

Achievements

• Introduced the use of rigid plastic termite barriers as an alternative to organochlorine poisons.
• Pioneering research in termite baiting and the potential to control termites with modified bacteria.
• National (Australian) certification of the Granitgard Non-Toxic Physical Termite Barrier System.
• Development of particle termite barrier systems suitable for use in tropical Australia.
• Development of a novel plant-antifeedant based elastomeric termite barrier material.
• Three Australian termite barrier patents. 

Education

PhD  (La Trobe) (Ecology)
Aspects of the ecology of the termite Coptotermes lacteus.

BSc. Hons. (La Trobe) (Zoology/Botany majors)
An investigation of the ecology of subterranean termites which utilise woody litter at Wyperfeld National Park.  Honours thesis 

Consultancy Clients

(Confidential and minor clients not listed)

• Attorney General's Department
• Blake, Dawson, Waldron (Lawyers)
• Bluescope-Lysaght (manufacturers)
• CSIRO (Research)
• Dept. of Natural Resources & Environment Victoria (Research & Interpretation)
• Dept. of Primary Industry Victoria (Pest Survey)
• DG Skinner & Associates (Lawyers)
• Ecospan (Research Consultancy)
• Ergon Energy (North Queensland electricity)
• FM Insurance Company Ltd (Singapore Branch)
• Granitgard Pty Ltd (Termite barrier manufacturer)
• Hunt & Hunt (Lawyers)
• Major Projects Victoria (Design)
• Maunsell (Consulting Engineers)
• Meier Denison Guymer (Lawyers)
• Mills Oakley Lawyers
• Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (NZ)
• Moray & Agnew (Lawyers)
• O'Neill Marengo (Lawyers)
• Phillips-Fox (Lawyers)       
• Property Partnerships Pacific (Real Estate Developer)
• qBrand (Marketing Consultancy)
• Santos (Mining)
• Scales (legal service, Rockingham Western Australia)
• Tatchell-Sheedy (Lawyers)
• Unisearch (Research)
• VisionStream (Fibre optic cable company)
• Wangaratta District Base Hospital

Boards and Committees

• School Chairperson, School of Early Childhood studies, University of Melbourne, 1993-1994
• Standard's Australia, Committee BD-74 1997-present, Chair 2009-
• Victorian Council, Australian Environmental Pest Managers' Association 2001-2007, 2010

Selected Scientific Publications

Yen, A.L., Ewart, D. & Walker, K., 2006. Mallee eucalypts, hummock grasses and social insects– key elements of the Victorian Mallee. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 118 (2): 281-293.
 
Ewart, DM  (2001) Termite barriers for new construction in Australia (Isoptera). Sociobiology (USA) , 37(2), 2001, pp. 379 – 388

French, J.R.J.; Rasmussen, R.A.; Ewart, D.M.; Khalil, M.A.K. (1997) The gaseous environment of mound colonies of the subterranean termite Coptotermes lacteus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) before and after feeding on mirex-treated decayed wood bait blocks. Bulletin of Entomological Research (UK) v. 87(2) p. 145-149

Grace, J.K. and Ewart, D.M. (1996) Recombinant cells of Pseudomonas fluorescens: a highly palatable encapsulation for delivery of genetically engineered  toxins to subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Letters  in Applied Microbiology 23:183-186

Grace, J.K. ; Ewart, D.M.; Tome, C.H.M. (1996) Termite resistance of wood species grown in Hawaii. Forest Products Journal (USA) v. 46(10) p. 57-60

Ewart, D. McG., Grace, J.K., Yammamoto, R. and Tamashiro, M. (1992) Hollow stakes for detecting subterranean termites. Sociobiology (USA)  20(1): 17-22

French, J.R.J.; Donaldson, R.; Ewart, D.M.(1987) Electronic monitoring of temperatures in air, a termite mound, trees and soil. Australian Forest Research v. 17(1) p. 79-82

 French, J. R. J., Robinson, P. J., and Ewart, D. M., (1986) Cork as a bait substrate for some Australian termites. Sociobioogy (USA) 11(3):303-309

Ewart, D.M.  (1985) Rapid Publication Note: A fast technique for separating termites from nest debris. Australian Journal of Entomology, Vol. 24(2): 154

Ewart, D.M. (1985a) Termites in 1984 Zoological Expedition to the Krakataus -Preliminary report. I.W.B. Thornton (ed). Dept. Zool., La Trobe  Univ., Misc. Series no. 1

Conferences

Ewart, Don  (2009) Emerging Challenges and Opportunities in Termite Management. Advances in Biology and Research of Urban Pests.  ABRUP Symposium, Westmead Hospital, September.

Ewart, Don  (2008) Implications of Biology in the Management of Termites. Safety & Pest Biology.  ABRUP Symposium, Westmead Hospital, October.

Ewart, D.McG. (2007) A method and apparatus for rapid assessment of termite barriers.
International Research Group on Wood Preservation. Annual Meeting, Jackson, Wyoming. Document no. IRG/WP 07-20366

Ewart, D.M.; Rawlinson, E.R.; Tolsma, A.D.; Irvin, G.C.; Wiggins, P.R.  (1997) Development of a Granitgard (registered trade-mark) particulate termite barrier for use in tropical Australia. 28. International Research Group on Wood Preservation. Annual Meeting, Whistler (Canada), 25-30 May 1997. Document no. IRG/WP 97-10190,  IRG Secretariat, Stockholm

D. McG. Ewart, E.R. Rawlinson, J.R.J. French, A.D. Tolsma, B. Ahmed, G.C. Irvin, and P. R. Wiggins (1996). Continued development of Granitgard particulate termite barriers. 25th Forest Products Research Conference, Melbourne . Vol. 1, Topic 1/23. 8 pp.

D. McG. Ewart, E. R. Rawlinson, J.R.J. French, and B. M. Ahmed (1996). Bait-box termite control method. 25th Forest Products Research Conference, Melbourne . Poster Vol. 2.

French, J.R.J., Ahmed, B. & Ewart, D.M. (1995) Bait box technique for  subterranean termite control. International Research Group on Wood Preservation. Annual Meeting. Doc. No.  IRG/WP/95-10115

Ewart, D. (1994) Termites, the new way to avoid damage: Granitgard.  Housing Industry Association Annual Conference, Melbourne, October

Ewart, D.M. & French, J.R.J. (1992) The ecology of the forest termite  Coptotermes lacteus. XIX International Congress of Entomology,  June 28-July 4, Beijing

Ewart, D. McG., Tamashiro, M., Grace, J.K. & Ebesu, R.H. (1991) Minimum foraging aperture and particle barriers for excluding the Formosan  Subterranean Termite. Entomological Society of America, Dec 8-12, Reno,  Nevada

Ewart, D. McG., Grace, J.K., French, J.R.J. & Tamashiro, M. (1991) Baiting systems for subterranean termite control. Pacific Science Congress, Honolulu

Ewart, D. McG., Grace, J.K., Ebesu, R.H. & Tamashiro, M. (1991) Particle Barriers and minimum foraging aperture for Coptotermes formosanus. Annual Conference of the Hawaiian Entomological Society, Nov., Honolulu

Ewart, D. McG. (1991) Direct colony baiting of termite colonies: a tool for  ecological studies. in M.I. Haverty and W. Wilcox (eds)  Proceedings of the symposium on current research on wood destroying  organisms and future prospects for protecting wood in use. Sept,  1989, USDA-FS Bend, Oregon

Ewart, D. McG. (1991) Termites and forest management in Australia.  in M.I. Haverty and W. Wilcox (eds) Proceedings of the symposium on current research on wood destroying organisms and future prospects for protecting wood in use. Sept, 1989, USDA-FS Bend, Oregon

Ewart, D.M. & French, J.R.J. (1988) Estimation of the population of a mound  colony of Coptotermes lacteus. International Research Group on Wood Preservation. Annual Meeting,  Doc. No. IRG/WP/1353

Ewart, D.M. & French, J.R.J. (1986) Temperature studies on two mounds of  Coptotermes lacteus. International Research Group on Wood Preservation. Annual Meeting,  Doc. No. IRG/WP/1295 

Other

Ewart, D.M.  (1995) Termites, in Healesville Sanctuary Australian Wildlife CD-ROM

Ewart, D.M. (1995) The CSIRO bait box method of termite control.
Originally published as http://www.wark.csiro.au/bbox.htm, now at http://www.drdons.net/bbox.htm

Ewart, D.M. (1995-) Dr Don's Termite Pages.  http://www.drdons.net
An information site initially started to reduce time answering telephone queries whilst seconded to CSIRO.  Over 1.6 million readers.

Referees

On request.  Please choose from academic, government, commercial and student.

Letters of reference also on request.