The 2024 International Year of Camelids (IYC) aimed “to build awareness of the untapped potential of camelids and to call for increased investment in the camelid sector, advocating for greater research, capacity development and the use of innovative practices and technologies.”
Introducing Camelids (issue 179) – This first article for the IYC covered literacy, science and numeracy by considering the meaning of the word ‘camelid’ and especially the –id suffix for literacy, followed by the taxonomic classification of the camelids for Science and using resources about camelids for numeracy activities like counting and grouping.
Camelids in Australia (issue 180) – The second article for the IYC covered the camelids that are in Australia and how they got here: dromedaries (brought as transportation, but later let go and have become inland pests); Bactrian camels (were not able to adapt); guanacos and vicunas (found in zoos); and llamas and alpacas (now farmed).
Australia’s Camel Story and Reference Page (issue 181) – The third and final article for the IYC followed the story of the camels in Australia as a timeline: 1822, the first idea that camels might be useful here; 1846, the first camel ‘Harry’ arrived; 1860, explorers’ transportation; 1870’s+, inland business transportation; 1920’s+, superseded as transportation; and 1988, produce for export.
Return to list of environmental articles in Otherways by IY from 2010- present.
Page set up 2 January 2025.