Simon Votto is a RIEL PhD Candidate within the College of Engineering, IT and Environment. His research focusses on the behaviour of terrestrial avifauna associated with arid zone waterholes and how it may change under a warming climate. His project poses questions such as: what proportion of the avian waterhole community is water dependent? Are water dependent species vulnerable to increased predation during hot and dry conditions? Can fringing vegetation facilitate their access to surface water when predation pressure is high? Simon’s work hopes to promote awareness about the risk avian species in arid zone habitats face under a warming climate. His work also hopes to inform land management decisions around the conservation of arid zone waterholes for the benefit of avian species into the future.