Hi Julian,
Thanks for putting yourself out there, the life of IFFA really relies on the willingness of people to share.

In this spirit- I'm Brian Bainbridge, I turned 40 this year and have been president of the IFFA Committee of Management since late 2007
You could read the introductory biography I wrote for Indigenotes (December 2007, Feb 2008?) for a more background but I'll fill in the last few years.
I still work at Merri Creek Management Committee as an Ecological Restoration Planner (includes writing up managment plans, assessments, reviewing other consultants work and planning applications, a bit of GIS work, project design, input into grant and contracts, training and support to field technicians, maintenance of reference materials).

In another role I am Chair of my local Community House (Fawkner) and member of a new sustainability group for the area. These groups have provided some useful insights into community engagement. My reading of recent literature and manuals for sustainability has reinforced the need to promote indigenous biodiversity issues which otherwise risk being ignored or misrepresented in the current surge in environmental action on sustainability.

I am lucky to have owned a house here in Fawkner since 2002, using its garden as a 'laboratory' for ecological restoration and providing a chance for daily contact with the wildlife of the Victorian Volcanic Plain (or at least that subset using the neighbouring Merri Creek habitat corridor) . My interest in nature has always run alongside my art practice, most recently in photography- see IFFA gallery for some of my pics.

IFFA has provided a great chance to build committee, planning and networking skills and try my hand at wrtiting and reviewing.
I would encourage any of our members to make contact with the committee to share ideas on what IFFA might do, activity ideas or articles for Indigenotes. Involvement in IFFA provides a great opportunity to extend your own abilities and meet people skilled in environmental practice, teaching and administration.

Re. Murnong Seed- MCMC manage a site where we have a small remnant population of the Plains Yam Daisy, Microseris scapigera. Unfortunately, the rarity of this population means its seed is needed for building populations in other secure reserves and testing management techniques. I have recently had access to the paper describing the taxonomic work from the early 2000s that defined the three distinct types of Murnong in Australia. For your work I assume that the more tuberous rooted Microseris sp. 2 ('Murnong') will be a better test subject.
I also am under the impression that inulin is also a major component of Jerusalem Artichoke tubers. Are these chemicals the same? Have similar studies been done with Jerusalem artichokes?