I am a wildlife ecologist and conservation biologist who is passionate about conserving our desert ecosystems. My research interests include rewilding, mammal behaviour, threatened species management and predator/prey interactions. I aim to improve the plight of threatened species through conducting applied research and applying the learnings to conservation management. I study a range of species including bilbies, quolls, bandicoots,...view more
I am a wildlife ecologist and conservation biologist who is passionate about conserving our desert ecosystems. My research interests include rewilding, mammal behaviour, threatened species management and predator/prey interactions. I aim to improve the plight of threatened species through conducting applied research and applying the learnings to conservation management. I study a range of species including bilbies, quolls, bandicoots, bettongs, numbats, malleefowl, woma pythons, phascogales and stick-nest rats. My research focuses on large scale field experiments designed to improve adaptive management and translocation success. I have a special interest in creating conservation partnerships that combine research with on ground outcomes (Arid Recovery, Tetepare Island, Wild Deserts and Middleback Alliance). I supervise students who wish to conduct field experiments (particularly in arid and semi-arid areas) that will directly contribute to improved conservation outcomes.
My Qualifications
BSc Hons in Zoology and Environmental Biology
PhD in Reintroduction Biology
My Research Activities
I am currently conducting research on the following topics. Please contact me if you are interested in Honours, Masters or PhD projects on these topics or other arid zone ecology projects. At present I am involved in research at field sites at Arid Recovery (SA), Secret Rocks Nature Reserve (SA), Yellabinna Regional Reserve (SA), Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park (SA), Sturt National Park Wild Deserts (NSW) and Tetepare Island (Solomon Islands).
-Improving reintroduction success through prolonged low level exposure of naive prey to introduced predators (ARC Linkage Grant)
-Extreme heat impacts on native desert mammals (ARC Discovery Grant)
-Impact of Feral Cats on reptiles (ARC Discovery Grant)
-Trophic cascades triggered by fenced conservation reserves (partnership with Arid Recovery)
-Long term ecological trends in arid zone fauna and rainfall driven changes
-Movements, nesting and survival of the threatened malleefowl
-Improving reintroduction success through manipulation of habitat and release protocols
-Predator hunting behaviour and impact on native species
-Optimising feral animal control methods
-Patterns and drivers of post release population change in threatened reintroduced mammals
-Novel and native predator prey interactions
My Research Supervision
Supervision keywords
Areas of supervision
I supervise honours, PhD and Masters students in the fields of Biological Conservation, Ecology, and Reintroduction Biology with a focus on applied ecology in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. I am currently supervising students on a diverse range of topics including arid zone bat ecology, reintroduction of the greater bilby, effects of temperature extremes on desert mammals, addressing prey naivety in Australian mammals, conservation translocation of the western quoll, improving control methods for feral cats, using bioindicators to inform reintroduction timing, feral cat hunting behaviour, improving translocation outcomes for the red-tailed phascogale and the long term sustainability of fenced safehavens.
Currently supervising
Honours, Masters and PhD students on topics relating to ecology, threatened species, wildlife translocations, feral cats and foxes, and ecosystem restoration. Large scale field experiments in arid and semi-arid Australia are a focus for my research but I am willing to supervise in other habitats. I have study sites in WA, SA and NSW and work regularly at Wild Deserts, Arid Recovery and Secret Rocks safehavens. Please contact me if you are interested in conducting research on these topics.
My Engagement
I am a conservation biologist focused on impact through the creation of partnerships that combine research with on ground conservation and training. My research is designed to improve conservation management through changes to policy and on ground action. Examples of my impact are below
Rewilding
I have conducted research during 20 reintroductions of 10 threatened species at four study sites. My research has improved reintroduction success by providing frameworks for release protocols, post release monitoring and long-term genetic management. I helped empirically demonstrate that fenced reserves can effectively conserve mainland Australia’s threatened arid zone fauna due to the threat posed by introduced predators. This research has directly contributed to the increase in fenced reserves built for conservation from just five to over 30 over the last two decades. Our designed and tested threatened species protection fence design is now adopted throughout Australia and internationally. Research into dingoes and their interactions with cats and foxes has helped improve our understanding of their suppressive influence on large herbivores and introduced predators. This research adds to a growing recognition that dingoes have a role to play in ecosystem restoration and has influenced dingo policy in South Australia through recognising that dingo control in cattle areas should be minimised.
Ecosystem Restoration
I have co-founded four dynamic research conservation projects (Australia and Pacific) protecting over 1000 km2 of habitat for conservation (Arid Recovery, Wild Deserts, Tetepare Island, Middleback Alliance). Research conducted in the Solomon Islands (Tetepare Island) has led to the implementation of a permanent Marine Protected Area and protection of nesting leatherback turtle populations. In Australia, our research has highlighted the issues with overpopulation of macropods leading to improved methods of management to reduce grazing impacts. I have helped demonstrate the critical role of mammals (pre-European) as ecosystem engineers in ecosystem restoration, and that biocontrol of rabbits led to the greatest recovery of threatened species ever documented in Australia.
Predator prey interactions
My research on predation impacts and predator ecology is designed to change the way we view predators and their management. My long-term program of research and advocacy on predator ecology and management has directly influenced government policy. In particular, feral cats are now officially recognised as a national threat to biodiversity. I demonstrated that individual predators can vary significantly in their impacts on reintroduction programs. This predator research has led to partnerships to develop two new feral animal control technologies: (i) Felixer Grooming Trap and (ii) Population Protecting Implants. I was one of the first researchers to highlight that prey naivety is exacerbated by predator exclusion fences and to empirically demonstrate the benefits of predator exposure. This work has contributed to an increase in predator reintroductions in Australia, an increased focus on “beyond the fence” restoration, and an increased understanding of predator thresholds needed for successful reintroductions outside of fenced reserves.
I sit on a number of boards and advisory committees and partner with a range of research and conservation organisations.
Wild Deserts Executive Management Committee
Arid Recovery Principal Scientist
Centre for Ecosystem Science Deputy Director
Great Victoria Desert Biodiversity Trust Scientific Advisory Committee
Middleback Alliance Management Committee
Ecological Horizons Director
Numbat Recovery Team
Kowari Recovery Team
National Environment Science Program Resilient Landscapes Hub Key Researcher
Chuditch Recovery Team
Chuditch metapopulation management committee
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0691-1625