Could you introduce yourself and tell us more about your background and your career trajectory in the field of ecological restoration?

I’m a research fellow at The University of Queensland, Australia and SER’s Regional Director for the Pacific. My research informs coastal wetland conservation and restoration and I hold an AXA-UNESCO research fellowship investigating how community- and Indigenous-based management can enhance mangrove conservation and restoration. Ecology has always been the heart of my career. Since graduating in Environmental Science majoring in Ecology in Australia, I worked in environmental and ecological consulting in both England and Australia for 12 years. I spent years on the land and sea surveying flora and fauna and threatened species.

Grappling with the impacts of development on biodiversity and the lack of knowledge on the success of restoration, I decided to do a PhD on improving the success of ecological restoration and enhancing outcomes for carbon and biodiversity. I had a particular interest in restoration to improve the health of degraded catchments, including the Great Barrier Reef, and using carbon markets to incentivise restoration. This led me to specialise in coastal wetland restoration.

What inspired you to join SER, and what do you value most about your membership?

I joined SER Australasia as the student and early career professional representative when I was doing my PhD in 2016. I wished to connect with people who share the same passion for the environment, advocate for protection and restoration of native ecosystems, and improve restoration science and practice. As a scientist in restoration ecology, I also wanted to keep grounded in the needs of practitioners.

What do you hope to achieve by serving on SER’s Board of Directors?

I wish to represent restoration professionals from the Pacific, provide advice on coastal wetland restoration practices and policy, promote community- and Indigenous-based management and restoration that benefits local communities, and inform restoration under carbon and biodiversity markets to address the global biodiversity and climate crisis. I would also like to work with both the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development to improve restoration outcomes for terrestrial and marine systems.

Enjoying the Ubirr sunset after a day’s fieldwork at Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia

What about ecological restoration excites you the most?

I’m SER Australasia’s representative on Australia’s Restoration Decade Alliance, a consortium of Australia’s NGOs involved in large-scale restoration, working together to achieve the goals of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. I am excited to be a restoration ecologist during the UN Decade, where we have an opportunity now and in the coming years to recover our degraded ecosystems and support biodiversity.

Could you highlight a particular project or initiative you've been involved in that you're especially proud of or passionate about?

I recently co-authored Best practice guidelines on mangrove restoration, a partnership between Conservation International, Wetlands International, The University of Queensland, Global Mangrove Alliance and the Blue Carbon Initiative, along with dozens of mangrove scientists from across the world. We held a webinar with SER in February to share best practices to design, fund and implement mangrove restoration projects. Watch it here!

In your view, what are the most pressing ecological restoration challenges or opportunities that the field is currently facing, and how do you see SER playing a role in addressing them?

We need to stop clearing and start conserving existing native ecosystems alongside restoration efforts. SER addresses this by collaborating with other conservation organisations working on Global Biodiversity Framework targets to restore 30% of degraded ecosystems and conserve 30% of land, water, and seas.

Presenting on biodiversity monitoring in coastal wetland restoration at the Australian Coastal Restoration Network conference

Where do you see opportunities for SER to grow its impact in the field?

A growing opportunity for SER is to provide advice on how to undertake restoration to enhance biodiversity and avoid trade-offs with existing biodiversity. Given Indigenous lands cover around a quarter of the earth’s surface and a third of intact forests, there is also an opportunity for SER to build the capacity of Indigenous people to lead restoration projects.

Can you share some key lessons or insights you've gained from your work that you believe are important for the broader restoration community?

Working with Traditional Owners (First Nations people of Australia) has been rewarding. They have a desire to heal and manage sick the land and we should partner with Indigenous people to manage and restore degraded ecosystems that benefit them.

Are there specific ecological restoration principles or practices that you find particularly fascinating or effective, and how have you applied them in your work or projects?

Using nature where possible to initiate ecological restoration and achieve more natural outcomes, such as reducing causes of degradation and reinstatement of tidal flows to areas that have connectivity to existing mangroves.

Planting a mangrove propagule in Cartagena, Colombia

What unique ecological restoration challenges and opportunities are associated with your region and how does the chapter address them?

Major challenges for coastal restoration in Australia are high agricultural production and population pressures in the coastal zone and the complex government approval processes in coastal and marine environments. More broadly, there are concerns with attaining nature positive restoration in Australia. Australia’s Restoration Decade Alliance (RDA) held a series of workshops and a symposium in 2023 on the topic ‘Towards a National Restoration Plan’. This achieved a high level of engagement by mainly restoration-aligned participants who agreed on the need for increased national effort towards ecosystem restoration in Australia and identified significant policy gaps to attain nature positive restoration. The issues and solutions are being communicated in a discussion paper.

What advice do you have for students or emerging professionals who are considering a career in ecological restoration?

Say yes to opportunities that align with your personal values. Be proactive and collaborate with others in your region to make change. Find your passion in ecological restoration, because it’s not work if you enjoy it and there are a range of careers in practice, policy, and science.

Can you share your vision for the future of ecological restoration?

There are some big, pressing targets for restoration across the world. My vision is that those targets achieve net benefits for biodiversity by people doing their best with ecological restoration given the condition of the land and water, even if this requires higher capital. SER can support this through best practice guidelines and policy advice on how to scale-up funding needed for landscape-scale ecological restoration.

Fieldwork birthday at Whitsunday Coast, Queensland, Australia.

What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?

I’m into the conservation of insectivorous bats. I have been assessing habitat use and diversity of bats in coastal wetlands including mangrove and swamp forests and saltmarsh. I use acoustic bat recorders to detect and identify bat species by ultrasonic calls. However, in the past I have been lucky enough to trap these cute and wonderful animals.