Chairperson - bruce clarkson

New Zealand

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  • Independent reviewer of progress of New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy.

  • Advisor to New Zealand restoration projects including: Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park, Hakarimata Restoration Trust, Maungatautari Ecological Island.

  • Plant ecologist with main interests: Vegetation pattern, processes, and change (succession); Ecosystem Restoration and reconstruction; Autecology and conservation of threatened native plants.

    Professor Bruce Clarkson is Director of the Centre for Biodiversity and Ecology Research at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. He has published over 70 papers and several books on various aspects of the systematics and ecology of New Zealand native plants and vegetation. Throughout his research career he has maintained a strong interest in applying aspects of his research on the ground to assist in the protection and restoration of native plants and ecosystems. He currently leads a Ministry of Science and Innovation funded research program on determining the best methods for restoring indigenous biodiversity in cities.


IMMEDIATE PAST ChairPERSON - Kingsley Dixon

Perth, Western Australia

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  • Conservation biology.

  • Minesite and urban bushland ecological restoration.

  • Evolutionary processes of native species and landscapes.

  • Seed science.

    Kingsley Dixon is a botanist and biologist who has research experience in ecological restoration programs with the community, industry and government. His restoration interests include: coastal restoration; threatened species conservation and translocation; post-mining restoration including biodiverse communities; working with communities to restore and manage degraded lands; marine restoration including seed biology of seagrasses. He is participating in arid land restoration in Australia and overseas including a large program investigating restoration options in Saudi Arabia.

    Positions: Board member, International Society for Ecological Restoration; Chair of Membership Committee International Society for Ecological Restoration; Immediate-Past President, Australian Network for Plant Conservation; Member, International Panel of Experts for the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation; Consulting Editor, In Vitro Cell and Developmental Biology; National Judging Panel, Eureka Awards; National Grant Advisory Panel, Australian Flora Foundation; Chairman, Research Committee, Australian Orchid Foundation; Member, IUCN Species Survival Commission, Plant Reintroduction Specialist Group.


Vice-Chairperson - Vern Newton

Perth, Western Australia

  • Construction materials, quarrying and mining experience across Australia with several leading construction materials and mining companies.

  • Operational, project management, logistical, marketing and human resources experience.

  • Advocacy with local, state and federal government and agencies. 
    Working with science to provide a link to industry for improved restoration outcomes.

  • Completing best practice restoration of Banksia woodland.

Vern’s areas of expertise include working for several construction material and mining companies in senior roles encompassing Operations, Logistics, Budgeting, Strategic Planning and Marketing within the Kimberley, Pilbara, South West, Goldfields and Metropolitan area of Western Australia and Australia as a whole.  He has been involved in driving sustainable policies within corporate organisations including developing Energy Management Policy for a large Australian construction materials company, which resulted in the company being the first sign up for the Australian Greenhouse Challenge with the Federal Government.

With Rocla, Vern engaged with research institutes to help achieve partnerships between industry and science so that a higher standard of restoration is achieved on the ground, resulting in several environmental awards including two Golden Geckos. Additionally, Vern liaises with government (both Federal and State) and regulatory bodies regarding the benefits of restoration to ensure restoration principles are a key focus for government so that development occurs in a sustainable manner and net increases in habitat begin to occur. With the acquisition of Rocla Quarry Products by Hanson Construction Materials (Australia), Vern continued his work in the resource development field with Hanson, and now also holds the role of National Property Manager.


SECRETARY - MICHAEL JUST

Perth, Western Australia

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Michael is a Post-doctoral research fellow with the Restoration Ecology Group at Curtin University. His PhD covered seed development, dormancy and germination of intractable Rutaceae in Western Australia. Michael’s research interests include seed biology, ex situ propagation for conservation and environmental monitoring.

Michael completed a Master’s of Science at Edith Cowan University, Western Australia, where he studied the seed morphology, dormancy and germination of WA Ericaceae. His Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences is from Edith Cowan University. 


Treasurer - David Hancock

Perth, Western Australia

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  • Business analysis.

  • Plant propagation for restoration.

  • Environmental and restoration project management.

  • Volunteer for community environmental and conservation groups. 

    David is an Environment Consultant with the Perth-based Natural Areas Consulting, an environment business he founded in 2003.


General Board Member: - Jen Ford

Brisbane, Queensland

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  • Highly experienced practitioner (20 years) using a range of restoration approaches on a wide range of vegetation and habitat types. 

  • Successfully worked across sectors in a range of roles i.e. state and local government, not-for-profit, private.

  • Well-developed communication skills.

  • High level skills in linking science with practice.

  • Strategic thinker. 

  • Policy development.

    Jen is a highly experienced ecological restoration practitioner who has worked in a range of positions including as a bush regenerator; a TAFE teacher; a senior officer in local government; and currently in the private sector as Ecosure's Principal Restoration Ecologist. Her experience includes successfully applying a range of ecological restoration approaches across a wide range of ecosystem and habitat types; large scale restoration; designing environmental education programs; and developing and presenting information to assist a diverse range of stakeholders in implementing better restoration standards and weed control. Her leadership qualities, experience serving on committees and passion for connecting people with our environment ensures she will advance SERA's strategic vision.


General Board Member - Peter Erskine

Brisbane, Queensland

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  • Leading multi-disciplinary teams designing monitoring programs, rehabilitation strategies and understanding ecosystem function for industry and regulatory bodies.

  • Working on forest landscape restoration and mine rehabilitation.

  • Forest landscape restoration: developing ways to scale-up and restore large areas of degraded land.

  • Developing research solutions with research organisations, mining companies and government agencies on issues of land restoration and the environmental impacts of mining.

Peter is a landscape and plant ecologist with experience in a range of countries and ecosystems. . He currently holds the positions of Associate Professor at The University of Queensland and the Director of the Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation. Over the last two decades he has worked on ecosystem function, landscape forest restoration and revegetation techniques in Australia, south-east Asia and Africa. He currently works closely with companies, government agencies and NGOs to develop monitoring methods to assess environmental impacts of human activities. Peter’s research interests include the development of novel ecosystems, the utility of reference sites for measuring rehabilitation success and the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles to quantify issues of scale.


Board Member at Large - Bruno Fogliani

New Caladonia

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  • Seed ecophysiology

  • Revegetation of mining degraded land on ultramafic rocks and of dry forests

  • Conservation biology of New Caledonian vegetations

  • In vitro researches dedicated to rare plants

    Bruno Fogliani is an Assistant Professor working at the "LIVE" (EA 4243)/UNC and become the Assistant Director of the New Caledonian Agronomic Institute in 2012. He is responsible of the LIVE "Seed Ecophysiology" team. Bruno is involved in the coordination of several research contracts engaged with New Caledonian Institutions as well as with Mining Industries dedicated to seed germination studies in order to optimise revegetation and/or ecological restoration of degraded land. He recently developed a program on Amborella trichopoda germination requirements.

    He’s co-organised international workshops in New Caledonia and is member and regional coordinator of the ISES, a member of the SCB, a member of ISSS and of the French Seed Biology Network. Bruno is also member of the program dedicated to the conservation of the New Caledonian dry forests.


General Board Member - DR Valerie Hagger

Brisbane, Queensland

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  • Biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration.

  • Worked as an ecological consultant for over 12 years.

  • Skilled in linking science with practice.

  • SERA2018 conference organiser.

Valerie is a post-doctoral research fellow at The University of Queensland (UQ) working on a research project aiming to identify social-economic conditions that enable effective conservation and restoration of mangroves over global and regional spatial scales with partners at The Nature Conservancy, and Healthy Land and Water (Southeast Queensland’s natural resource management organisation). Valerie recently completed her PhD, also undertaken at UQ in collaboration with CSIRO. Her PhD focussed on improving the success and cost-effectiveness of ecological restoration, and delivering multiple benefits for biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, and other ecosystem services. It explored people’s motivations to undertake restoration, and the factors driving restoration outcomes. It investigated how and where to undertake restoration to deliver carbon and biodiversity co-benefits, and assessed the economic feasibility of restoring coastal wetlands for blue carbon, whilst attaining co-benefits for biodiversity, coastal fisheries and nitrogen removal. More broadly, her research interests include applied ecology, and the integration of ecological and socio-economic factors in ecosystem restoration to improve decision making in conservation and restoration actions. She has 12 years ecological and environmental project experience with industries in both Australia and England.


General Board Member - Martin Breed

Adelaide, South Australia

Martin is a scholar of restoration ecology, ecosystem health, and genomics at Flinders University. Some career highlights include working with the UN and WHO on the links between biodiversity and human health via the microbiome, serving as a patron for the IUCN Species Survival Commission, and teaching amazingly resilient and optimistic students during COVID-19. He runs a close-knit research group that develops solutions to pressing global environmental and societal issues. Examples of their work include working on optimising biodiverse urban green spaces to maximise human health and biodiversity; pioneering the use of genomics to improve ecosystem restoration; and harnessing the power of plant-microbe interactions to improve ecosystem outcomes under global change. Martin is a passionate university educator and science communicator who aims to enable the next generation to turn around the global environmental tide from decline and degradation to repair and restoration.


GENERAL BOARD MEMBER - Renee Young

Perth, Western Australia

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  • The Restoration Economy

  • Ecological restoration of mine sites and degraded agricultural lands

  • Mine closure policy and associated completion criteria

  • Indigenous on-country economies

  • Strategic landscape planning

  • Cumulative assessments

With specialised knowledge in ecological restoration, Renee is an environmental scientist with over 15 years’ experience across academia and the mining industry. Renee’s on-ground knowledge, experience in restoration and understanding of the limitations and challenges currently faced by the industry, assists her to facilitate and coordinate the multi-disciplinary programs of work required to overcome some of the biggest barriers to ecological restoration. Recently Renee led the Western Australian Completion Criteria Project, and is currently leading the development of the International Standards for Mine Site Restoration.

In a joint appointment, Renee is the Program Director, Restoration for the Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute, and the Centre Manager for the ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration, Renee is an effective collaborator between industry and researchers to deliver leading restoration technologies for improved biodiversity outcomes. Renee has a PhD in biogeography and ex situ conservation.


GENERAL BOARD MEMBER - Carolyn j. Einig

Sunshine Coast, Queensland

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  • Native forest recovery

  • Stream and riparian health

  • Biodiversity corridors

  • Climate change mitigation

Carolyn is a restoration ecologist with Corporate Carbon Advisory, where she helps design native forest regeneration and environmental planting projects under the Climate Solutions Fund across Australia.

She has 15 years of experience working on ecosystem restoration projects in Australia, New Zealand, and North America. Her skill set has been shaped by academic research and professional consulting in biological evaluations, environmental impact assessments, mitigation planning, restoration design, implementation, monitoring, and regulatory compliance. Her background includes natural disaster planning and recovery from drought, fires, earthquakes, and flooding.

She holds a Master of Resource Science from the University of New England in New South Wales, Australia, and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Management from Colorado State University. She conducted research on freshwater wetlands of eastern Australia under a PhD scholarship, and she is currently appointed as an adjunct professional fellow with the Landscape Hydrogeochemistry Group at Southern Cross University GeoScience.

Carolyn served the SER board of directors nearly 10 years ago as Rocky Mountain Region Representative of North America. She has served various NGOs throughout her career including the Society for Conservation Biology, the Colorado Riparian Association, Nature Conservancy, and Wildlife Information and Rescue Service. She is passionate about inspiring her 4 year old son and future generations to protect and restore the Earth.


GENERAL BOARD MEMBER - Damien Cook

Damien is based in north central Victoria but most of his current restoration work is focused in the semi-arid zone in north western Victoria.

  • Wetland restoration

  • Grassland and woodland restoration

  • Ecological monitoring (mostly birds, frogs and vegetation)

Damien Cook is the Director and Senior Restoration Ecologist at the Wetland Revival Trust. Damien has been a keen naturalist for 35 years and has developed a sound knowledge of flora and fauna ecology, identification, and habitat requirements. He is a recognised expert in wetland, riparian and terrestrial ecology, particularly in the factors affecting the establishment and management of aquatic and wetland plants, and the revegetation of terrestrial grassland and woodland ecosystems.

Damien has been instrumental in planning and delivering some of the largest and most complex ecological restoration projects to date in Victoria including the 40-hectare Waterways Estate in Braeside, Southeast Melbourne for which Damien received a Restoration Excellence Award from the Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia (SERA) in November 2016. Damien also helped plan and implement the restoration of 200 hectares of coastal park at the Victorian Desalination Plant, Wonthaggi. He currently works with Traditional Owner groups restoring wetlands, grasslands, and woodlands in and around the Kerang Wetlands and Gunbower Island Ramsar sites in northern Victoria. His current main interests are developing techniques to restore species-rich, macrophyte-dominated clear water wetlands from those that have become turbid and algae-dominated and restoring the tree canopy and carbon storage capacity in wetlands where this has been degraded by past poor water management practices.

Damien conducts training sessions and lectures on ecology and related subjects for universities, industry, and community groups. Damien has been on numerous scientific advisory groups including ‘Growling Grass Frog Technical Advisory Group’ and ‘Western Grassland Reserve Technical Advisory Group’. Outside of Australia Damien has worked on ecological restoration projects in Inner Mongolia and Timor Leste.


GENERAL BOARD MEMBER - Preeti Castle

Perth, Western Australia

  • Strategic communications

  • Stakeholder engagement

  • Strategy development

Preeti has extensive experience in building and sustaining brand reputation and social licence through effective communications strategies and stakeholder engagement.

Preeti has helped establish several successful organisations and has held senior roles across the public and private sectors. She has worked with mining, information technology, logistics firms and financial services companies to develop strategies for communicating value propositions with impact. Preeti founded and operated her own consulting firm, specialising in transforming scientific and technical information into plain language.

A passion for the environment led Preeti to work with several environmental organisations to enhance the impact and adoption of science knowledge through developing tailored strategies for target audiences. In addition, she helped these organisations to build and reposition brands and develop strategies to generate alternative revenue streams.

Preeti regularly contributes her expertise through public speaking and volunteering; has served on the Board of the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation and is a current Board Member of the Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia.

Preeti holds a B.A. in Communications, an M.B.A. from The University of Western Australia and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.


GENERAL BOARD MEMBER - Anita Nedosyko

Adelaide, South Australia

  • Marine and coastal restoration

  • Project planning, management, monitoring and evaluation

  • Blue carbon, protected areas, community engagement

Anita Nedosyko works as an Oceans Program Coordinator for The Nature Conservancy. Over the past 5 years, she has designed and managed the restoration of large-scale marine and coastal projects including shellfish reefs and coastal wetlands. She is a marine biologist, a certified ecological restoration practitioner, and an adjunct lecturer at Flinders University. She sits on the Parks and Wilderness Council providing strategic leadership on the protected area system in South Australia. Prior to joining The Nature Conservancy, she developed a clownfish breeding conservation program at Flinders University, was as an environmental consultant and worked for the Commonwealth Government as an environmental assessment officer for mining and offshore oil and gas development.


GENERAL BOARD MEMBER - Shaun Kennedy

Adelaide, South Australia

  • Improving the practice of restoration to achieve functional habitats.

  • Grassy woodlands, riparian woodlands, and seasonally inundated habitats.

  • Urban biodiversity projects.

Shaun graduated from Adelaide University with an Honours degree in Botany and Zoology and a Diploma in Project Management. He has over 20 years’ experience in the design and delivery of a broad range of ecological restoration projects comprising more than 1,100 hectares of water catchment and several prominent landscape installations featuring local indigenous flora. Shaun has a keen interest in improving the quality of ecological restoration efforts and urban biodiversity.


Student Representative - Aaron Eger

UNSW Sydney, New South Wales

  • marine restoration,

  • kelp forests,

  • trophic interactions

Aaron is a marine scientist researching how we can combine ecological, social, and economic knowledge to provide solutions to wicked problems in our world’s oceans. He works to achieve this goal, not by re-inventing the wheel, but instead by taking a creative view to the information that already exists

Aaron is currently working on consolidating information about the best way to restore our underwater forests (kelp beds). For this project he is creating the world's first database of kelp restoration projects, analysing the efficacy of these projects, providing cost estimates of restoration, and collaborating to create a restoration guidebook. Following from this work, Aaron is calculating economic estimates of the ecosystem services provided by Nereocystis, Macrocystis, Laminaria, Ecklonia, and Lessonia forests.