Kit Prendergast

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Dr Kit Prendergast, also known as The Bee Babette, is a native bee ecologist, taxonomist, and science communicator. She completed her PhD at Curtin University under a Forrest Research Foundation Scholarship, with her thesis 'Urban native bee assemblages and the impact of the introduced European honeybee on plant-pollinator networks in the southwest Australian biodiversity hotspot.' She has conducted hundreds of surveys across the country, filling the gaps in our understanding of native bee biodiversity, what flowers they forage on, and where and when they occur, so that we can practice evidence-based management of our precious pollinators and their habitat. She is also an expert on bee hotels. She has a flair for scicomm, and has spoken at events, schools, and to communities across the country. She has discovered a new species of rare native bee, Leioproctus zephyr, which she named after her dog. She runs the facebook group 'The Buzz on Wild Bees', and has a YouTube channel 'The Bee Babette', and has written the book 'Creating a Haven for Native Bees.' 

Email Address: kitprendergast21@gmail.com

Current Area of Interest/Research: Pollination, native bees, ecology, bees, biodiversity, conservation

Qualifications: PhD, BSc (First Class Honors), BA

Tammy-Anne Caldwell

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Tammy-Anne & Todd

Tammy-Anne & Todd

Tammy-Anne is a teacher, motivational presenter, business founder/owner, and qualified Educational Neuroscience specialist who runs “Above & Beyond Education”, a brain-based holistic workshops for students Year 1 – 12, parents and teachers around Australia and NZ. She has published articles on this approach in national education magazines and presented an international scientific webinar to people from 55 different countries.

 For more information: www.abovebeyondeducation.com

Tammy-Anne_Caldwell@outlook.com

Wiebke Ebeling

/ UWA Wave Energy Research Centre/
Wiebke Ebeling

Wiebke completed a PhD in neuroscience at The Australian National University in Canberra, studying colour vision in marsupials – and founding the Early Career Researcher initiative “Young Visionaries”. She decided for a career in science communication and had her first job as Outreach Officer with the Australian Ocean Data Network at the University of Tasmania in Hobart in 2010, promoting data sharing in the marine research community. Sunny Perth soon lured her with a position at Curtin University where she became the Education & Outreach Manager of the prestigious ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics (2011-2017).

She now is the Centre Manager of the newly established UWA Wave Energy Research Centre and the first staff member to be based in the Centre’s designated headquarters in Albany.

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Andrew Storrie

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B. Sci Agric. (UNE)

Twitter: @AgronomoOz

Email address: andrew@agronomo.com.au

Phone: 0428 423 577

Areas of Interest and Experience

Current area of research interests: Andrew has over 40 years of research and extension experience in Australian agriculture in fields including: dryland cropping and pastures; irrigated cropping and pastures; rangeland management; environmental and agricultural weed management; herbicide use and registration; herbicide drift, pesticide application; comprehensive extension and mass media skills; small group training and evaluation, writing press releases, radio and television interviewer experience; extensive experience in working in teams to achieve desired outcomes.

Andrew Maughan

/ Albany/
BSocScience (Geography), MSc (Hydrogeology)

BSocScience (Geography), MSc (Hydrogeology)

Institution

Department of Water, South Coast Region

Areas of Interest and Experience

Surface and groundwater hydrology and water quality across the South Coast region including streams, wetlands, estuaries and the limited freshwater aquifers which provide most of our public and private water supplies. Understanding impacts of water abstraction on social and environmental values and understanding the impact of land use, land management and climatic factors on water quantity and quality. Previously worked across Western Australia including surface-groundwater interactions and gauging cyclone event flood flows in the Pilbara and Jarrah forest hydrology and dryland salinity studies in the south west. Currently investigation potential for new and expanded groundwater resources for Albany and Esperance.

Atlanta Veld

/ Albany/
Atlanta Veld

Atlanta Veld

Email address:
Atlantav@albany.wa.gov.au

Summary of research and interests:

Made in Hong Kong, born in New Zealand and raised in the stunning Otway Ranges of Victoria were the eclectic foundations for Atlanta's journey to becoming a passionate Citizen Scientist. Atlanta travelled all over Australia before settling in Albany ten years ago, where she decided to formalise her knowledge. Her studies on the Long-necked Turtle in 2007 won her Student of the Year and encouraged her to delve deeper into honing her scientific skills. While completing a degree in Restoration Ecology, she continued her survey work of the turtles and is now recognised locally as the "go to" girl for all things turtle. She encourages everyone to remember the dream, take a leap of faith in their abilities and give it a go. It's the journey not the destination that matters.

Barbara Cook

/ Albany/
 
Dr Barbara Cook, BSc PhD Cape Town

Dr Barbara Cook, BSc PhD Cape Town

 

Key research

Biodiversity and systematics, conservation, freshwater ecology

Email address: barbara.cook@uwa.edu.au

Phone: 9842 0837

Acting Director/IWC Associate Professor in Restoration Ecology

Institution

Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management

Areas of Interest and Experience

Barbara Cook has extensive experience in the collection, analysis and interpretation of river and wetland biological and biodiversity data in Western Australia, especially in the South Coast and South West Natural Resource Management regions. She has published over 100 papers, book chapters, reports and conference presentations on various aspects of the ecology of rivers and the biology and genetics of in-stream fauna. She is currently engaged in several projects which involve the determination of the ecological character of Western Australian waterways and wetlands. She is presently investigating the ecological values of South Coast rivers in partnership with the Western Australian Department of Water. Barbara also has extensive experience in researching the systematics and biogeography of selected components of biodiversity.

Caitlin Jackson

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BSc Agriculture

BSc Agriculture

Summary of Research Interests

Caitlin completed a bachelor degree of Agricultural Science in 2004 at the University of Melbourne. After university, Caitlin worked for the Department of Primary Industries Victoria for six years in various roles including Pest Management Officer in Bairnsdale, Victoria, Tenements Officer and Community Engagement Project Officer at Spring Street, Melbourne. In 2012, a survey company called ThinkSpatial provided Caitlin the opportunity to become qualified as a flight controller of an unmanned aerial vehicle (Sensefly eBee) for aerial survey and aerial photography purposes. The training to become qualified included undertaking a private pilot's course (theory only) and an aircraft radio Certificate of Proficiency course. The key aerial photography project she has been involved in is the Esperance Port Access Corridor project.

Catherine Spaggiari

/ Albany/

Dr Catherine Spaggiari, PhD in Geoscience from Monash University, Melbourne

Summary of research interests

Catherine is a geologist and Adjunct Research Fellow at UWA Albany working on linking basement geology and landscape evolution of southern WA with studies of biodiversity and Noongar traditional ecological knowledge and culture. She is interested in conservation of our natural environment and how to care for Country. She is currently employed as a Senior Research Scientist in Mineral Resources at CSIRO and is a volunteer committee member of the Denmark Environment Centre.

Dale Roberts

/ Albany/
Winthrop Professor Dale Roberts

Winthrop Professor Dale Roberts

Email address:
dale.roberts@uwa.edu.au

Phone: 9842 0867

Institution

Centre of Excellence in Natural Resource Management

Key research:

  • Biogeography and speciation: Australia - particularly south-Western Australia

  • Anuran biology: frogs

  • Sexual selection and sperm competition: polyandrous mating systems

  • Animal acoustics

  • Conservation and restoration biology

David Bennett

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Dr David Bennett - BSc (Agric Hons) London 1956, PhD (Science) London 1968

Dr David Bennett - BSc (Agric Hons) London 1956, PhD (Science) London 1968

Summary of research interests

The role of politics and economics in Natural Resource Management. Most of the problems that David has helped to resolve are where human activities are having serious impacts on climate, land and/or water.

Institution

Retired, but involved in the Mathematicians in Schools Project at Little Grove Primary School

Short biography

David has been working on natural resource problems since 1961. After twenty years of research for CSIRO, he was the Wesfarmers Professor of Rural Management for Curtin University and, as well, worked on rural issues for the Western Australian Government. He established his own company NRMC Pty Ltd Natural Resources Management Consultants in 1986, but has also devoted a lot of his time to voluntary activities mainly within the conservation movement.

Gary Muir

/ Albany/
Gary Muir

Gary Muir

Email address:
wow@denmarkwa.net.au

Summary of scientific interests:

Gary Muir is a science communicator, involved in science education and nature based science research, facilitating teams that incorporate nature based scientists. For the past 20 years he has been an EcoGuide for WOW Wilderness based in Walpole. He has personally interpreted the natural sciences to over 150,000 people, raising their awareness and understanding of the environment and their role within it. Gary first worked for ten years in environmental management with the Department of Conservation and Land Management and was involved in natural reprocessing. Since graduating he has secured a position with Mount Romance - the world's largest exporter of sandalwood oil - where he is responsible for the review and improvement of documentation relating to the manufacturing practises.

Geoff Woodall

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Dr Geoff Woodall with a rare naturally growing sandalwood tree

Dr Woodall researches the biology of native plants and the development of new native plant-based industries for sustainable rural development. He is also interested in research and development of profitable revegetation options using native species, focusing on Santalum spicatum (sandalwood), brushwood, native poplar, native pine, native legumes and new native root vegetable crops for human consumption. Geoff has also developed techniques in reducing the cost of native plant establishment via field sowing seeds and improving the reliability and uniformity of direct seeding. Geoff also runs a small farm and works as a native plant agronomist.

Key research:

  • Improving the performance of cultivated Santalum spicatum

  • Developing new products from the nuts of Santalum spicatum

  • Improving the establishment of commercial and non-commercial native plants in agricultural lands

  • Developing new root vegetable crops.

Geraldine Janicke

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BSc (Environmental Science)

BSc (Environmental Science)

Institution

Private Consultant

Geraldine and her husband Steve are a partnership consultancy in Waterways Assessment & Environmental Investigations. Geraldine has ten years experience an associate researcher for the CENRM (UWA) in the field of aquatic ecology. She has considerable experience and a broad knowledge of riparian and aquatic flora and aquatic fauna of both fresh and saline waterway systems on the south coast of Western Australia. She has hands on experience in the on ground management of projects for both consultancy and academia and has experience in applying the “Framework for prioritising waterways for management in Western Australia” developed in the Great Southern.

Harriet Paterson

/ Albany/
Dr Harriet Paterson

Dr Harriet Paterson

Summary of research interests:

Dr Paterson spent her first 18 years in Albany, Western Australia, and then went to Curtin University and gained a Bachelor of Applied Science. She then spent a number of years travelling the globe on a variety of small vessels. She settled in England and worked at Southampton Institute, a university sector college. During this time she completed a Masters in Research and looked at the relationship between diatoms (a microscopic plant) and heavy metal contamination. Dr Paterson returned to Australia in 2000, and in 2002 began a PhD at the University of Western Australia examining the distribution of microscopic animals and their impact on microscopic plants in the Leeuwin Current - the only current of its type to flow towards the poles. Following this a postdoctoral position with the University of Tasmania allowed Dr Paterson the chance to live in Antarctica for a year. Her study investigated the role of viruses and bacteria in annual sea ice.

Karlene Bain

/ Albany/
Karlene Bain, BSc (Biology), MSc (Zoology), Post Honours Doctorate (Zoology)

Karlene Bain, BSc (Biology), MSc (Zoology), Post Honours Doctorate (Zoology)

Email address:
draconis@wn.com.au

Current area of research interests:

Research and management of biodiversity in Western Australia, with particular emphasis on marine environments, mygale and marsupial fauna and mesic habitats of southwestern Australia.