What inspired you to get into conservation?
I was working on management of the Patagonian Toothfish fishery in Australia’s sub-Antarctic territory and saw first-hand that even there, about as far away from people as it’s possible to be, our activities were having a huge impact on the environment. And yet, the marine protected areas that had been established down there were really helping protect a lot of unique marine life; inside the protected areas, the fish were bigger and the sea floor was covered in weird and wonderful creatures. That’s what inspired me to pursue a career in conservation.
What do you enjoy most about your role with TNC?
The amazing people I get to interact with all over the world, and seeing the places where our work is making a difference to nature and people’s lives.
You’ve had such a wide range of experience and seem to have an interest in so many areas. Given this, how do you define your focus areas for your work?
I see my role as helping us use science effectively to support our mission; which means ensuring our decisions can be based on science and that we can report on the impact of our work. Yes, the places and strategies we work on are very different around the world, but we actually use science in similar ways. So the things I learn helping design a watershed monitoring program in Colombia may have direct relevance for our work in the western deserts of Australia.
What attracted you to work for The Nature Conservancy?
The Nature Conservancy was an organisation tackling the challenging task of getting conservation done on the ground in important places, but still investing in science that served itself and the conservation field more generally.
What’s the most rewarding project you’ve worked on during your time at The Nature Conservancy?
Our community rangelands project in northern Kenya because of the relationships I’ve formed and because the project really is making a difference for wildlife and the lives of the people who depend on the rangelands. The project also worked like we expected it to (which I can’t say about every project I’ve been involved in).
What’s the weirdest and/or most memorable thing that’s happened to you ‘out in the field?
Seeing leatherback turtles breed in the Solomon Islands would have to be up there.
I believe you’ve just taken on the role of Associate Editor of the journal Conservation Letters. What will this new role mean for you?
Since early 2014 I’ve been the Associate Editor of Conservation Letters. This a journal focused on publishing research that has the potential to influence conservation policy and practice but it’s been so well received by the research community that it is now one of the top journals in the field. It’s exciting to be involved in a journal that reflects the sort of science we do at TNC and it provides an opportunity to help shape the research agenda of conservation scientists more broadly.
How are you going to juggle this along with your already heavy commitments?
Good coffee? Well, being the Associate Editor is a great way to stay on top of current conservation science, so I’ll make time for it. Having two small kids and a partner who works full time forces you to be pretty efficient with the work hours you have.
What do you like to do on your presumably limited down time?
Play with my two sons. Kayaking. And planning adventures to remote parts of the globe.
What are your goals for the next year?
To make sure the Australia program is undertaking science that will demonstrate and highlight the great work we’re doing here.