WetlandCare Australia Sponsors
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WetlandCare AustraliaSupporting the Community to Protect and Restore Australian Wetlands Since 1991 |
Wetland Care Australia's staff and their roles
Our Staff
Nicci Carter - General Manager
With a background in business and service marketing, Nicci Carter leads the WetlandCare Australia team from the national office in Ballina, NSW. Nicci has held many marketing, finance, administration and management positions over the past 20 years both in Australia and the United Kingdom. With a genuine interest and commitment to caring for the environment, Nicci is involved in many community-based activities. She enjoys camping, bushwalking, swimming and travel and enjoys all these activities with her family and friends. She is an excellent facilitator who is capable of focusing on both the bigger picture as well as the often significant minor details which are all of importance to the Organisation.
Cassie Price - Senior Project Coordinator
Cassie coordinates project teams in NSW & Qld on wetland projects ranging from education to on-ground restoration works.
- Currently working on Educational tools: Rehabilitation Guidelines, Wetlands Booklets, Wetland Assessment Training, Student Opportunities
- On-ground restoration works in Hunter & Northern Rivers GIS wetland mapping & prioritisation
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Expansion of wetland mapping, assessment & prioritisation programs
- Expansion into new areas of NSW & Qld
- Provision of technical assistance to project staff and community
Areas of expertise: Wetland assessment, mapping, prioritisation and management. Stakeholder liaison, wetland vegetation identification, project development and coordination
Adam Gosling - Project Coordinator
Focussing on estuarine assessment, project development and wetland rehabilitation from the Tweed to Clarence catchments, northern NSW
- Project development and partnership forging with various landowners, including state and local government organisations
- Site assessments and development of management plans at regional, local and property scale
- GIS mapping
- On-ground restoration projects in the Northern Rivers
Areas of expertise: Wetland project management, community and landholder consultation, estuarine ecosystems
Josh Keating - Senior Project Coordinator
Coordinates projects in NSW including education and awareness, assessment and planning, landholder liaison and advice, and implementation of on-ground works
- Current work focuses on the Northern Rivers, Hunter Central Rivers and Hawkesbury Nepean NRM regions
- Expanding the delivery of wetland protection and restoration work to other NRM regions in western and southern NSW is a major goal
- Existing projects include engaging landholders to undertake actions to protect and improve priority wetland ecosystems at Red Rock and Deep Creek (Valla), increasing landholder awareness of sustainable floodplain management in the Nambucca and Bellinger catchments, protecting and enhancing habitat values for threatened fauna on private lands, planning and management of the bushland and wetland areas of Red Rock Reserve, and implementing streambank erosion mitigation works on the NSW mid north coast.
Areas of expertise: Project development and management; NRM assessment and prioritisation; preparation of management plans; biodiversity management and threat abatement.
Garry Owers - Senior Project Officer
- Mainly working in the Richmond Catchment in Northern NSW
- Worked on projects in the areas of riparian vegetation, acid sulphate soils, threatened species and wetlands.
- Works include landowner extension, assessment and mapping, surveys, bushfire management and operations, fencing, plantings, bushland restoration, and the restoration of natural hydrology.
- Currently managing the NSW Environmental Trust North Ballina Wetlands Project and the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority Bungawalbin High Conservation Value Wetlands and Threatened Species Project.
- Enjoys extension work with landowners and managers leading to on-ground environmental restoration works, which provide a long term benefit to the environment, landowners, and the community
- Extensive experience in the Bungawalbin Catchment and the Tuckean Swamp and involved in several local natural resource management committees.
Areas of expertise: Riparian assessment & restoration, wetlands, acid sulfate soils, hydrology and bush fire management
Nicola Sheard - Project Coordinator
- Focussing on the area from the Tweed in northern New South Wales to South East Queensland
- Working as part of the project team on a range of wetland projects including developing wetland rehabilitation projects in northern NSW and SE Qld
- Developing wetland climate change projects to address, adapt to and mitigate against anthropogenic climate change
- Providing assistance to landholders, stakeholders and community organisations seeking to undertake wetland management and conservation projects
- Project team member on the Sustainable Wetlands on NSW Coastal Landscapes project providing funding for wetland rehabilitation and protection projects from Tweed Heads to Gosford
- Working as part of the project team on the Rehabilitation Guidelines for Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Catchment Wetlands Project
Areas of expertise: Climate change, wetland management, stakeholder & landholder liaison
Michael Pattison - Project Officer
Michael is based in the Sydney region and is focussed on the Hawkesbury-Nepean, Sydney Metro and lower Hunter catchments
- Works with a wide range of stakeholders for on ground environmental outcomes
- Past projects include Management Plans for Montane wetlands and upland lagoons, Floodplain wetland restoration and on ground works at Ramsar and DIWA wetlands
- Has extensive experience in water quality monitoring and analysis
- Provides assistance to the community on wetland issues
Areas of interest : aquatic habitat restoration, improving water quality, macroinvertebrates, riparian and wetland restoration, unobstructed fish movement and fishing
Amber moon Kelly - Project Officer 
- Working on wetland improvement and protection in NSW
- Current project involves the mapping and prioritisation of wetlands found within the Southern Rivers catchment
- Aiming for a productive collaboration with landholders, community groups, councils and government agencies to the benefit of all stakeholders involved as well as the environment
Areas of interest: Using mapping technologies along with on-ground works to benefit wetlands, working towards recognising wetlands in curbing climate change and improving wetland habitat and biodiversity.
Simone Haigh - Project Officer
Has produced numerous landowner extension materials and factsheets covering a range of topics such as threatened plant and animal species, ecological fire regimes and bush regeneration principles.
- Other communication materials include contributions to wetland rehabilitation guidelines and fish identification booklets.
- Assists senior staff with the coordination and implementation of extension services such as field days, workshops and open days as well as other projects such as threatened species conservation, production of wetland inventories and conservation of endangered ecological communities.
- Reports produced include a review of the current state of scientific knowledge regarding the ability of constructed wetlands to treat endocrine disrupting compounds, and an examination of habitat suitability for potential Litoria aurea reintroductions.
Professional interests: The quantification and assessment of the rates and stability of carbon inputs into wetlands, and the factors affecting the decay of organic material in anaerobic environments. The role of wetlands in the global carbon cycle. The conservation of endangered frog species.
Kate Heyward - Project Officer
Kate has previous experience working with Universities and Local Government and qualifications in Environmental Science, Environmental Education and a Diploma of Education. She started with WCA in 2007 with the aim to put her skills into action assisting the community with their wetland issues and promoting environmental values of wetlands through her work at WCA.
Kate is currently working on:
- 'Starting in your Backyard' - an environmental education program for residents adjoining North Creek Reserve, Ballina
- Producing educational information for the general public
- Environmental communications and coordinating WetlandLink
- Developing an education program for WetlandCare Australia
- Assisting WCA staff with promoting their wetland work and environmental education
Areas of expertise: environmental education (community, schools); education for sustainability and empowerment
Laura White - Project Officer
Laura completed her Bachelor of Tropical Environmental Science with Honours in Aquatic Ecology at Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory. Since then she spent several years working in the research and control of NT's wetland weeds using biological control, before moving to northern NSW and joining WCA in 2008.
Laura has assisted with several projects producing fact sheets, interpretive material and management guides and assisting with landholder services. She is currently part of a team working on the preparation of an ecological character description for the Lake Albacutya Ramsar Site.
Areas of interest: ecological and wetland research, weed ecology and strategic weed management, biological control.
Liz Hajenko - Project Officer 
Liz is currently coordinating the WetlandCare National Art Competition 2009, following on from the inaugural competition in 2008.
The competition is focused on World Wetlands Day and its themes.
- Focusing on the potential of art competitions as an educational tool for conservation awareness among children and adults
- A background in both the Visual Arts and Natural Resource Management studies is utilised in this role
Areas of expertise: visual arts consultancy, art competitions
Rachael Nasplezes - Project Coordinator
Rachael has a degree in Applied Science, with postgraduate study in Environmental Management, and has spent 4 years in South Africa working on projects with the Southern African Wildlife College and the Institute of Social Ecology.
- She has worked as a Community Environment Officer with Hervey Bay City Council and as an environmental consultant with other coastal Queensland councils.
- Rachael is based in Bundaberg, Queensland, working in partnership with the Burnett Mary Regional Group for Natural Resource Management.
- Key projects include overseeing the rehabilitation of high priority wetlands within the region, to collaborate and support wetland project planning and facilitation within the region and to provide technical support and wetland project design with other experts and stakeholders through three core Federal Government projects; Healthy Habitats, Better Catchments and Reef Rescue.
Our Regional Wetland Specialists
Wetland Care Australia is privileged to have a network of highly experienced and qualified regional wetland specialist that are able to impart their knowledge and expertise for the benefit of wetland restoration in their local area.
If you are interested in becoming part of our Regional Wetland Specialists team, please contact us.
Alan Cibilic
Trained originally in Agricultural Science, Alan started his career as a secondary teacher in South Australia including the southern Coorong and the Eyre Peninsular. Since then his path has included, in addition to wetlands and natural resource management in the non-government sector, experience in the management of coastal floodplains, drainage and flood mitigation, and acid sulphate soils with local and state government.
Alan recently stepped down as CEO of WetlandCare Australia, and now focuses on project delivery and management. He particularly enjoys working with landowners to make a long term difference, using science and adaptive management as tools towards a sustainable future. Based in northern NSW, Alan likes to get wet as often as possible, have fun with his family, and observe nature in action.
Jim Tait
Jim Tait is a native of the lower Burdekin River in north Queensland and an aquatic ecologist with over fifteen years experience in tropical systems. Since graduating from James Cook University, much of Jim's work has concerned the management of wetlands and fish habitats on tropical floodplains including the Fly River in Papua New Guinea. He has developed a considerable body of knowledge on north Queensland floodplain and riverine management through project work in the Tully-Murray, Herbert and Burdekin catchments.
Some of his more recent consultancy work has included the preparation of a community based natural resource management strategy for the Burdekin-Bowen floodplain subregion of the Burdekin Dry Tropics, a regional overview for the Burdekin Dry Tropics Regional NRM Plan and the development of an integrated catchment management plan for Sheep Station Creek, a floodplain distributary of the lower Burdekin River. He is currently engaged in the development of the Water Resources Management Plan for the Gulf (of Carpentaria), Mitchell and Calliope River Water Resources Plan for the Qld Government.
Bob Smith
Bob Smith is recognised as a leader in the field of wetland restoration. He works full-time assisting WCA in promoting wetland repair as the most cost-effective means of reversing the serious decline in the health of estuarine and inshore marine habitats. In his 35-year career since graduating in Rural Science from the University of New England, Bob has devoted almost half his time to working with farmers, fishers, scientists, academics and government agencies to reverse the downward trend in estuarine water quality.
- Freelance Consultant assisting WCA to build teams and manage coastal wetland projects
- Pioneered the debate on the impacts of agricultural drainage on water quality and estuarine productivity
- Long association with wetland management in the sugar and grazing industries and the impacts of farm drainage and cattle
- Currently finalising the Great Barrier Reef Coastal Wetlands Protection Program at 21 Pilot Project sites between Bundaberg and Port Douglas
- Preparing 'Best Management Guidelines - Riparian and Wetlands' in consultation with CANEGROWERS organisation
- Assisting in preparing GBR Wetland Rehabilitation Guidelines
- Actively seeking projects and partnerships to deliver better wetlands
Areas of expertise: Wetland management in agricultural landscapes especially coastal areas impacted by agricultural drainage and acid sulfate soils