Academic
I’m a Professor of Urban Ecology in the School of BioSciences, where I lead the Urban Ecology and Conservation Research Group, and the Director of the Office for Environmental Programs at The University of Melbourne. I led the NESP Hub for Clean Air and Urban Landscapes (CAUL) from 2018 to 2021.
My research interests include:
• urban ecology
• ecology and conservation biology of amphibians
• animal behaviour
• ecological ethics
Author
In addition to my academic publications, I’m a writer of fiction and creative non-fiction. I study Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University.
ACTIVITIES
Perspective: The value of question-first citizen science in urban ecology and conservation.
This 2023 paper highlights the value of question-first citizen-science projects for providing insights into the ecology and management of urban wildlife, using case studies on (1) beneficial insects (pollinators, predators and parasitoids) and (2) possums and gliders in Australian cities and towns.
E-book: Cities for People and Nature
The CAUL Hub launched an interactive e-book, Cities for People and Nature, in late 2020. It showcases the hub’s work across five themes: Cities are Indigenous places; Air quality; Urban greening; Urban biodiversity; and Future cities. The book features beautiful artwork by Dixon Patten of Bayila Creative.
Text book: Ecology of Urban Environments
In 2016, I published Ecology of Urban Environments (Wiley Blackwell). Designed as a text book for upper-level undergraduate and Masters students, it also provides an accessible introduction to urban ecology for researchers, urban practitioners and policy-makers. Keep an eye out for the Chinese edition, to be published this year by Wuhan University Press!
Fiction: Interview with a granite boulder
My first piece of published fiction appeared in Overland 239 (Winter 2020). The eponymous boulder, Ken, brings much wisdom and perspective to the big issues of our time.