Moderator
PROFESSOR ANDREW HOEY PhD, BSc (Hons), BEc
Professor Andrew Hoey (2011) is a coral reef ecologist based at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, where he leads a large team investigating the effects of climate change and local human stressors on the structure and functioning of coral reef ecosystems. Andrew has over 20 years of experience studying coral reefs, both in Australia and overseas.
He was a core member of the team documenting the recent coral bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. In 2011 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate the effects of seaweed chemicals on the health of reef-building corals, which helped to shape his current focus on understanding the importance of different species to the recovery and resilience of coral reef ecosystems.
Guest Speakers
REBECCA PRINCE-RUIZ
SUBJECT: INSPIRING BEHAVIOUR CHANGE
Rebecca Prince-Ruiz (2015) – 2021 WA Local Hero – is the founder of Plastic Free July – one of the world’s leading environmental movements empowering people to reduce single-use plastic. Rebecca is Executive Director of the not-for-profit Plastic Free Foundation that brings the public and business together with the vision of a world without plastic waste. She has a Bachelor of Science with 25 years of experience in environmental and waste management, community engagement, and sustainability behaviour change and believes we all can all take action to reduce our impact.
Rebecca is a regular media commentator, public speaker and co-author of Plastic Free: The Inspiring Story of a Global Environmental Movement and Why It Matters.
TIM LOW
SUBJECT: WILDLIFE SURVIVING CLIMATE CHANGE
Tim Low (2011) is a biologist and best-selling author of seven books about nature and conservation. His book, Where Song Began, won the Australian Book Industry Award for best general non-fiction, and other prizes. As an environmental consultant, he has written reports on climate change and biodiversity for the Australian and Queensland governments and the Murray Darling Basin Authority, one of which was tabled in Queensland Parliament.
Tim has decades of experience as a field botanist and zoologist, having discovered several new lizard species, including one named after him. His articles have appeared in Australian Geographic, The Weekend Australian Magazine and The Guardian. In 2012 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to look at climate change impacts in the Northern Hemisphere.
JESSICA HOEY BSc (Hons), JD
SUBJECT: MARINE SCIENCE
Jessica Hoey (2014) is the Director of Synthesis and Reporting at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and led the team which produced the 2019 Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report. She completed her marine biology degree with honours at James Cook University in 2002, and a Juris Doctor (Law degree) in 2018.
Jessica has worked at the GBRMPA for 18 years leading teams across a broad range of areas including: Indigenous Partnerships, Tourism and Stewardship and Environmental Impact Assessment. In 2015 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to explore aquatic integrated pest management strategies and their application to crown-of thorns starfish outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef. Her current focus is on delivering evidence-based science reporting products and information to prioritise and inform management actions and evaluate their effectiveness.
SCOTT FALCONER
SUBJECT: RETURN OF CULTURAL BURNING
Scott Falconer (2017) is Deputy Chief Fire Officer/Director Forest and Fire Operations for the DELWP. He has spent almost thirty years working in natural resource management and is currently responsible for the leadership of a planning and operations team in the delivery of fire and land management on public land in Victoria.
In 2017, Scott received the Lord Mayor’s Bushfire Appeal Churchill Fellowship to travel to the USA/Canada to investigate how to create close partnerships with Traditional Owners in fire and land management, with a focus on working with Traditional Owners to enable them to reintroduce cultural burning practices on Country.
PAUL DONATIU
SUBJECT: LIVING ON THE EDGE: THE RECOVERY AND PERSISTENCE OF RARE PLANT SERIES
Paul Donatiu (2009) works in the field of conservation and the recovery of threatened species. Paul has worked for WWF, Greening Australia and the National Parks Association of Queensland, and volunteers for the Protect the Bush Alliance. In 2010 he undertook a Churchill Fellowship that examined how national agencies in Europe, USA and South Africa were dealing with climate impacts on protected areas. Paul is a keen field botanist and can often be found in remote areas searching for rare plants.
