Field Experience

•  Ecological Project Management

  • The Hooded Parrot Project

    • I have been involved in all facets of establishing and running this project, including:

      • Sourcing a field site where the birds could be located and arranging permission to work on this land;

      • Establishing trapping and handling protocols for a bird that has not been studied in the wild;

      • Determining the impact of interference with the birds and developing protocols to minimise disturbance;

      • Arranging accommodation and daily requirements of living in a remote location;

      • In 2007 this will also include the management of long term volunteers who will live on site.

• Trapping

  • Birds

    • I have conducted my own trapping and banding project as part of my PhD.  Here I was working on Hooded Parrots and mist netting, bleeding and banding birds as well as measuring and marking nestling birds.

    • Assisting the Cockburn Lab with netting Fairy-wren. Tasks include setting up mist nets and extricating birds from nets.

    • Assisting Rachel Sims from the Australian National University with trapping Dusky Woodswallows.  Tasks included mist netting and bleeding and banding birds.

    • Assisting with Judith Scarl from Cornell University with trapping Galahs.  Tasks included extracting Rosellas from noose carpet traps.

  • Mammals

    • I have assisted setting up Elliot Traps for capturing small mammals and cage traps for capturing larger mammals.  I have been involved in all facets of the trapping protocol including bait preparation, trap deployment, regular checks of these traps and animal extraction

    • I have assisted setting up Harp Nets for trapping bats and have checked and removed any trapped bats from the traps

  • Herpetofauna

    • I have assisted setting up pit-fall traps for herpetofauna.  I have been involved in all facets of the trapping protocol including hole digging and trap checks

• Surveying

  • I have conducted a large number of surveys as a researcher, a nature guide, on commissioned surveys for tourism businesses, as well as for recreation.  These surveys involve finding and identifying all the target animals within an area.

  • Bird Surveys

    • I have had extensive experience undertaking bird surveys including:

      • The Birds Australia Atlas of Australian Birds

      • The Victorian Atlas of Wildlife

      • The Superb Lyrebird Survey Group

      • The Birds of Prey (BOP) Watch program

      • The Beach Patrol Scheme for the Australian Seabird Group

  • Mammal Surveys

    • I have experience undertaking spotlight transect surveys for nocturnal mammals

  • Reptile Surveys

    • I have experience undertaking reptile surveys by systematic rock turning within a quadrat

• Other Field experience

  • I have undertaken flora surveys in fixed belt transects to identify changes in the floristic community throughout the landscape

  • I have assisted with surveying creek lines using surveyors equipment to record the location of plants along a creek line