Blending new science and ecological thinking

Samantha is a natural resource management specialist with over 25 years’ experience working across academia, government, consulting and non-for-profit organisations. She has extensive experience leading trans- and interdisciplinary teams to deliver high quality, defensible, relevant and transparent scientific products to inform decision-making regarding the management of natural resources. In particular, she has significant expertise in environmental water management, catchment management, riparian, floodplain and wetland vegetation conservation and rehabilitation, natural ecosystem management in agro-ecological landscapes, urban ecology and climate change adaptation.

Samantha has considerable experience designing and delivering long-term ecological monitoring and evaluation programs as well as conducting NRM investment prioritisation. She led the development of the long-term ecological monitoring framework for the national Regional Land Partnerships program and the vegetation diversity theme for the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office’s Long-term Intervention Monitoring Program. Samantha is also a pioneer in climate change adaptation research for NRM in Australia, having previously coordinated the National Adaptation Research Network for Water Resources and Freshwater Biodiversity under the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility and the co-development of the latest National Adaptation Research Plan for Freshwater Biodiversity.

Samantha is well regarded as a science educator, communicator, engagement facilitator and thought leader. She has authored over 140 scientific papers, books, book chapters and technical reports (Google Scholar) and her work has been cited in recent IPCC and State of the Environment reports. Sam is currently an adjunct Professor with Griffith University, Interim CEO of the Moreton Bay Foundation, a member of the EIANZ’s Qualification Accreditation Scheme Board, and a member of both the Science Committee and Scientific Expert Panel for Healthy Land and Water.