Andrew McMahon B.Ec., B.Sc.(Hons), MEIA - Director & Senior Ecologist 
Andrew McMahon is a founding director and manager of Ecology Australia based
in the Melbourne office. Andrew's ecological career spans six years in research
and 16 in consultancy. He has conducted over 300 commissioned reports, which
cover EIS, management and research projects in most environments throughout
south-eastern Australia. His expertise centres on plant ecology but he has
wide ranging experience with faunal issues. With this depth of experience,
Andrew is well placed to deal with the most complex of issues involving flora
and fauna. Andrew has a long track record integrating significant environmental
features into the planning process. He has worked on numerous metropolitan,
outer metropolitan and coastal municipal projects identifying sites of biological
significance, and mechanisms for their protection through planning schemes
and significance overlays.
Geoffrey Carr Cert Gard, BSc, Member Environmental Institute of Australia
and New Zealand - Director & Senior Botanist
Honorary Research Associate, National Herbarium of Victoria; Vice President
of the Invasive Species Council
Geoff Carr is a founding director of Ecology Australia and has been a botanical
consultant for 30 years. His early working life was in horticulture at the
Geelong Botanic Gardens. Geoff has an exceptional knowledge of the ecology,
taxonomy, distribution, conservation status, horticulture, management and
revegetation of the Australian flora, particularly that of south-eastern Australia.
Geoff is an authority on environmental weeds in Australia, and with co-authors
Jeff Yugovic and Kim Roberstson published the book: 'Environmental Weed Invasions
in Victoria: Conservation and Management Implications' (1992). Geoff also
has a strong interest in plant taxonomy; he has researched and published on
several plant groups, notably orchids and lilies (Dianella), naturalised willows
(Salix) and prickly pear (Opuntia) in Australia. He has published over 400
papers, reports and other publications.
Dr. Darren Quin B.Sc. Ph.D Senior Zoologist
Darren has operated as an environmental consultant for 15 years, including
8 with Ecology Australia. He is a Senior Zoologist within the company. Most
of his earlier experience was gained in northern NSW, where he worked in numerous
management areas of State Forests assessing impacts of forestry and other
land-use activities on fauna. He also undertook doctoral research on Squirrel
Glider and Sugar Glider, and post-doctoral research on the nationally-threatened
Hastings River Mouse. Darren has also as worked in Victoria for Birds Australia
on a number of projects including the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand
and Antarctic Birds. At Ecology Australia, Darren has worked on a wide range
of projects including flora and fauna assessments, environmental management
plans, roadside management plans, planning studies, risk assessments, action
plans, EES and threatened species studies. He has worked on all vertebrate
groups and in most regions of south-eastern Australia, though his particular
expertise is mammalian ecology. Darren has also provided recent input to the
National Recovery Plan for the Yellow-bellied Glider Wet tropic subspecies,
and the NSW Recovery Plan for the Squirrel Glider.
Dr.
Lisa Crowfoot B.Sc (Hons), PhD Senior Botanist
Lisa completed a Bachelor of Science majoring in Botany and Zoology in 1997
from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. She then went on to complete
her honours degree (first class) in environmental science, which involved
a research project on factors affecting fruit set in a threatened mistletoe
species (Peraxilla tetrapetala). Lisa came to Australia in 1999 to begin her
PhD, investigating phenotypic variation in wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum)
at the University of Melbourne, which she completed late 2005. She joined
the team at Ecology Australia in March 2004. Lisa's background in field based
work and research has been complemented at EA by numerous botanical surveys
and Net Gain assessments in a diversity of vegetation types. She has worked
on range of projects including local government planning strategies, environmental
management plans, targeted rare plant surveys and general flora and fauna
assessments. She is familiar with state and national environmental legislation.
.
Christina
Renowden B. EnvSc. (Hons) Zoologist 
Christina completed her degree (with Honours) in Environmental Science (Conservation
Ecology) at Deakin University, Burwood, in 2004. Christina has previously
worked on conservation strategies for the endangered Growling Grass Frog (Litoria
raniformis) in Bundoora and also prepared a sub-regional conservation strategy
for the Growling Grass Frog in the Merri Creek Corridor in the Epping/Somerton
areas. Christina has also worked on a broad range of projects, includingflora
and fauna assessments, Environmental Management Plans and targeted surveys
for threatened fauna species, including: the Growling Grass Frog, Southern
Toadlet, Southern Brown Bandicoot, Swamp Antechinus, Powerful Owl, Striped
Legless Lizard and Swamp Skink. These have been in association with: the installation
of residential and industrial developments and/or subdivisions; quarry expansions,
proposed highway extensions; and population monitoring.
John Kershaw B.Env.Sc. Dip.Nat.Res.Mgt, Botanist
John completed a Bachelor
of Environmental Science (Conservation Ecology) at Deakin University in 2007,
and a Diploma of Natural Resource Management at Holmesglen Institute of TAFE
in 2001.
In 2000, prior to completing his Diploma, John was employed by the Dept. Geography
and Environmental Science, Monash University (Clayton campus) as a research
assistant. This position involved the preparation, identification and analysis
of fossil pollen, as well as the interpretation of data. In 2002 John gained
full-time employment as a Bushland Management Officer with the City of Darebin.
In this position he developed specialist knowledge of: weed management techniques,
ecological restoration, plant identification, revegetation design and implementation,
ecological burning, interpretation and community education. John joined the
team at Ecology Australia in May 2006. Since this time he has undertaken a
variety of projects in a wide range of vegetation types across the state.
John possesses a solid understanding of the flora of southeastern Australia,
the threats it faces, and implications for its management.
Steve
Mathews, B For Sci (Hons) Botanist
Steve completed a Bachelor of Forest Science (honours), in 2003 from the University
of Melbourne in 1978, before working at the Centre for Environmental Studies
for several years, as a researcher on a variety of environmental projects.
He has since worked as a consultant on a wide range of projects, from ecological
survey to landscape management. He has recently worked with the design of
ecologically sustainable urban fringe developments. Steve has participated
in a number of Ecology Australia projects over the years, including vegetation
surveys and property assessments.
Bernadette
Schmidt BSc (Hons), Botanist
Bernadette has recently joined the team at Ecology Australia. She completed
a Bachelor of Science, in 2004, majoring in Zoology at the University of Melbourne,
within the Wildlife Conservation and Vertebrate Ecology division. She then
went on to complete her Honours degree (First class) in 2006, assessing habitat
separation between sympatric grey kangaroos in north-western Victoria, and
presented her findings at the 2006 Mammal Society Conference. Bernadette has
also gained broad experience conducting fieldwork with a wide variety of different
vertebrate taxa and survey techniques, but in particular with conducting mammal
surveys. This has included trapping surveys for the Southern Brown Bandicoot,
Eastern Barred Bandicoot and other small mammals, as well as herpetological
surveys at Portland Aluminium Smelter, and kangaroo population censuses at
Woodlands Historic Park, Hattah Kulkyne and Murray Sunset National Parks.
She possesses a strong understanding of the fauna and habitats of south-eastern
Australia, and the threats facing them. Since joining Ecology Australia, Bernadette's
work has included surveys for Striped Legless Lizards, Growling Grass Frogs,
Lewin's Rail, and faunal and habitat assessments for the Healesville-Koo Wee
Rup Road upgrade, as well as habitat and impact assessments of walking tracks
and bus stops, on small mammals at Moggs Creek, Anglesea.
Fiona
Sutton B.Biol.Sc. (Hons), Botanist 
Fiona completed a Bachelor of Biological Science majoring in Botany and Zoology
in 2005 at La Trobe University, Bundoora. She then went on to complete her
honours degree (first class) in Plant Ecology where she investigated local
extinction probabilities of plants over 31 years (1975 - 2006) as a result
of fragmentation. This involved extensive vegetation surveying, plant identification,
statistical data analysis and reporting and was conducted in grasslands and
grassy woodlands in far western Victoria on the Dundas Tablelands, near Coleraine.
Before joining Ecology Australia in 2008, Fiona worked as an Ecologist with
an engineering consultancy. She has conducted flora and fauna surveys, Net
Gain assessments and reporting and database reviews including the Flora Information
System, Atlas of Victorian Wildlife, Ecological Vegetation Class benchmarks,
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 protected matters
and Local Planning Scheme overlays. She has also been involved in the development
of offset management plans, weed, feral animal and erosion management plans
and revegetation works. Fiona's experiences have exposed her to many ecosystems
in south-eastern Australia and she has a strong understanding of the processes
and threats faced by both the vegetation and wildlife.
Ruth
Marr BSc (Hons), MSc in progress, Zoologist 
Ruth has completed an Honours degree in Science (Zoology) at Monash University,
Clayton, in 2003. Her honours project investigated the non-target impacts
of toxin use within the Christmas Island National Park. This research was
a legislative requirement of the $1.5 million control program to mitigate
the impacts of the invasive Yellow Crazy Ant on this unique island ecosystem.
Ruth has over four years experience in both threatened species and invasive
species management and conservation. She has a high level of technical zoological
skills and is experienced in field survey for birds, reptiles, frogs, invertebrates
and mammals. Ruth also has extensive practice in targeted searches for threatened
fauna including Striped Legless Lizard, Growling Grass Frog, Golden Sun Moth,
Powerful Owl and Barking Owl. This work has been in association with residential
and industrial developments, sand mining, proposed pipelines, and population
monitoring. More recently, with input from relevant stakeholders such as DSE
and Macedon Ranges Shire, Ruth prepared a bird utilisation and targeted fauna
assessment for a proposed wind farm in the Kyneton area.
Jamie
McMahon BSc, Ecologist & GIS
Jamie McMahon completed a science degree from the University of Melbourne
with majors in Botany and Zoology. He has also completed courses in GIS software
packages and is now undertaking postgraduate studies in GIS. Work with Ecology
Australia has involved biological surveys, Flora Information Systems database
analysis and GIS mapping. Jamie has worked on various biological surveys,
the majority of which has been within the Australian Alpine Region. This has
included flora assessment as well as work on Endangered Mountain Pygmy Possum.
He has experience in vegetation mapping, digitising, data analysis, and map
production.
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