Lab Lead
Professor Adrian Manning

Building our science.

Leaving a legacy.

Adrian has worked in landscape ecology and conservation biology for over 20 years, specialising in ecosystem restoration and reintroductions.

Ecology team

Hannah Gerke

PhD Candidate

Specialises in spatial and behavioural ecology, and is studying the welfare of translocated eastern brown snakes.

Lori Gould

PhD Candidate

Studying the movement and migration patterns of Latham's Snipe. 

Jenny Newport

Senior Research Officer

Coordinates licencing and fieldwork, and leads biodiversity monitoring for the MFGO Woodland Experiment.

McLean Cobden

PhD Candidate

Specialises in superb parrot spatial ecology, reproductive biology, and conservation.

Kathryn Macpherson

Research & Communications Officer

Studied the habitat use of reintroduced eastern quolls using innovative spatial models.

Dr Belinda Wilson

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Specialises in behavioural, spatial, population, and community ecology, and studied eastern quoll reintroduction biology.

Shoshana Rapley

PhD Candidate

Specialises in bird ecology and spatial ecology, and studies bush stone-curlew captive breeding and reintroduction biology.

Maisie Walker Stelling

PhD Candidate

Specialises in developing Golden sun moth translocation tactics and genetics.

Paula Wasiak

PhD Candidate

Studying the behaviour, tactics, habitat use, and management of reintroduced bush-stone curlews on Phillip Island.

Tim Andrewartha

PhD candidate

Specialises in non-lethal fox management tactics based on evolutionary and adaptive principles for animal management.

Ashlyn Austin

PhD Candidate

Specialises in developing innovative strategies to protect livestock and native animals from invasive predators (e.g., red foxes).

Steve Holliday

Field Assistant

Supports biodiversity monitoring and data management for the MFGO Woodland Experiment.

Conservation genetics team

Samantha Shippley

PhD Candidate

Specialises in using eDNA techniques to develop effective management for large herbivores in grassy woodlands, and studied eastern quoll diet.

Brittany Brockett

PhD candidate

Specialises in applying conservation genetics to threatened and translocated species management.

Collaborators

Professor Iain Gordon

Central Queensland University

Specialises in sustainable land-use and managing livestock for conservation. Iain has contributed to many Lab projects, including the MFGO Woodland Experiment and Ginninderry Conservation Corridor.

Associate Professor Gavin Smith

ANU School of Sociology

Leads the Canberra Snake Tracking Project and collaborates with the Lab on the socio-ecology of eastern brown snakes in the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor.

Dr Sue McIntyre

ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society, CSIRO

Specialises in plant community ecology and grassy-woodland management. She has been instrumental in the MFGO Woodland Experiment since its inception.

Associate Professor Anton Blencowe

Adelaide University

Leads the Applied Chemistry and Translational Biomaterials Group at the University of South Australia and contributes chemistry expertise for the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor project.

Dr Maldwyn John Evans

ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society

Specialises in biostatistics and entomology, and has contributed to population modelling for a number of Lab projects, including the MFGO Woodland Experiment.

Dr Linda Neaves

Murdoch University

Specialises in using genomic tools to address conservation and management problems, and previously led the Conservation Genetics Lab.

Alumni

Previous staff

Doctoral alumni

  • Sharif (2011) The ecological impacts of palm oil industry on avian and mammal biodiversity. PhD thesis, Australian National University.

  • Howland (2016) Managing kangaroo grazing for the conservation of grassland and grassy woodland fauna. PhD thesis, Australian National University.

  • Ross (2020) Bringing Back the Bettong: Reintroducing ecosystem engineers for restoration in Box-Gum grassy woodland. PhD thesis, Australian National University.

  • Stojanovic (2014) Life history and breeding biology of the endangered swift parrot. PhD thesis, Australian National University.

  • Ikin (2014) Avian functional responses to landscape recovery. PhD thesis, Australian National University.

  • Rayner (2015) Conserving woodland birds: the need for population data in evidence-based planning. PhD thesis, Australian National University.

  • Barton (2010) Beetle diversity in box-gum grassy woodlands: the importance of habitat heterogeneity at multiple scales. PhD thesis, Australian National University.

  • Cunningham (2016) Design and analysis of quasi-experiments in landscape ecology: responses of fauna to landscape vegetation transformation in South-Eastern NSW. PhD thesis, Australian National University.

  • Social research exploring the relationship between urban neighbours and nature reserves.

  • Goldin (2020) Quantifying the impact of coarse woody debris on soil and vegetation in a cleared temperate woodland. PhD thesis, Australian National University.

  • Shokirov (2021) Using multi-platform LiDAR to assess vegetation structure for woodland forest fauna. PhD thesis, Australian National University.

  • Bennett (2010) Return of the Fauna: Brown Treecreeper Reintroduction in Eucalypt Woodland. PhD thesis, The Australian National University.

  • Batson (2015) A tactics-based approach for improving outcomes of eastern bettong reintroductions. PhD thesis, The Australian National University.

  • Specialised in small mammal ecology through the ‘refugee species’ lens, and studied Pookila reintroduction biology.

  • Research focused on how predator-proof sanctuaries reshape human–wildlife relations beyond their fenced boundaries.

Honours and masters alumni

  • Suen (2015)Assessing the success of the reintroduction of eastern bettongs (Bettongia gaimardi) in establishing a genetically diverse population in the ACT. Honours thesis, Australian National University.

  • Gee (2024) Detecting trait differences between a reintroduced and a dispersing eastern quoll population. Masters thesis. Australian National University.

  • Mauger (2017) What’s That Smell? How Marsupials in Mulligans Flat Respond to Different Predator Odours. Honours thesis, Australian National University.

  • Lambden (2024) Working with Evolution: attempting to induce CTA in red foxes and ravens using synthetic bush stone-curlew scent. Honours thesis, Australian National University.

  • Walrath (2022) Environmental drivers of suitable denning and foraging habitat for eastern quolls (Dasyurus viverrinus) reintroduced into a fenced sanctuary. Masters thesis, Australian National University.

  • Dewar (2023) The genetic profile of eastern chestnut mice, Pseudomys gracilicaudatus, and its impacts on conservation decisions. Honours thesis, Australian National University.

  • Macpherson (2023) How den characteristics can be used to predict habitat suitability for an endangered marsupial. Masters thesis, Australian National University.

  • Abicair (2016)Historic habitat selection and post-reintroduction population biology of the New Holland Mouse. Honours thesis, Australian National University.

  • Killey (2010)Modelling fallen branch volumes in a temperate eucalypt woodland: implications for large senescent trees and benchmark loads of coarse woody debris. Honours thesis, Australian National University.

  • Robb (2019)Engineering the regeneration niche for the restoration of temperate grassy woodlands. Honours thesis, Australian National University.

  • Zhao (2018) Does Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary have suitable habitats for yellow-footed antechinus and agile antechinus? Masters thesis, Australian National University.

  • ​Intern specialising in small mammal monitoring.

  • Research Officer developing the Mulligans Flat-Goorooyarroo Woodland Experiment and its annual monitoring program.

  • Research Officer investigating the biodiversity value of revegetation.

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow investigating reintroduction of eastern bettong and eastern quoll at Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary.

  • Research Officer that led on-ground research in the Ginninderry Conservation Corridor, and supported fieldwork and logistics for the Lab.

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