Restoring Nature: Big Ideas From Our Little Island

Hear from experts about eco-restoration in lutruwita/Tasmania, including Lake Pedder, the Midlands, oyster reefs and coastal marshes.

By The Tasmanian Independent Science Council

Date and time – Wednesday 12 October 2022, 18:00-19:45 pm AEDT

Location – Online

lutruwita/Tasmania is poised to be a global leader in restoring nature at a time when the United Nations has declared 2021-2030 to be the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. From the iconic Lake Pedder and the Midlands wildlife corridor, to oyster reefs and coastal marshes, lutruwita/Tasmania is a hub of innovative marine and terrestrial rewilding projects.

The Tasmanian Independent Science Council (TISC) invites the public to examine successes, challenges and solutions to restoring some of Tasmania’s most treasured ecosystems. Join us for an online forum featuring leading experts from academia and the community. Speakers include Distinguished Professor Jamie Kirkpatrick (UTAS), Dr Neil Davidson (UTAS/ Greening Australia), Iona Flett (NRM Cradle Coast) and Jennifer Hemer (NRM South), and the forum will be moderated by author and Environmental Law Professor Ben Richardson (UTAS).

Speakers

Jamie Kirkpatrick is a Distinguished Professor in Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Tasmania, and Chair of the Tasmanian Independent Science Council. He is a past president of both the Institute of Australian Geographers and the Ecological Society of Australia. His research on planning and management of protected areas has been widely implemented in Australia and elsewhere in the world.

Dr Neil Davidson is a restoration and landscape ecologist who works with Greening Australia and is an Honorary Associate at the University of Tasmania. Dr Davidson has played a leading role in the restoration of biodiverse corridors in Tasmania’s Midlands, and has published extensive scholarship on environmental restoration and conservation.

Iona Flett works on natural resource management (NRM) project planning, monitoring and evaluation with Cradle Coast Authority, the NRM body in north-west Tasmania. She previously worked in Queensland, where she was involved in river restoration projects and water quality improvement planning, and earlier she completed a Master of Resource Management at the University Centre for the Westfjords, Iceland.

Jennifer Hemer manages the Water and Marine Program at NRM South. She works with a team of project leaders and Government, industry, research and community partners to deliver on-ground projects which enhance and restore ecological character across marine, coastal and aquatic habitats.

Enquiries can be made to Professor Ben Richardson at: B.J.Richardson@utas.edu.au

Thank you to Lindsay Hope for the covering image.