Brisbane Biodiversity Seminar - Wildlife Movement Solutions

Brisbane City Council is committed to keeping Brisbane clean, green and sustainable, and values your help in protecting more than 2,500 plant and animal species that make Brisbane the most biodiverse capital city in Australia.

Join the Brisbane Biodiversity Seminar, either online or in person, for an informative evening, with our two guest-speakers sharing their knowledge about Road Ecology and Wildlife Movement Solutions (WMS).

Presentation 1: Martha Rees

Martha is an ecologist passionate about biodiversity conservation and the protection of Australia’s wildlife. She works as a Program Officer – Biodiversity Planning, in the Natural Environment, Water and Sustainability division of Brisbane City Council, where she is primarily responsible for managing Council’s Wildlife Management Solution (WMS) program. Prior to this role, Martha gained extensive experience working on different aspects of wildlife survey and management both within Brisbane City Council and as a private sector consultant. She graduated with first class honours in environment and resource science (majoring in ecology), completing her thesis investigating the impacts of urbanisation and roads on a fresh-water turtle species.

Martha's presentation will provide an overview of Council’s WMS program, including determination of hotspot zones, target species and some of the challenges around designing and installing WMS infrastructure. Martha will also speak about future planning and how important the community is in supporting and advocating this work.

Presentation 2: Christopher Johnson

Chris is an ecologist, specialising in road ecology and land rehabilitation. He has a passion for the environment which is rooted in a lifelong fascination with birds and their responses to human activities. Using his broad knowledge base and hands-on experience in integrated ecosystem restoration, management, and community involvement, Chris has collaborated extensively with various stakeholders over the last fifteen years. This collaboration spans government agencies, non-profit community organisations, and private enterprises, working on diverse projects aimed at advocating ecological sustainability and attaining balanced project outcomes.

Christophers presentation will delve into the field of road ecology, focusing on the ever-expanding research regarding the effects of roads on wildlife populations, particularly birds. The journey will begin in Brisbane, where Chris will explore the foundation of his research and that of his co-authors before broadening the scope further afield to encompass the current state of the art solutions. Chris will introduce the 'Roads4Wildlife' framework, which provides a structured approach to studying wildlife interactions with roads, as well as a newly documented method for calibrating audio recorders that enhances study design and data collection. Finally, he'll examine the integration of fauna-sensitive road design guidelines into Australian transport projects, drawing on the expertise of practitioners. Through these efforts, the aim is to advance road ecology research and offer practical solutions for mitigating the impact of roads on bird populations.

Event schedule:

6:00pm: Doors open

6:30 - 7:30pm: Martha Rees

7:30 - 8:30pm: Christopher Johnson

8:45pm: Evening Concludes

Bookings close 3rd of June 2024

An option to watch the live-stream online is available when registering, please select either an 'attendee' or an 'online' ticket. If you are unable attend or watch online, register for an 'online' ticket to be emailed a recording.

Disclaimer: the information contained in these presentations represents the views and opinions of the Brisbane Biodiversity Seminar speakers and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Brisbane City Council.

For more information, email the Creek Catchment Team at CCOfficers@brisbane.qld.gov.au.