Long Term Ecology

Hailing from Sydney, Dave joined the Long Term Ecology team as a Research Officer in 2016; relocating to Cowra in Central Western NSW to concentrate his efforts on the Environmental Stewardship Program and Grazing Study. He has a keen interest in birds and their ecology which lead him to undertake a Graduate Diploma of Ornithology through Charles Sturt University after completing his undergraduate degree in Environmental Management and Science. During this time, Dave volunteered on several bird related conservation projects, working with Grey Grasswrens, Regent Honeyeaters, Little Penguins, Gould’s Petrels, White-faced Storm-petrels as well as several community scale projects in a range of ecosystems throughout Australia.

While Dave is particularly passionate about birds, he is also fascinated by other taxa and has worked on Northern Quolls in the Pilbara, spotlight surveys for Bilbies and Bridled Nailtail Wallabies and small mammal and reptile surveys in outback South Australia.

Dave completed his honours degree where his research focused on surveying arid zone birds using  permanent acoustic monitoring stations. His research has taken him to Sturt National Park in northwestern NSW where the park’s ephemeral creeklines act as a case study for his research.

Although Dave works primarily with the Environmental Stewardship Program and the Grazing Study in the critically endangered Box Gum Grassy Woodlands of southeastern Australia, he regularly assists with other studies run by the Long Term Ecology team. Dave’s favourite aspects of the job are his increased exposure to the weird and wonderful happenings of nature and being able to learn from his colleagues and the landholders he works alongside.