Landscapes / Regions
Virginia Young
Director of the International Forests and Climate Program, ARCS
Virginia is currently Director of the International Forests and Climate Program for the Australian Rainforest Conservation Society (ARCS), contributing to the international policy component of a global research program on primary forests lead by Griffith University in Australia. Building understanding about the linkages between the Climate and Biodiversity Crises and the urgent need to tackle both crises together is a feature of her work.
She is Chair of Gondwanalink Ltd, and a member of the Board of the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative - organisations that provide leadership for two of the world’s foremost ecological connectivity protection and restoration initiatives - in the south of Western Australia and along the eastern seaboard of Australia, respectively. Read More
She is Chair of Gondwanalink Ltd, and a member of the Board of the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative - organisations that provide leadership for two of the world’s foremost ecological connectivity protection and restoration initiatives - in the south of Western Australia and along the eastern seaboard of Australia, respectively. Read More
She is also on the Board of the Partnership for Policy Integrity – a US science based organization highlighting the adverse climate and biodiversity impacts of burning wood for power; and a member of the steering committee of an international, science based collaborative initiative called IntAct – focused on increasing global attention on the climate and biodiversity imperative to protect and restore Earth’s primary forests.
She is a past president of the Australian Committee of IUCN and supports a number of IUCN global initiatives, including as a member of the IUCN Task Force on primary forests and intact forest landscapes.
She has led innovative nature conservation programs in Australia and was awarded the Wild Magazine ‘Environmentalist of the Year’ in 2001 for her work to protect Australia’s forests and recognized as one of 20 global visionaries by the Wild Foundation in 2010 for her work pioneering connectivity conservation programs in Australia.
She is a past president of the Australian Committee of IUCN and supports a number of IUCN global initiatives, including as a member of the IUCN Task Force on primary forests and intact forest landscapes.
She has led innovative nature conservation programs in Australia and was awarded the Wild Magazine ‘Environmentalist of the Year’ in 2001 for her work to protect Australia’s forests and recognized as one of 20 global visionaries by the Wild Foundation in 2010 for her work pioneering connectivity conservation programs in Australia.
Peter Curry
Specialist, Australian rangeland and grazing ecology
Peter Curry has worked in the semi-arid and tropical rangelands of Western Australia, West Africa, southern Africa and northern China. His expertise ranges from regenerative agriculture, land use planning and landscape ecology, ornithology and he has served in long-term Team Leader or expert positions in projects for AusAID, The World Bank and Britain’s Overseas Development program. He is the author of several key documents on the pastoral lands and species of Western Australia and has served as a specialist in state planning and heritage decision reviews.
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He has found that monitoring changes triggered by historical and climatic events, as well as any changed management in our rangelands, is crucial to gaining insights and perspectives. However these insights are often missing from policy approaches meant to improve land usage and conserve the natural and built heritage we continue to lose so rapidly.
In his home state of Western Australia Peter recognises that a few independent initiatives with long-term persistence continue to yield the most remarkable outback stewardship successes of our time. Working with other specialists, pastoralists, traditional owners, innovative land users and reserve managers, in state, national programs & international projects, Peter has come to value old and new ways of appreciating and understanding these landscapes.
In his home state of Western Australia Peter recognises that a few independent initiatives with long-term persistence continue to yield the most remarkable outback stewardship successes of our time. Working with other specialists, pastoralists, traditional owners, innovative land users and reserve managers, in state, national programs & international projects, Peter has come to value old and new ways of appreciating and understanding these landscapes.
Economics Program
Neil MacLeod
Wilderness Economics, Restoration Agriculture & Pastoralism
Neil is presently the Principal of Karingal Systems, a private consultancy service that is focussed on farming systems research projects covering the grazing lands of northern Australia and smallholder farming systems in Africa and Asia.For over 25 years Neil was a Principal Research Scientist with the CSIRO acting both as a researcher and project leader for many multidisciplinary R,D & E projects covering animal production and grazing management, farm business economics, investment analysis, natural resource valuation, conservation biology and landscape ecology. He has also worked with projects aimed at improving the productivity of smallholder farming systems in South Africa, Zimbabwe, India and Indonesia. He was formerly an Associate Editor for Tropical Grasslands and the Rangeland Journal.
Wildlife & Evolution Program
Charles 'Chip' Barber
Senior Global Biodiversity Adviser, World Resources Institute
Charles “Chip” Barber is a global leader in the protection of the Earth’s remaining intact forests, and in social safeguard policies. He served as Forest Chief in the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. He led U.S. diplomacy on forest policy, working with numerous governments and intergovernmental agencies and processes. Chip was instrumental in developing debt-for-nature swap deals worth over $100 million for Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In 2013, Chip negotiated a U.S.-Indonesia MOU on Wildlife Conservation and Combating Wildlife Trafficking, which was signed by Secretary of State John Kerry and the Indonesian Minister of Forestry in February 2014. In 2012, Chip chaired the Asia Forest Partnership, and since 2013-2015 supervised the U.S. term as chair of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership.
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On the multilateral front, Chip has frequently served as chair in multilateral negotiations. During the Rio+20 process he chaired the text negotiations for the chapters of the Rio+20 outcome document “The Future We Want” on Poverty, Food Security, Forests, Biodiversity, and Mountains. He also chaired key outcomes at UNFF on several occasions. From 2005-2009 at USAID, Chip represented the agency in multilateral processes including the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, CITES, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). At USAID he also co-designed the $40 million Coral Triangle support program, and USAID’s strategies for climate change in the Asia-Pacific and natural resources and environment for Indonesia. At both USAID and the State Department, Chip has been a key member of the U.S. government inter-agency process scrutinizing multilateral development bank projects and policies with respect to environmental and social safeguard policies.
Chip worked as a consultant with a wide variety of organizations including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UN University, NRDC, IUCN, IFC, UNDP, UNEP, and The Nature Conservancy.
Chip received his B.A. in Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts, his M.A. in Asian Studies, J.D., and Ph.D. in Jurisprudence and Social Policy from the University of California at Berkeley. He is fluent in Bahasa Indonesia.
Chip worked as a consultant with a wide variety of organizations including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UN University, NRDC, IUCN, IFC, UNDP, UNEP, and The Nature Conservancy.
Chip received his B.A. in Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts, his M.A. in Asian Studies, J.D., and Ph.D. in Jurisprudence and Social Policy from the University of California at Berkeley. He is fluent in Bahasa Indonesia.
OUR STORYTELLERS
Geoff Spanner
Film & Documentary Maker
Geoff Spanner is a film-maker with a particular interest in the desert wilderness of Central Australia, where some of the planet’s last remaining truly wild river systems exist. He is fascinated by the story of these landscapes, a story that stretches far back into a distant time. But Geoff has also developed deep respect for the rich and unique cultures of the Australian deserts, and the communities and the individuals who live in this wilderness, one of the harshest and most remote landscapes on Earth. His storytelling captures a snapshot of the remarkable beauty that still exists in Central Australia, and his films support the push for a wilderness reserve in the Australian deserts. Geoff's is a strong supporter of Forever Wild and is using his latest film to promote the urgent need to protect Australia's central deserts.
Tobias Baumgaertner
Film & Documentary Maker
Tobias Baumgaertner is a German-based videographer who maintains a deep interest in the natural world, the idea of wilderness and the human societies that still survive in the Earth’s wild places. Tobias has produced some outstanding images and video for Forever Wild, including for our first reserve. He works to capture the incredible scale of the planet’s remaining wildernesses, from the miniscule beauty of tiny flowers and invertebrates all the way to the spectacular star-scapes that still convey the camp-fire stories of many human societies. Tobias has worked with Australia’s Indigenous peoples and has spent long weeks in remote areas of Outback Australia. He has traveled extensively worldwide.
OUR COMMUNITY WELLBEING WORKING GROUPS
Cape York SER: Community Wellbeing Working Group
Rob Larkin
Key interests: Social Justice & Development
Read MoreRobert Larkin is a Far North Queensland local who has lived in Mareeba since 1993. He has worked extensively within the Human and Community Support sectors and his passion for assisting and supporting the community is inspiring. Originally commencing his employment within the Training and Employment Industry, Rob managed various contracts with a focus on working intensively with clients through many challenges and hardships to gain full time, sustainable employment. It was during this time that Rob found his true passion in assisting the community and in 2016 completed a Bachelor of Behavioural Science majoring in Psychology. Rob is currently employed as a Supervisor with Mareeba Community Housing and manages contracts assisting the homeless those community members that are socially exclude and highly disadvantaged. During Rob’s employment with MCHC, he has coordinated various programmes, such as white ribbon day, with a focus on involving the community in a positive manner
Chris Gillies
Key interests: Astronomy & community education
Read MoreChris is a Mareeba local who has been active in the community for many years, including as a Community Director of the Bendigo Bank (Mareeba - Dimbulah branch), and several community groups. He was a key person in developing incredible educational opportunities for this community by being part of the team that conceived and then drove the establishment of St. Stephens High School. Chris sees enormous opportunities for the Tropical Wetlands Shared Earth Reserve to be a positive contributor to the wellbeing of the surrounding communities, and shares a long-standing interest in protecting the cultures and landscapes of the region. He is an accomplished astronomer and wants to help people enjoy the incredible night skies on the Reserve.
Dr. Merrilee Frankish
Key interests: Social Determinants of Health & Wellbeing
Read MoreMerrilee is a medical doctor with extensive experience and interest in the social determinants of health, and how well-being affect long-term health of individuals and communities. A Mareeba local and well known by all for her passion for her community, Merrilee is instrumental in liaising with the community in and around the Tropical Wetlands SER, and in organizing amazing community events on the reserve.
Rhonda Dooley
Key interests: Local Indigenous Health & Wellbeing
Read MoreRhonda is an Australian First Nations woman from North Queensland. She is determined to assist Indigenous people in the Mareeba area to reconnect with their traditional country, and the bush generally. Rhonda is heavily involved with the Muluridji people who are the Traditional Owners of the Tropical Wetlands property, part of Forever Wild's Cape York Shared Earth landscape.
FOREVER WILD STAFF
Fiachra Kearney
CEO
Read MoreFiachra is based at the Head Offices in North Queensland and oversees the strategic direction of the organisation. He is also the founder of Forever Wild. Prior to this he founded and led a not-for-profit company called Global Eye for 7 years before its restructure and sale. The company had subsidiaries in several countries which operated as charitable entities, and he oversaw operations spanning Asia, Africa and the Americas. He has been Head of Africa for a private risk management firm and his early career was as a scientist for the CSIRO in rangeland ecology.
If you meet Fiachra note that he (like Neil Macleod) loves a good cuppa. He is fascinated by invertebrates and space.
If you meet Fiachra note that he (like Neil Macleod) loves a good cuppa. He is fascinated by invertebrates and space.
Neil MacLeod
Bio-economic Modeler / Agricultural Economist
Read MoreNeil works to map out the economics of our Shared Earth Reserves, with a particular focus on low-impact livestock, protecting key ecological processes and biological diversity. He is a former Principle Research Scientist with CSIRO, Editor of the Rangeland Journal and an Honorary Fellow of CISRO's Food and Nutrition Security program.
If you meet Neil note that he loves drinking tea and having a chat about Australian and African landscapes
If you meet Neil note that he loves drinking tea and having a chat about Australian and African landscapes
Colin Strahan
Programs Officer
Read MoreAs our Programs Officer, Colin is the main point of contact for all activities spanning our Cape York SER, currently focused on the Tropical Wetlands. He has spent many years in Cape York and Far North Queensland where he has worked as a Ranger and liaison with the pastoral and First Nation's communities.
Colin can spin a tall yarn in a deadpan manner, so be warned.
Colin can spin a tall yarn in a deadpan manner, so be warned.
Bev Vandine
Finance & Admin Manager
Read MoreBev oversees all the core administrative tasks for Forever Wild. With an extensive background in finance, office administration and HR, Bev is one of our most valuable assets.
As seems to the be the growing norm in Forever Wild, Bev consumes extraordinary quantities of tea - super strength, nothing added.
As seems to the be the growing norm in Forever Wild, Bev consumes extraordinary quantities of tea - super strength, nothing added.