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Biotropica People
Biotropica Australia's team consists of a range people from many backgrounds. Please click on the titles below
for more information.
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The Biotropica Team
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| Back L-R: Lars Kazmeier, James Hill, Tracey Marshall, Nigel Tucker, Sarah Holt, Daniel Keane, Mandy Crook.
Front L-R: Nathan Bailey, Jordan Cardwell, Michael Goddard, Spencer Brown.
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Company Director
ADApp Sci, M.Sc
 Nigel Tucker has over 25 years of local knowledge and experience in tropical ecosystem management, having grown up on the Atherton Tablelands, and receiving his tertiary education at the University of Queensland and James Cook University. An employee of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) for almost twenty years, Nigel and the community tree-planting group TREAT (Trees for the Evelyn and Atherton Tablelands) established the QPWS Centre for Tropical Restoration, a specialist restoration and research facility at Lake Eacham in Far North Queensland.
In a multi-disciplinary research career, Nigel has published on a range of topics including integrated pest management, small mammal genetics, tropical restoration, and theory and practice of habitat linkage restoration. Nigel's Master's thesis told the story of a tropical forest habitat linkage, the first of its kind to be restored and monitored for plant and mammal re-colonisation and movement.
Nigel now manages Biotropica Australia's major projects, and his botanical and ecological skills are used extensively in field work. In particular, Nigel has extensive knowledge of the Queensland electricity and gas industry having worked on the environmental management of electricity and gas assets since 1996, and intensively since he established Biotropica Australia in 2002.
For more information please download Nigel Tucker's Curriculum vitae. (Pdf, 335kb)
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Assistant Manager
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B.Sc (Hons), M.Sc, Adv Dipl. Mgmt Acc
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Sarah was raised in London and gained her BSc Zoology from Leeds University. After graduating she spent a number of years working and qualifying as a Management Accountant. However she continued her interest in science and the environment and eventually made the career move back to ecology, this time gaining an MSc in Environmental Conservation and moving into environmental consulting for a London based corporation. In the UK her work specialised in riparian mammals, particularly the Water Vole.
Sarah first visited Australia in 2001 and since then has continued to return to Far North Queensland. She based her MSc thesis in World Heritage Areas around Cairns and has a great love for the natural environment in this area.
Sarah finally settled in Australia in 2008 and continued her work in Environmental Consulting gaining a good understanding of Australian flora, fauna, and legislation and developed her Geospatial Information System (GIS) skills. She moved to the Atherton Tablelands and joined Biotropica in March 2011 where she will use her ecological and project management skills to assist in the growth and management of the company.
For more information please download Sarah Holt's Curriculum vitae. (Pdf, 315kb)
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Environmental Scientists
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Dipl. Biol. (Uni)
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 Lars Kazmeier joined Biotropica Australia in 2006 following extensive tertiary studies in the Wet Tropics. As a student at the University of Friedrich-Alexander and University Erlangen/Nuremberg in Germany, Lars completed his Honours degree with a study of Lemuroid Ringtail possums in the highlands around Ravenshoe, following this up with a PhD study of Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo near Malanda.
Lars has significant biological and zoological expertise, and is also a highly skilled GIS (Geographic Information System) technician. Now an Australian resident, Lars continues his association with local nature conservation groups including the Tree Kangaroo and Mammal Group Inc and TREAT Inc (Trees for the Evelyn and Atherton Tablelands).
For more information please download Lars Kazmeier's Curriculum vitae. (Pdf, 133kb) |
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B.Sc
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 Dan Keane joined Biotropica Australia in August 2007 from a background in managing environment programs in the mining sector. Dan grew up on the Tablelands and completed his BSc (Ecology) at James Cook University Cairns. He is passionate about all things Wet Tropics, particularly tropical restoration and the sustainable management of these unique ecosystems.
He has a growing repertoire of tropical ecosystems knowledge which is now being applied to restoration ecology research projects, land management and environmental management plans. Dan has skills and experience in environmental training, regulatory reporting, carbon accounting, biostatistics, and is active in improving his botanical field knowledge. He has extensive survey experience in Papua New Guinea lowlands and highlands
For more information please download Daniel Keane's Curriculum vitae. (Pdf, 328kb) |
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B.Sc (Hons)
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 James joined Biotropica Australia in August 2010. He has a passion for rainforest ecology, with research interests in plant/insect interactions and seed viability in the rainforest. James completed his undergraduate studies at James Cook University, with a Honours thesis examining the pollination ecology of two Pseuduvaria sp. in the Wet Tropics in 2003.
James has worked as an Ecology Consultant in wet and dry tropical environments, as a Researcher and Crane driver with the Canopy Research Facility at Cape Tribulation and has taught Botany and Rainforest ecology at James Cook University. James is expected to complete his PhD, on the effects of changing climate on seed viability and production within seasonal tropical forests in 2011.
For more information please download James Hill's Curriculum vitae. (Pdf, 334kb)
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B.Sc (Biological - Botany and Zoology)
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 Ant joined Biotropica in January 2012 with a background in environmental planning, field ecology, and urban and regional planning. Following the completion of his Bachelor of Biological Science at James Cook University in Townsville, he worked in a number of university teams investigating spatial scale variations in biodiversity, the potential impacts of climate change on biodiversity, as well as population declines in species listed as endangered and vulnerable under State legislation.
Following this Ant spent many years working for the Queensland government administering planning and nature conservation policy, including the Nature Conservation Act 1992, Sustainable Planning Act 2009 and Vegetation Management Act 1999. Ant has a well developed understanding of the machinery of government as it relates to environmental and planning approvals. In addition to his planning skills, Ant has comprehensive abilities in tropical botany, plant community ecology and vertebrate ecology.
For more information please download Ant Backer's Curriculum vitae. (Pdf, 51kb) |
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B.Sc (Hons - Forestry), PhD (Forest Pathology)
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 Dr Frans Arentz is an eminent forest pathologist specialising in Phytophthora research withover 35 years of experience in this area. Frans has spent over 10 years working in Papua New Guinea undertaking phytophthora research and has an excellent understanding of the ecology of PNG as well as a good understanding of government and private conservation and forestry organisations within the country.
Frans has lectured in Forest Pathology both within Australia and internationally and has presented the results of his studies at international conferences and in refereed journals.
For more information please download Dr Frans Arentz's Curriculum vitae. (Pdf, 184kb)
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Field Operations Manager
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 Long time Tablelands resident, Michael commenced working at Biotropica Australia in February 2010, with a varied background. Michael has taken on the new role of Field Operations Manager. He has had extensive experience in weed control, tree planting, construction, rehabilitation, rare plant translocation and nursery construction in the tropics.
For more information please download Michael Goddard's Curriculum vitae. (Pdf, 313kb)
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Administration
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Co-director Tracey Marshall has been managing administration for over 20 years and has managed Biotropica Australia’s administration since its inception in 2002. Tracey is Biotropica's Office Manager and assumes responsibility for all internal and overseas operations, financial and accounting management, human resource management, and oversees Biotropica’s Quality Assurance System. |
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B.Ed.
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 Mandy joined the Administration team at Biotropica in Februray 2010. Mandy provides aministrative logistical support to all Biotropica staff and Manages high level administrative systems. Mandy is also Biotropica’s certified Quality Assurance System Manager. Biotropica is certified to ISO 9001:2008
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