Our Team

Karen holds a BSc in Life and Earth Sciences with a major in botany. With a strong technical and academic background in conservation, forestry and land management, she has a thorough grounding of conservation in production environments, as well as in areas managed primarily for conservation. She is also a Forest Practices Officer with a specialty of working in land clearance and conversion not usually associated with commercial forestry, e.g. dams, irrigation, mining and infrastructure.

Karen has worked extensively in assessment of conservation values, particularly in botany, but including threatened fauna habitat (including eagle nest searches and management), geomorphology, archaeology, and soil and water values. She provides management recommendations often in collaboration with other land managers or landowners, aiming to provide a robust and practical outcome through collaboration.

Karen also has a passion for offshore islands and has coordinated several weed control programs in the Furneaux, Kent and Maatsuyker groups, including logistics and on ground works.

Stephen has over two decades of maritime experience across a range of global environments serving as a surveyor, crew member, captain, guide, and expedition leader.  His professional journey has been shaped by extensive involvement in marine mammal observation, logistics management, and scientific support across wilderness tourism, research expeditions, and seismic surveys.

At NBES, Stephen works as a Marine Fauna Observer, where he applies his field expertise to monitoring and recording marine life during offshore operations. Stephen’s background in client and researcher coordination, accurate reporting, and collaborative planning with vessel officers directly supports NBES’s commitment to responsible environmental practices.

A lifelong passion for outdoor exploration fuels Stephen’s approach to marine conservation. Whether hiking through remote ecosystems or sailing across the Pacific, he brings a holistic perspective to understanding and protecting marine wildlife—a value demonstrated through volunteer caretaking and research efforts in Tasmania’s wild coastal regions.

From morning greetings to end-of-day morale checks, Bluefeld is always on duty to boost team spirit. With expert-level tail wags, well-timed wet-nosed nudges, and an uncanny ability to sense when someone needs a cuddle, Bluefeld ensures that everyone feels supported, motivated, and pawsitively engaged.

Sarju is an enthusiastic young professional that manages North Barkers administration and accounting, utilising his strong finance and management skills, which include post-graduate qualifications in Accounting from Charles Sturt University. He also completed a professional year in ECA and completed a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Australian National Institute of Management and Commerce in Sydney.

As someone who is dedicated to providing the best quality work through hands on engagement, Sarju is deeply involved with the administration of our business and facilitates us delivering high quality results on all our projects.

Rob is a senior spatial scientist with expertise across multiple GIS platforms and spatial analysis techniques. He completed a Bachelor of Surveying and Spatial Sciences with Honours, producing a thesis on quantifying understorey density using LiDAR data. Over his career in forestry, local government, and environmental organisations, Rob has applied himself to every GIS challenge thrown at him to ensure the satisfaction of stakeholders and high quality data. He has also developed and implemented novel QGIS automation scripts—ranging from image enhancement to elevation‐model merging.

At North Barker, he has applied his wealth of experience and expertise to drive automation of data transformation to accelerate map production and reduce transcription errors, as well as streamlining data transfer and organisation in our systems to ensure that spatial datasets remain complete and up to date.

Georgie is an experienced environmental consultant and ecologist with a passion for plants and being outdoors. They completed a bachelor’s degree in environmental science at the University of Queensland, including a 1st class honours project investigating seed ecology and physiology.

Georgie has since worked as an ecologist and consultant in QLD and NSW. They have been involved in surveys and reporting for ecological impact assessment, biodiversity conservation planning and targeted threatened species surveys, mostly in the coastal ecosystems of NSW. With about 5 years’ experience in consulting, Georgie has worked alongside a variety of clients and on large scale natural resource, urban development, and service infrastructure projects, as well as biodiversity offsetting and smaller scale urban development.

Georgie moved to Nipaluna/Hobart at the start of 2025 and is excited to learn more about Tasmania’s natural environmental and especially native flora and marine life. At NBES, Georgie works as a generalist environmental consultant, utilising their knowledge of ecological impact assessment, avoidance and mitigation strategies, and exploring the varied environments of the island.

Jared applies his detailed knowledge of Tasmanian flora and fauna to a variety of projects across the state, specialising in long-term project management of complex, broadscale projects with a variety of approvals pathways, including Major Projects and EPBCA assessments, including offset strategies. With specialist knowledge of highland environments and grasslands, Jared has valuable experience in vegetation monitoring and mapping (including the TASVEG VCA method), particularly in snow patch vegetation faced with climate change. Jared also has extensive skills in GIS and modelling landscape-level environmental risks and constraints.

Previously, Jared was a post-graduate researcher at the University of Tasmania, investigating the dynamic relationship between grasslands and shrublands/sedgelands in alpine regions of Tasmania. Areas of inquiry for his project included climatic influences, the impact of grazing and fire, and synecology of grassland communities.

Heidi has a biology degree from the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada, and has worked on a huge variety of bird surveys around the world, including Antarctica. Heidi has worked as a wildlife guide in Tasmania and the polar regions for more than 20 years and is an assessor for polar guide competencies, in addition to holding BOSIET safety certification and being a certified marine mammal observer (JNCC). In her role with NBES, Heidi plays a lead role in our specialist bird and general marine surveys, including shorebirds, bitterns, seabirds and marine mammals, as well as utilisation surveys for windfarms.

Heidi is a board member for BirdLife Tasmania and as you’ve gathered especially passionate about birds! When not conducting fieldwork for North Barker, Heidi enjoys bushwalking and birding in remote places and also volunteers regularly with Bushcare and Landcare projects around Tasmania and further abroad.

Ink (they/them) is a conservation ecologist with a background in community and evolutionary ecology, specialising in the complex interactions between native and invasive fauna and the ways in which habitat quality and modification shape species dynamics.

As part of their PhD at the University of Tasmania (UTAS), Ink has collaborated with international research partners to investigate the evolutionary ecology of the invasive black rat (Rattus rattus), focusing on their interactions with competitors, predators, and local habitat conditions and how rats are potentially adapting to Tasmanian environments. During their Honours thesis (First Class Honours) at UTAS, Ink monitored the efficacy of restoration plantings within a reconstructed corridor in the Northern Midlands Biodiversity Hotspot, assessing outcomes for birds, non-volant mammals, and ground-dwelling invertebrates.

Throughout their career and applying these skills at North Barker, Ink has undertaken a wide range of environmental assessments by using diverse field techniques to monitor mammals (i.e., remote camera surveys, live-trapping of mammals), bird (i.e., point counts, systematic searches, and mist-netting), invertebrates (pitfall trapping, sweep-netting), and frogs (i.e., acoustic monitoring). They integrate these fauna monitoring data with vegetation surveys to evaluate habitat quality and assess risks to natural assets from proposed developments, ensuring compliance with project approvals and pre-construction protocols.

Ramit is a field ecologist with a background in engineering and a strong interest in combining ecology with emerging technologies to support sustainable conservation outcomes.

He specialises in avifauna and amphibians and brings over a decade of professional experience across bird and frog surveys, amphibian taxonomy, bioacoustics, and nature sound recording. Ramit has also led citizen-science initiatives and works part-time as a birdwatching tour guide.

At North Barker, he undertakes specialist surveys focused on birds, frogs, marine mammals (JNCC-certified), and acoustic monitoring.

Megan completed her PhD at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania in 2023 where she researched the nutrients and pollutants transported by Flesh-footed Shearwaters to their breeding grounds on Lord Howe Island. She holds a First Class Honours in marine science and over the course of her postgraduate studies has developed extensive skills in project management, field research techniques, data analysis, and science communication. In addition, Megan has undertaken fieldwork and projects on a variety of seabird and shorebird species as well as sea turtles, fallow deer, wombats, and other notable Tasmanian wildlife. While her passion lies in marine conservation, she is interested in all aspects of environmental science, particularly when fauna are involved.

At NBES, Megan utilises her skills as a Marine Fauna Observer and in her spare time, she enjoys sailing, camping, and exploring all that Tasmania has to offer.

Lisa is an experienced field ecologist with a passion for preserving Tasmania’s natural values. She completed her bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies at the University of Tasmania and has since worked with several different fauna species including Tasmanian devils, quolls, wombats and macropods. She has obtained extensive experience in small bird identification and handling through several years of previous employment with Tasmania’s Orange-bellied parrot recovery program. Lisa’s specialised skills include banding, blood sampling and tree-climbing for nestbox management following several years of field-based monitoring. Her previous experience in report writing, data management, animal handling and project management are utilised at North Barker.

Lisa is passionate about sharing knowledge, enabling learning and professional growth for herself and her colleagues. Previous roles in team supervision are valued in her role at North Barker, her ability to lead by example and encourage a positive work environment is evident.

Liam is an experienced GIS analyst known for his technical problem-solving skills and ability to translate complex spatial data into practical solutions. He works across a range of our ecological projects, applying geospatial technologies to challenges in natural values assessments, weed management, and landuse planning. Known for his problem-solving skills and technological focus, Liam integrates spatial modelling, remote sensing and data visualisation to support informed environmental decision-making. He works closely with ecologists to ensure spatial outputs are efficient, relevant, and practical.

As an active member of the Geospatial Council of Australia, Liam remains engaged with industry developments and is committed to advancing best practices in geospatial science.

Jez has over 15 years of experience in business and biodiversity, focusing on net positive commitments, the mitigation hierarchy, and conservation assessments in Australia and internationally. He holds a PhD from the University of Queensland for his exploration of burrowing petrels and broadly in relation to the design and implementation of wildlife surveys and monitoring programs. Including a year of fieldwork on Macquarie Island, his specialist expertise in seabird ecology and avifauna more broadly has resulted from several years of field experience in Australia and internationally.

As well as practical field skills, Jez has a depth of quantitative analytical skills and has written numerous industry reports, peer-reviewed research papers, and popular science materials. In his role as a Lead Ecologist with NBES, Jez leads our seabird and marine mammal surveys (BOSIET and JNCC certifications) and impact assessments, project managing multi-year offshore wind projects from conception to delivery, including survey design, execution, analysis and assessment, all with the aim of improving project outcomes by using robust science to inform avoidance and mitigation of conservation significant impacts. Jez applies the same skills and experience within our terrestrial projects, being heavily involved with a variety of fauna surveys and assessments, with a particular interest in the intersection between efficiency and efficacy, particularly when aided by technology, such as the use of bioacoustics recorders and the analysis of such results. Professionally, Jez has a passion for science-based impact assessments that achieve sustainable outcomes for nature, while personally, he is happiest outdoors, sailing, paddling and exploring nature.

Rabin is a skilled spatial scientist who graduated with a Master’s of Environmental Geospatial Science from the University of Tasmania. He has a strong passion for GIS, remote sensing, and their application in environmental management and conservation. In his current role, Rabin focuses on natural values analysis using spatial data to support ecological assessments, habitat mapping, and landuse planning. His work contributes to more informed and sustainable environmental decision-making.

Rabin brings to NBES advanced capabilities in georeferencing, image classification, change detection, and spatial analysis, and has a keen interest in translating complex datasets into meaningful environmental insights. During his time at Land Tasmania, NRE, in a previous role, he worked on stitching historical aerial imagery to develop geospatial layers — an experience that helped sharpen his technical and analytical skills. He continues to enjoy applying these tools to better understand and protect the natural environment within the context of development approvals.

Cameron is an ecologist with a double degree majoring in botany and geoconservation. He completed his Honours at the University of Tasmania where he looked at the relationship between fire and geodiversity (geoconservation) in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, with particular expertise in the ecology of blanket bogs. He also has a Certificate III in Horticulture (Plantsmanship) and is a certified bushfire management practitioner (BFP – 178 – scope of accreditation – 1, 2 and 3B), leading North Barker’s work in hazard management.

Cameron applies his detailed knowledge of fire synecology and Tasmanian flora and fauna in general to a variety of projects across the state, specialising in project management of local government approvals under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and associated bushfire hazard management plans. Cameron is also experienced with emergency evacuation plans and hazardous use requirements in relation to bushfire risk reduction and responses, as well as being equipped with a variety of general ecological experience relevant to risk reduction and impact assessment, including EPBCA referrals and level 2 assessments under EMPCA. At a ground level his strengths lie in fire hazard prediction, vegetation mapping (TASVEG VCA method), and surveying for threatened flora and fauna. His varied assessment experience is bolstered by his passion for the Tasmanian outdoors, which combine to achieve a well-rounded balance for clients and nature.

Noelle is an experienced environmental consultant and researcher with a background in geography, business and environmental management. She graduated from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Business and Master’s in Protected Area Governance and Management, and has since worked with major project development approvals and carbon/biodiversity accounting projects in NSW. She has managed and delivered multiple projects utilising her skills in project management, business management, environmental compliance, research, data analysis and GIS.

Her role at NBES utilises all of these skills (and more) in support of our Directors across aspects of business management and delivery of major projects. Noelle’s priority is to ensure smooth project delivery and positive outcomes for both clients and the environment. In her spare time she has a passion for hiking and exploring the relationships between people and the environment.

Kelly has a BSc (Environmental) as well as graduate certificates in natural resources, conservation and land management. Prior to joining NBES in 2021, she gained extensive experience working as an environmental consultant across NSW, organising and undertaking ecological surveys, conducting environmental assessments, and preparing environmental reports. She has worked on numerous projects of all sizes, for various government sectors and private clients, including large scale windfarms, gas pipelines and transmission lines, to smaller development applications and road upgrades.

Kelly also has a solid background in bush regeneration, which has given her invaluable practical experience in natural area management, conservation and weed control. She applies all this skill and experience in her multi-faceted role with NBES, primarily as our lead in the management of a network of roadside conversation reserves maintained as a government offset, which includes monitoring of conservation significant flora and the application of various land management principles.

Jess completed her Bachelor of Environmental Science (Ecological Conservation) at Charles Sturt University, in addition to stints undertaking plant biodiversity surveys in the Midlands, orange-bellied parrot surveys, Tasmanian devil trapping, and an internship in Peru. Within her role at NBES, Jess has built upon her already strong leadership skills from past experience, transferring them into leading field teams on eagle utilisation surveys and supporting project management with all manner of project logistics, including data management and quality control, applying her exceptional attention to detail and diligence.

Jess is passionate about the conservation and management of threatened species as part of sustainable development practices.

Tom has experience undertaking a variety of environmental assessments in a range of ecological settings, targeting various flora and fauna, including burrow-dwelling mammals, habitat tree assessments, and threatened frogs. He is experienced in undertaking natural values assessments, vegetation condition assessments (TASVEG VCA method), vegetation mapping and targeted flora and fauna surveys, including extensively in relation to conditions of project approvals and pre-construction protocols and compliance.

Tom has a PhD and a Bachelor of Science with 1st Class Honours, majoring in Geography and Environmental Studies from the University of Tasmania. His PhD was on the environmental impacts of introduced deer on Tasmanian vegetation. Tom has subsequently published peer-reviewed research on spatial and temporal vegetation change, the ecological impacts of wombats, and the diet and geographical changes of introduced fallow deer in Tasmania.

Morgan has a strong passion for wildlife conservation and ecology, coming from a background in threatened species monitoring and introduced species management. She completed her 1^st Class Honours (BSc) degree in Zoology at the University of Tasmania, focusing on novel cat management methods. With a range of experience in practical field ecology, and particular expertise in dasyurids (including trapping/handling), Morgan has worked across research projects with the University of Tasmania and conservation groups including the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, focusing on predator ecology and fauna monitoring methods.

Her consulting career with NBES has extended upon these skills with a focus on understanding the macroecology of Tasmanian threatened fauna in the context of broadscale development impacts, as well as finer-scale management of potential impacts through avoidance and mitigation strategies, including construction and pre-clearance protocols and compliance. Her role calls upon her varied and valuable skills and experience, include threatened fauna surveys, fauna monitoring strategies, data analysis, and population modelling, as well as project management support and oversight. She is dedicated to informed and data-driven management of threatened species in Tasmania and how this can be applied to the nexus between conservation and the assessment of development impacts.

Harsha is a bioacoustics specialist with a background in marine biology (marine mammal acoustics). He completed a Master’s degree at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania, where he developed a strong foundation in bioacoustics research and methods. Since joining North Barker, he has turned his expertise to terrestrial applications, with a particular focus on threatened avifauna and cryptic species calls, including frogs. Harsha has a keen interest in data visualisation and in building automated bioacoustic detectors to enhance ecological monitoring.

Harsha’s work is driven by a passion for leveraging emerging technology to better understand and protect wildlife.

Working for North Barker since 2024, Angus joined part-time while finishing a Bachelor of Science at the University of Tasmania, majoring in Ecology and Plant Science. Angus has also completed a Certificate IV in Conservation and Land Management. He has a strong passion for plant taxonomy and identification as well as bird watching, actively applying his skills and expertise through volunteering with Landcare groups. 

Lily is an experienced field ecologist and wildlife rescuer who cares deeply for native wildlife and their habitats. She completed her BSc degree in Environmental Science (Conservation and Ecosystems) at the University of Melbourne. Lily has since worked as a conservation ecologist in Western Australia and as a field scientist and wilderness guide in Tasmania. She has been involved in multiple fauna translocations in WA including a Chuditch (western quoll) translocation. Lily is a general outdoors enthusiast who has volunteered on surveys for long-nosed potoroos, spotted tree frogs, and wombats.

For NBES she has extended upon this background with fauna surveys and impact assessments on a variety of proposals, including consideration of light pollution and disturbance upon shorebirds, impacts to denning locations, and leading investigations for the New Holland mouse. She is particularly interested in threatened species management and wildlife rehabilitation, maintaining a part-time role with Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary.

Working for North Barker since 2023, Sally started part-time while finishing a BSc with Honours, majoring in Plant Science and Ecology. Beginning her career in conservation in remote and far north Queensland, Sally moved to Tasmania to pursue her passion for alpine ecology, which she extended by focussing her Honours research on threatened alpine flora. She subsequently has a wide range of skills and experience, from assisting green sea turtle research on Raine Island to natural capital accounting research in Tasmania.

Her role with NBES includes general natural values assessments and targeted threatened flora projects, including translocation and restoration, as well as work within our weed and land management sector. Sally has a passion for the conservation and management of threatened species, dedicating her spare time to exploring alpine areas of Tasmania, as well as her role on the committee for Threatened Plants Tasmania.

Sandy has decades of experience in integrated pest management (both practical and applied), including weeds and invertebrates. She holds a BSc (Hons) in zoology, with Honours in entomology, as well as a Cert IV in Small Business Management. Sandy has worked extensively across Australia on integrated weed management, insect pests, and management of threatened species, being variously employed by all levels of government, natural resource management groups, local community groups, and now NBES. In addition, she has coordinated delivery of national, state and municipal weed strategies and NRM programs.

Sandy possesses specialist skills in project management, report writing, stakeholder engagement and developing educational programs, all the while striving to achieve practical solutions to meet stakeholder needs. She is passionate about protecting Australia’s biodiversity and natural systems and has been an active member of voluntary community groups since the early 1990s.

Stella has a degree in Botany from the University of Otago, New Zealand and relocated to Hobart for her Master of Philosophy researching Antarctic bryophytes. With a background in liverwort taxonomy and expedition guiding, she enjoys being in the field as much as possible. At NBES, Stella assists with field surveys.

Cheng (Eric) is a spatial scientist with a rich knowledge of environmental GIS (Geographic Information Systems), remote sensing and drone photogrammetry – he oversees North Barker’s GIS department, managing 3 full-time spatial scientists and co-ordinating with our data manager. Cheng completed his Master’s degree in Applied Science from the University of Tasmania after coming to Tasmania in 2019, where he found a great passion for Tasmanian wildlife and environmental conservation, which eventually led him to North Barker. His strength lies in efficiency and management, as well data visualisation and modelling.

Cheng has a vision of helping create a more sustainable society through his knowledge in spatial sciences. In his free time, he enjoys bushwalking, photography and cooking, with his colleagues at NBES strongly supportive of the latter!

Ian completed his Bachelor of Natural Environment and Wilderness with 1^st class Honours at the University of Tasmania. From his role with NBES and previous experience, he has been a part of a variety of environmental assessments in a range of ecological settings and contexts. He is able to apply a geographical lens to the projects he works on to incorporate the broad range of considerations needed to produce strong and relevant recommendations to balance project needs with nature conservation.

Ian is experienced in undertaking natural values assessments, vegetation condition assessments (TASVEG VCA method) and vegetation mapping, including within remote settings and leading small field teams. He is developing a range of threatened fauna survey skills through general habitat assessments and training, including having completed the FPA course on eagle habitat identification and management. Ian’s enjoyment of positively contributing to the outcomes of North Barker’s projects is evident in the strong effort he applies and in the high standards he upholds.

Elroy is an experienced ecologist with a background in major projects, particularly in the renewable energy sector within NSW. He has developed a diverse set of skills that combine his Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management with extensive hands-on experience. He has a broad foundation in conducting ecological field surveys for a variety of threatened species, both flora and fauna, as well as species monitoring on rehabilitated sites. His experience also extends to assessing macroinvertebrate populations and implementing habitat offsetting strategies, such as nest box installation and ongoing management.

In addition to his ecological experience, Elroy has a past background as a tradesperson that helps provide an advantage in technical assistance, equipment management, maintenance, and safety protocols. His combination of ecological knowledge and technical skills enables him to serve as a technical advisor and HSE Officer, offering comprehensive oversight in safety, compliance and field support.

Adam is a Lead Ecologist at NBES and a Botanist with a passion for Tasmania and its natural environment. Since completing a Bachelor of Science (Natural Environment and Wilderness Management) with First-class Honours in 2004, Adam has gained extensive experience as an Ecologist, firstly with Tasmania’s Forest Practices Authority and later with Natural Resources Alinytjara Wilurara in western South Australia. Adam brings to his role extensive experience working with Traditional Owners across Australia’s Central and Western Deserts and Tasmania in a variety of capacities from leading practical on-ground land management activities with Indigenous Rangers such as flora and fauna surveys, fire and weed management, to setting up Indigenous Ranger Programs and guiding these programs. This includes through their establishment phase, managing research projects, developing data collection and management systems, co-designing management plans and establishing monitoring and reporting systems using adaptive management methods to inform management decisions.

Central to all of this is Adam’s knowledge of environmental systems and his passion for working with People to care for Country.

Oscar Thomas is an avid naturalist, photographer, and author, who enjoys being able to share his knowledge and passion for wildlife and conservation. Oscar has completed a BSc in Zoology and PGDip in Wildlife Management at the University of Otago, now completing an MSc in Ecology focusing on the movements and mortality of the critically endangered pukunui (southern New Zealand dotterel) on Rakiura/Stewart Island. Outside of study, Oscar works as an expedition guide to remote destinations such as the Subantarctic Islands, with a special interest in seabirds. At NBES, Oscar undertakes boat-based surveys for pelagic species.

Sören is a wildlife biologist with a Bachelor of Science with honours in Biosciences from the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern. He has over five years of experience in environmental monitoring, threatened species surveys, and GPS tracking. Before moving to Tasmania, he worked as lead biologist for the Urban Birds project in his home country of Luxembourg.

At North Barker, he contributes to a wide range of avian and fauna surveys through remote fieldwork, with a focus on threatened birds, frogs, and mammals. He is also certified in eagle habitat identification and management.

Outside of work, Sören is an active bird watching guide and wildlife photographer.