Our Team

Linda is an experienced spatial and environmental scientist who specialises in the modelling and communication of environmental information for regulatory applications and compliance purposes, primarily using GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Her experience over the last 18 years has been as a consultant to both State and local government and she enjoys working with clients to help them achieve their goals.

Linda is also a certified Bushfire Hazard Management Planner.

Kelly has 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 wind farms, 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.

Since joining North Barker at the start of 2021, Kelly has expanded her botanical knowledge of Tasmanian flora and has developed a key understanding of relevant State legislation and local planning policies, allowing her to apply her experience in our local context.

Yanti joined North Barker with a degree in  Plant Science and Geography and has experience in vegetation and fire intensity assessment, weed management and visualisation of spatial data using GIS. She was the recipient of a National ‘Steadfast Young Landcare Leadership’ Award in 2021 for her work with a community group promoting and stewarding a patch of forest in the Huon Valley . At North Barker Yanti is currently focused on assessment and management of grassland communities and  priority weed management for the benefit of Tasmania’s agricultural and environmental values. She is interested in the dynamics between fire and grazing regimes, ecosystems and policy.

Erin is passionate about wildlife and nature conservation, and comes from a strong practical background in ecology, supported by her academic achievements with an MSc focused on nest reserve management for wedge-tailed eagles. Erin has had extensive involvement volunteering in environmental conservation, including with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Erin is experienced in animal management and has previously worked as a wildlife keeper in northern and eastern Tasmania. She is known for her strong team leadership skills and ability to conduct fieldwork in remote and challenging locations. Outside of her professional interests, Erin enjoys reading, painting and gardening.

Philip holds a PhD in ecology. His scientific background includes research with Forestry Tasmania and project management in State government (where he led teams of experts in designing and implementing significant State and Commonwealth biodiversity conservation programs), before joining Andrew as a consultant in 1999. He is expert in ecological studies, quantitative ecology, and monitoring. He is a certified Bushfire Hazard Management Planner and oversees the fire ecology component of NBES.

Phil is highly regarded as a professional and motivated problem solver in the sustainable integration of viable development with conservation. This is reflected in his association with many projects of State significance. Philip is also recognised for his expertise in the management and control of Phytophthora.

Cheng is a spatial scientist with a rich knowledge of environmental GIS (Geographic Information Systems), remote sensing and drone photogrammetry. He recently finished his master’s degree in Applied Science from the University of Tasmania. Cheng came to Tasmania in 2019 and showed great passion for Tasmanian wildlife and environmental conservation. His strength lies in data visualisation and modelling. He has a vision of helping create a more sustainable society through his knowledge in spatial sciences. In his free time, Cheng enjoys bushwalking, cooking and photography.

Aleida has extensive consultancy experience in the field of ecology and environmental management. She has a broad knowledge of terrestrial ecology and strong botanical species identification skills. Aleida is experienced at evaluating development proposal impacts upon native vegetation and fauna habitat values and preparing revegetation and ecological management plans, as well as preparing documentation for approvals processes.

Aleida began in the field of environmental science in Tasmania during university, gaining a broad knowledge of the Tasmanian flora and fauna and a variety of field skills for flora and fauna assessment, vegetation condition assessments, and vegetation mapping. Aleida completed her PhD through the University of Western Australia in 2007. She went on to establish a career as an environmental consultant in Western Australia, managing and conducting a variety of flora and vegetation assessment projects, targeted threatened species surveys, and producing impact assessment reports. Aleida joined North Barker in 2010 and has since increased her GIS and mapping capabilities in addition to continuing as an environmental consultant.

Tim is an experienced field ecologist with extensive knowledge of environmental impact assessments and environmental regulation in Tasmania. He has a passion for native flora and fauna and has worked extensively in various industries, including forestry, agricultural land clearing, and road building. Tim possesses specialist skills in vegetation mapping, flora and fauna surveys, and species identification (including rare and threatened species), as well as having a high-level understanding of environmental legislation and approval pathways. He maintains a focus on identifying practical solutions which balance the principles of conservation ecology with sustainable land use.

Jared applies his detailed knowledge of Tasmanian flora to a variety of projects across the State, with specialist knowledge of highland environments and grasslands.  Jared has valuable experience in vegetation monitoring and mapping, particularly in alpine communities of snow patch vegetation in the face of climate change. Jared also has proficient skills in statistical and GIS programs. 

Part-time, Jared is a PhD candidate 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 include climatic influences, the impact of grazing and fire, and synecology of grassland communities.

Karen joined North Barker early in 2023, from a long consulting background in the UK, where her main work involved ecological impact assessment and due diligence of major infrastructure and renewables projects within the UK and across Europe.  She is a skilled project and client manager with a knack for developing solutions for issues that arise in projects.

Karen is passionate about birds and bird conservation and loves sharing her enthusiasm for wildlife with others.

Heidi has a biology degree from the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada and has worked on a variety of surveys in countries 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. Heidi is especially passionate about bird life and has carried out bird surveys throughout Tasmania.  When not conducting fieldwork for North Barker, Heidi enjoys bushwalking and birding in remote places and also volunteers regularly with Bushcare and Landcare projects in Tasmania.

Harsha is a marine biologist with a Master’s degree from the University of Tasmania. He is passionate about bioacoustics with a background in marine mammal bioacoustics. Having been introduced to terrestrial and avian acoustics through North Barker, he has developed a strong interest in protecting cryptic Tasmanian species. Harsha’s strengths are analysing long-term acoustic datasets and data visualisation. Outside of work, Harsha enjoys reading books, playing badminton and surfing.

Grant is a valuable resource to those in need of natural values advice and assistance. His skills as a field ecologist, in particular in relation to flora and vertebrate fauna, are trained from a lifetime in the Tasmanian bush and are highly respected by his peers. His specialties include the management and assessment of complex projects, plant and animal surveys, vegetation mapping, and condition assessments. Grant has extensive knowledge of Tasmanian flora and fauna, a very high-level understanding of the TASVEG classification system (SRG committee member), an expert understanding of environmental legislation, and comprehensive knowledge of natural values assessments and threatened species conservation protocols.

Will has recently completed his BSc degree in Ecology and Plant Science at the University of Tasmania. Will is passionate about Tasmania and its environment and is expanding his knowledge through assisting on a variety of projects with North Barker, currently focusing on field work and report writing. Previously, Will has worked as a bushwalking guide, and is an avid bushwalker, rock climber, scuba diver and woodworker.

Karen has a strong technical and academic background in conservation, forestry and land management. Karen holds a BSc in life and earth sciences with a major in botany. She is also a Forest Practices Officer with a specialty of working in land clearance not usually associated with commercial forestry, e.g. dams, irrigation, mining and infrastructure. She has worked extensively in assessment of conservation values, particularly in botany, but including threatened fauna habitat, geomorphology, archaeology, and soil and water values.

She provides management recommendations often in collaboration with other land managers or landowners. Karen has a passion for offshore islands and has coordinated several weed control programs in the Furneaux, Kent and Maatsuyker group of islands, including logistics and on ground works. She has a thorough grounding in conservation in production environments as well as in areas managed primarily for conservation.

Cameron is an ecologist with a double degree majoring in botany and geoconservation. He recently completed his Honours in the School of Environment, Technology and Design and the University of Tasmania where he looked at the relationship between fire and geodiversity in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. He also has a Certificate III in Horticulture (Plantsmanship). His strengths lie in field vegetation mapping and surveying for threatened flora and fauna. His experience is bolstered by his passion for the Tasmanian outdoors.

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.

Andrew has been operating as a consultant in Tasmania since 1991, establishing the North Barker business in 2000 in partnership with Philip Barker, after which a transition was made to a company in 2020. He has reported over many hundreds of studies for various Government Departments and proposals throughout Tasmania. He has extensive experience with surveys of reserves and conservation areas and specialises in assessing botanical conservation values, development proposal impacts upon native vegetation, and monitoring of site rehabilitation.

Prior to coming to Tasmania, Andrew worked in the UK in habitat management, balancing nature conservation with public use for recreation and education. He compiled, promoted and implemented management plans for Country Parks and Nature Reserves.

Alice is an ecologist with a passion for Tasmanian fauna and the environment. She holds a Master of Applied Science (Biological Sciences) from UTAS with a focus on conservation and restoration ecology. She has wealth of experience and practical knowledge in field-based wildlife surveys and the care of captive animals, having worked as a keeper for the Orange-bellied Parrot breeding program and volunteered with a variety of academic and citizen science projects both in Australia and abroad. Alice is skilled in report writing and statistical analyses and has published peer-reviewed research articles as both lead and co-author. A keen birdwatcher and bushwalker, Alice also enjoys making ceramics and sewing in her free time.

Richard has a strong botanical and birding background and is a dependable ecologist with a passion for achieving meaningful outcomes for our clients and the environment. Richard has a detailed knowledge of the State’s planning schemes, as well as State and federal environmental legislation. He has been involved in surveying Tasmania’s threatened flora and fauna since 2013 and has managed/participated in a wide diversity of projects including: the monitoring of little penguins, Vegetation Condition Assessments, a wide variety of threatened flora surveys, and threatened fauna assessments, including masked owls and swift parrots. His experience in these areas is complimented with spatial science skills used in mapping natural values and spatial modelling. Richard’s background in Operations Management has given him excellent organisational and planning skills that serve as a strength in project management.

Glenn has valuable experience in bushland and weed management and has been involved in many civil, private and local government projects. Glenn has sound knowledge of both native and exotic flora and has been involved in delivering many positive project outcomes relating to roadside conservation reserves, weed control, restoration works, revegetation and prescribed ecological burns. He is skilled in managing projects to high standards in accordance with specific project plan protocols and benchmarks provided in environmental management plans.

Glenn displays a strong focus for hygiene protocols and workplace safety, and is the health and safety officer for North Barker. He has experience in the safe operation and maintenance requirements of a vast array of equipment used in bushland management, including herbicide application equipment, earth moving equipment, power and hand tools, and fleet vehicles. Furthermore, he possesses a heavy rigid truck license, agricultural chemical users permit and a chainsaw operators ticket.