PhD, BAppSci (Hons) (Environmental Science)
Donna has had over 30 years experience in Natural Resource Management predominantly in the Central West of New South Wales. Donna has a degree in Environmental Science and has also completed an Honours degree and Doctor of Philosophy. Donna has had experience in a range of environmental roles including Environmental Officer – Honours Graduate responsible for rehabilitation trials and subsequent rehabilitation of woodland ecosystems at the Junction Reefs Gold Mine near Mandurama. Donnas PhD project studied ways of enhancing Grassy Box woodlands in intensive agricultural lands in Central Western NSW.
As a restoration ecologist, Donna has worked with a large cross section of the community addressing many issues related to landscape management, rehabilitation and sustainability particularly in her role as Project Manager with Greening Australia and provided training and advice in sustainable landscape management across the catchment for 5.5 years. Donna then became Project Manager for the Lake Cowal Foundation located at Lake Cowal, West Wyalong and was able to develop an extremely successful Environmental Trust in cooperation with the Barrick Cowal Gold Mine, local farming community and educational institutions within a few short years. Donna was integral to the development of Lake Cowal Foundation and the establishment of the successful Lake Cowal Conservation Centre.
Since 2007, Donna and DnA Environmental have primarily provided services to the mining industry (and government) in mine rehabilitation and Biodiversity Offset Area monitoring to numerous mines across NSW. DnA developed a monitoring methodology that embraces the regulatory framework of the Department (growth medium establishment to ecosystem sustainability), using monitoring techniques derived from the OEH Biometric Model. DnA has subsequently collected a comprehensive range of ecological data for the various mining companies in order to satisfy their regulatory commitments. For some mines, up to 13 years of data has been collected with the trends in various ecological performance indicators analysed and interpreted through our reporting mechanisms. This monitoring procedure developed by DnA is consistent, reliable and is a simple way of presenting complex ecological data and trends. It has been designed as a support tool for land managers and regulators to assess rehabilitation performance and closure criteria requirements.
Donna subsequently has worked with a wide variety of individuals and organisations including landholders, research groups, Universities, mining companies, Councils, Government Departments, Landcare, community groups and schools and gained extensive knowledge and expertise in the issues and concerns associated with sustainable Natural Resource Management. Donna’s areas of expertise relates to vegetation management and landscape restoration, particularly in the management and restoration of grassy woodland ecosystems; sustainable land management and planning, broad acre revegetation; mine site and quarry rehabilitation, ecological surveys and management plans, development and implementation of revegetation programs; project management and coordination, environmental education and training, flora survey and identification and habitat assessments.
