We are a research group lead by Professor Adrian Manning in the Fenner School of Environment and Society at The Australian National University. Our committed members have a variety of expertise and partnerships with government, NGOs, and other institutions, enabling us to integrate research and restoration with meaningful outcomes for conservation in Australia and around the world.
Our work spans the themes of Rewilding, Conservation genetics, Translocation science, Conservation biology, and Coexistence conservation. Our projects include the MFGO Woodland Experiment, Ginninderry Conservation Corridor, Super parrot project, Kielderhead Wildwood, and Odonata Foundation.
Predation by invasive species is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, and it is difficult to tackle. Two ways to address biodiversity decline include (a) protecting the species currently existing in the wild, and (b) reintroducing species to their indigenous ranges.
These conservation actions are ambitious. They cannot depend on the total eradication of invasive species, and time will not slow down to give native species enough time to adjust to the irreversible changes we have made to their habitats and ecosystems. If we are to restore ecosystems, conservation efforts must be driven by evidence, collaboration, and insight. It must be based in respect for, and understanding of, the processes of the natural world. We operate with respect and an endless curiosity toward the species and systems we study and work to preserve. We seek solutions in their ecology and their DNA, and use innovative approaches to apply this knowledge effectively.
We acknowledge, celebrate, and pay our respects to Australia's First Nations peoples as this Country's Traditional Custodians and first scientists. It is on their lands that we meet and work, and theirs are among the oldest continuing cultures in human history. It is a privilege to pay our respects to Elders, knowledge holders, and to all generations of First Nations Peoples who have nurtured their unceded sovereign lands since time immemorial.