“It was a dream come true to come back and work for the Park so I often feel like I’ve got the best job in the world.”

Mel Wilson is the Natural Resource Manager of the Norfolk Island National Park. In partnership with PhD student Allie Nance, Mel designed an innovative way to manage invasive rodent populations on Norfolk Island. This work has led to improvements in the way that endemic plant and animal species on the island, including the endangered Norfolk Island Green Parrot, are protected from rodents. For this work Mel was awarded the Ecological Impact Award in 2021.

The Ecological Society of Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the islanders of Pitcairn descent and their families as the custodians of Norfolk Island.

Over the next ten weeks, meet ecologists from around Australia, discover more about their work, what their hopes and fears are for the future of our natural world, and why they think that ecology matters. We’ll be releasing one episode each week until September!

Find Ecology Matters wherever you get your podcasts or play it directly from our website.