We are a research group led 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:
- Themes: rewilding, conservation genetics, translocation science, conservation biology, and coexistence conservation
- Projects: MFGO Woodland Experiment, Ginninderry Conservation Corridor, Superb Parrot Project, Kielderhead Wildwood, and Odonata Foundation
“Conservation action without good science to underpin it is like alchemy, or faith healing. Both sometimes produce desirable results, but you have no idea why, and mostly, they don’t.”—John Lawton in The Science and Non-science of Conservation Biology
We envision a world where biodiversity can flourish alongside people, even in landscapes that have been altered. Our team works to understand and restore the ecological relationships that underpin healthy ecosystems—among species, across space, and through time.
From rebuilding ecological communities through species reintroductions, to safeguarding genetic diversity and anticipating future change, our work is grounded in data and driven by the urgent need to find solutions that work in real-world systems. We believe conservation must be adaptive, pragmatic, and data-driven—embracing uncertainty, valuing diverse knowledge systems, and ultimately aiming to restore ecological function in ways that are just, feasible, and enduring.
We acknowledge and pay our respects to the First Nations peoples who have nurtured the lands on which we live, work, and collaborate since time immemorial.
We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians and first scientists of Australia, whose sovereignty was never ceded. We honour their histories, cultures, and knowledge systems as the oldest continuing in human history. We particularly acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, on whose lands much of our work takes place, and we honour their enduring connection to Country—its lands, waters, skies, and all life within it.
Conservation and restoration must engage meaningfully with Indigenous knowledge holders and reckon with colonial histories. We are committed to approaches that prioritise justice, equity, and responsibility to both Country and community.
