Alumni protecting wildlife and wild places

The natural world is facing unprecedented challenges, from habitat loss and biodiversity decline to the growing impacts of climate change. Yet across Australia and around the globe, dedicated professionals are working tirelessly to protect wildlife, restore ecosystems and ensure future generations can experience the richness and wonder of the environments we often take for granted.

Among them are our alumni, whose careers have taken them from remote field sites and national parks to research laboratories, conservation organisations and community-led environmental projects. Whether monitoring endangered species, managing natural resources, conducting groundbreaking research or advocating for environmental change, they are helping shape a more sustainable future for people and the planet.

In this feature, we meet alumni whose passion for nature has become a lifelong purpose. They share the experiences that inspired their careers, the challenges and triumphs of working in conservation, and the moments that remind them why protecting the natural world matters. Their stories offer a powerful insight into the importance of environmental stewardship and demonstrate how knowledge, dedication and action can make a lasting difference for wildlife and the landscapes we all depend on.

Genevieve Deaconos

Partnerships and Philanthropy Manager, Australian Wildlife Conservancy

Genevieve Deaconos works to support critical conservation efforts for some of the country's most vulnerable species, including the endangered Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat. In this interview, she shares insights into the remarkable recovery of one of the world's rarest mammals, reflects on the resilience of Australia's native wildlife, and explains why raising awareness is one of the most powerful tools we all have to help protect the natural world. You can also learn more about Genevieve's journey in her Alumni Spotlight article, Embracing Nature for Wellbeing.

The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is one of Australia's most endangered mammals. For those unfamiliar with the species, what makes it so special and why is its survival so important?

Most Australians know wombats, but few realise there are actually three species - and that one of them is among the rarest mammals on Earth, rarer even than the Giant Panda. The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is the largest burrowing marsupial in the world, and the tunnel systems they dig are remarkable - the largest burrow mapped so far runs to more than 90 metres. Those burrows aren't just home to the wombats that built them; they become shelter for other wildlife too. Wombats are also ecosystem engineers, turning over large amounts of soil and shaping the landscapes they live in, so protecting them protects a lot more than just one species.

Conservation success stories often take years or even decades to achieve. What progress have you seen in efforts to protect the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, and what challenges remain?

By the 1980s, the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat had been reduced to a single population of around 35 animals in central Queensland. Decades of work by the Queensland Government and its conservation partners have brought that number to just over 400, across three sites, all of them in Queensland. Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) manages one of those sites, Richard Underwood Nature Refuge near St George, where our team monitors the population, cares for the habitat and carries out research to guide the species' recovery - including using ground-penetrating radar to map burrow systems and better understand what makes a site suitable. It's still a fragile position, though: a species confined to just three locations remains at risk of fire, flood or disease, and these wombats are particular about where they live. They need deep sandy soils - specific habitat that isn’t easy to find. AWC is now working to secure an additional property where a fourth population could be established.

Can you share a moment from your work with AWC that brought home just how fragile, yet resilient, Australia's native wildlife can be?

Standing at the entrance to a wombat burrow at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge, I was amazed at how large it actually was. It would have taken such skill and perseverance to build. And that wombat wasn't the only one living there - the wall around the entrance was pocked with small holes where pardalotes had nested, and there were tracks in the sand where snakes, lizards and swamp wallabies had come and gone. This species has had its habitat cleared and its burrows destroyed for generations, and it has somehow held on, still playing its part in the ecosystem around it. Our wildlife is facing habitat loss, changed fire regimes and introduced predators all at once, and it's certainly in a fragile state right now - but given some protection and a bit of time, it can rebuild. The first Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat joey I saw on camera footage from the refuge actually brought tears to my eyes. I hope we see many more.

What's one thing everyone can do, regardless of where they live, to help protect native wildlife and natural habitats?

Learn about our wildlife! Australia has an extraordinary range of native mammals, and the ones most people don’t know about - quolls, phascogales, numbats - are often the ones that are most at risk. Then, talk about them. Share what you learn, mention them at work, point them out to your kids, because the animals people know and love are the ones that get protected, and a species almost nobody has heard of has very few advocates when decisions get made. AWC's website has detailed pages on every species we protect, and there are heaps of free webinars on our YouTube channel - either is an easy place to start.

Genevieve Deaconos completed a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Drama) and a Master of Business (Marketing). Find out more about her career journey by reading her Alumni Spotlight article and connecting with with her on LinkedIn.

Himanthi Mendis

Senior Civil Engineer, Water and Maritime Australia

Himanthi Mendis is a Senior Civil Engineer specialising in sustainable water management, helping shape infrastructure solutions that support both growing communities and healthier natural environments.

What first inspired your passion for sustainable water management?

My interest in sustainable water management began while working in Logan City Council's Environment and Health Department. Early in my career, I was tasked with researching the cost of constructing, maintaining and reinstating water sensitive urban design assets. What initially seemed like a straightforward technical project provided valuable insight into how councils plan, fund and manage infrastructure over the long term.

Through that work, I gained a greater appreciation for the role water plays in connecting environmental outcomes with community needs. It also gave me a unique perspective on the challenges local governments face in balancing growth, environmental protection and financial sustainability. Seeing the broader impact that water planning and management can have on the health of our communities and natural environments inspired me to pursue a career in integrated water management and sustainable infrastructure.

What's the most rewarding part of designing water solutions that benefit both communities and the environment?

The most rewarding aspect of my work is helping deliver infrastructure that supports community growth while also improving environmental outcomes. Infrastructure and development are essential parts of modern society, but they need to be designed in a way that respects and works with natural systems. As a civil engineer, I am often empowered to do this through the flooding and stormwater disciplines. I am a strong advocate for nature-based solutions, which can often provide cost-effective outcomes while improving waterway health, reducing infrastructure costs and supporting broader community objectives such as housing affordability and liveability.

Throughout my career, I have worked on projects in both highly constrained brownfield environments and greenfield developments where there is greater flexibility to incorporate water management considerations from the outset. While each presents different challenges, it is particularly rewarding to see well-planned designs deliver long-term benefits for both people and the environment.

What changes would you like to see over the next decade in sustainable water management?

Over the next decade, I would like to see water planning become a much stronger driver of how cities, communities and major infrastructure projects are designed. On many large projects I have been involved with, significant challenges have arisen because space for water infrastructure was not adequately protected early enough, or because water management was not fully integrated into strategic planning and funding decisions.

Water is the element that connects many systems across our cities, including environmental health, urban development, transport and emerging industries. As population growth and new developments place increasing pressure on existing resources, proactive water planning will become even more important. By considering water earlier in the planning process, we can support sustainable growth, avoid costly retrofitting and reduce the risk of unintended environmental impacts. Ultimately, I would like to see water recognised and managed as the valuable resource it is, rather than something that is only considered when problems arise.

Hamanthi Mendis completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours). Find out more about her career journey by reading her Alumni Spotlight article or by connecting with her on LinkedIn.

Nyssa Henry

Reef Lead, Truii

Nyssa Henry has dedicated her career to protecting the Great Barrier Reef through data-driven solutions. As the Reef Lead at Truii, she develops innovative web applications that help guide multi-million-dollar investments in reef conservation. Learn more about Nyssa's career journey in her Alumni Spotlight article, Hacking conservation.

What does success in conservation look like to you, particularly when many environmental challenges require long-term solutions?

Success in conservation means addressing the source of environmental problems, not just treating their symptoms. The Great Barrier Reef is a global icon under threat from climate change and local land-based impacts, so limited conservation funding needs to be targeted where it can have the greatest long-term impact. Solutions such as coral gardening are highly visible and engaging, but tackling issues like sediment and nutrient run-off is harder and less immediately tangible. That’s why I’ve spent my career building tools that help direct funding towards interventions that can make a lasting difference.

What lessons can other conservation sectors learn from the approaches being used to protect the Reef?

I grew up in North Queensland and spent time on the Reef from a young age, so protecting it has always felt personal. One of the Reef’s greatest strengths is its commitment to science, accountability and continuous improvement: the science is regularly reviewed, ambitious targets are set, and progress is publicly tracked through the Reef Report Card. Other conservation sectors can learn from that combination of evidence-based decision-making, clear targets and transparency about what is—and isn’t—working.

What skills do you think will be most important for the next generation of conservation and environmental professionals?

Data and digital literacy will be as important as ecological knowledge. Conservation professionals need to be comfortable working with monitoring data, models and digital tools that turn evidence into decisions people can act on. Just as importantly, they need to translate complex science for landholders, investors and policymakers, because good data only matters if it changes what happens on the ground. As natural capital and environmental markets grow, the professionals who can move confidently between science, technology and policy will be the ones shaping outcomes, not simply reporting on them.

Nyssa Henry completed a Bachelor of Applied Science. Find out more about her career journey by reading her Alumni Spotlight article or connect with her on LinkedIn.