As an ecologist, naturalist and teacher, I am passionate about natural sciences, scientific outreach and environmental literacy. I believe that to be able to take empowered action and be good stewards of the resources and biodiversity of our planet we must first nurture an appreciation for nature, and foster ecological awareness in ourselves and others. For this reason, I am delighted to be working at the SFS (starting in 2019) to contribute to this mission to help engender a passion for the natural world and to improve environmental literacy.
Originally from Singapore, I pursued my higher education at the University of Tasmania, Australia, immersing myself in the fascinating study of natural sciences. I moved to North Queensland in 2010 to do my Ph.D research on the fascinating ecology of ecotone habitats of giant Eucalyptus trees and their relationship with fire-sensitive tropical rainforests and flammable savannas. After being awarded my doctorate in 2014, I then spent a year doing 19th century naturalist-style work, collecting tropical plants within the Australian Wet Tropics World Heritage Area to build a field herbarium at the Daintree Rainforest Observatory, and also setting up long term monitoring forest plots.
Following this, I conducted post-doctoral research at the James Cook University looking at how drought will impact Australia’s prime tropical rainforests at Cape Tribulation. Most recently between 2018-2019, I was a visiting Professor at the Federal University of Bahia, Salvador Brazil, where I did ethnobotanical research, and taught plant ecology and courses on academic writing and scientific outreach. These experiences have made me a firm believer of the importance of communicating science and strive to use social media for better scientific outreach, public education and community engagement.
My research interests revolve mainly around biodiversity, ecology and vegetation science, and I am firm believer of long-term monitoring. I also have an academic interest in a wide range of topics from aerobiology, ethnobotany, plant phenology, plant anatomy, taxonomy, tree rings, and others. With the opportunity of being back in the Australian wet tropics, I look forward to doing basic and applied research on strategies for managing and conserving the natural resources of the region.