Why are you inspired by your job?
Because it changes from day to day, year to year… I love variety. I also love the fact that we directly achieve conservation outcomes through breeding or rearing animals for release as part of recovery team efforts for threatened species. I also find the people I work with inspiring – there are so many incredibly dedicated people working at Perth Zoo. Many staff spend their annual leave and personal time like weekends working on conservation projects.
What made you specifically interested in the Sunset Frog?
Not only is it stunningly beautiful to look at, it’s absolutely ancient. It’s kind of the frog equivalent of the dinosaur. The amazing thing is that it has been around for so long but was only discovered in 1994.
What inspires you about the Sunset Frog?
One thing I find utterly amazing about animals in general is their ability to cope and manage despite everything that is thrown at them.
The Sunset Frog is a perfect example of how species adapt and evolve. It has always lived in peat bogs, with a water pH of about 5. They are today found only in Walpole down in the south west where the drying climate and lowering water table has dropped the water pH to 2.4. This is like vinegar and there is no way they should be able to survive in it. But they are, for the time being at least. The problem is that we humans are changing the environment quicker than animals can adapt.
Why is nature conservation so important to you?
The more biodiversity a system has the greater its ability to respond in a positive way to change. It is important to have multiple species that do the same thing in the eco system because then, if one changes or disappears, there are many others that can take its place or do its job. In other words, the more biodiversity a system has, the safer it is.
Not only do we have a moral obligation to keep the biodiversity system as intact as possible, it is also in our best interest. In places where biodiversity systems have collapsed, such as the Everglades in America and in coral reefs of the Caribbean, it has had a calamitous impact on the ability of people in those areas to earn an income.
What has been your biggest achievement in nature conservation?
Achieving action for our threatened frog species with much needed frog research and a rear and breed-for-release program at Perth Zoo. It amazes me that we had a species at the point of extinction yet still very little was being done to conserve it. We are one of the very few first-world countries with a world-recognised Biodiversity Hot Spot and we have the capacity to conserve this natural heritage.
How does working for Perth Zoo help you achieve your own conservation aims?
By being part of the State Government, I get the opportunity to influence outcomes (to a small degree) which can deliver positive results for conservation. I enjoy working with other state Government conservation workers and also our universities and our non-government organisations (NGOs). We are lucky in Western Australia in that we all work together really collaboratively.
Why, in your view, is Perth Zoo’s job so important?
We have a combination of specialised expertise in animal husbandry and breeding, and in Conservation Medicine (the veterinary care and disease investigation of wildlife) which no other organisation has in Western Australia. We can provide these specialised skills to help with recovery efforts for threatened species. Perth Zoo also plays a huge role in educating the public about species, biodiversity and its importance to our lives. Over 630,000 people visit Perth Zoo each year – what a wonderful opportunity!
What, in your view, is the biggest contribution NGOs make to nature conservation?
They work in partnership with the rest of us. Each group brings to the table a different skill set – together we have a strong approach to conservation. Separately we are all the poorer.
Along with donating to or fundraising for Perth Zoo’s Wildlife Conservation Action fund, what can individuals do to help the nature conservation cause?
Donating money always seems the more boring option but, frankly, that is what biodiversity conservation needs more than anything else at present.
The other key thing is for us to look at our rampant consumerism, our reliance on cars rather than public transport, our desire for the latest (expensive) gadget. All resources are finite so we should all be doing more to live sustainably on this planet. We actually need to STOP over-consuming, living in such huge houses, buying stuff we don’t need and so on.
As for direct on-the-ground action: join an NGO, get out there and weed your local nature reserve, report people illegally taking logs from national parks or become a volunteer for a recovery effort.
If you want to get involved in conservation, learn how Perth Zoo can help. Visit www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au/Act.
Find out more about the conservation organisations which our featured staff support.
Photos courtesy of Phil England and Helen.
