Natasha is a conservation ecologist, with a background in fire ecology and management. She is passionate about Australia’s unique flora and fauna and is particularly concerned about improving the conservation of threatened species. Her research interests include reintroduction biology, threatened species monitoring and management, and fire ecology and management. 

Natasha has led several research projects as Research Fellow for the National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub (NESP TSR hub). These include leading research and monitoring for two threatened species (southern brown bandicoot, eastern quoll) to Booderee National Park; and reviewing fauna responses to fire-associated management actions.

This work has involved many partners including Parks Australia, Booderee National Park, Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council, WWF Australia, NSW Forestry Corporation and Quoll Conservation sanctuaries (Devils @ Cradle Wildlife Park, Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary, and Aussie Ark). She has contributed to research on improving threatened species monitoring and management and developing indicators to measure impact of conservation research.

Before moving to Canberra, Natasha was based in Victoria where she had spent ten years working and studying in diverse ecosystems including tall wet forests, the Mallee, foothill forest and box ironbark forests. After several years working in land management, Natasha returned to academia to complete a PhD in fire ecology and avian conservation at La Trobe University.

Her study was located in the Central Highlands following the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfire. This large, severe wildfire was used to investigate the role of unburnt patches as refuges for birds, examining the importance of fire, vegetation, topographic and landscape properties to avian persistence post-fire.

This research was integrated into her subsequent role as Senior Biodiversity Officer for the Victorian State Government. In this role, she led the development of a five year Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting plan for the East Central Bushfire Risk Landscape, advising on ecosystem and species management in relation to fire and assisting with planned burning and bushfire response.