Biodiversity & conservation
About
The Fenner School is a world-leading centre for interdisciplinary research on the conservation and management of Australia’s distinctive biodiversity.
Our innovative research is helping to stem the rate of species endangerment and extinction by informing best practice management and policy for long-term biodiversity conservation.
Groups
We are a lab group at the Fenner School of Environment and Society researching conservation in the context of rewilding, genetics, translocations, and species coexistence. Led by Professor Adrian Manning, we aim to understand and restore ecosystems, prioritising species that shape landscapes and promote biodiversity.
The Difficult Bird Research Group (DBRG), led by Prof. Rob Heinsohn at the Fenner School, ANU, seeks to promote understanding of the ecology and conservation of Australia’s rarest and most elusive threatened bird species. Such species are often hard to find, occur in wild and rugged terrain, and move around the landscape, and are consequently put in the ‘too hard basket”; however the DBRG develop new cutting edge techniques that address the challenges posed by these species, and apply the knowledge gained to manage them more effectively.
It's crucial that we as a society communicate the huge importance of this system, celebrate its majestic wonder - and continue efforts to preserve and encourage river stewardship for future generations.
Sustainable Farms draws upon research programs across the Australian National University, focussing on three key research topics: Healthy Farms, Healthy Farmers, and Healthy Profits.
Projects
Members
Affiliate
Academic staff
Fellow
Associate Professor
News
Michelle Littlefair is a PhD student at the ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society researching frogs in agricultural landscapes. She is also a dancer who uses her performances to spread awareness about frog declines. We spoke to her about how frogs have become such a large part of her life.
What does the evidence say about what tall, wet forests actually looked like 250 years ago? The answer matters because it influences how these forests are managed.
Dubbed "CSI, but for parrots", Dr George Olah is creating a forensic genomic toolkit which will help authorities to track the routes of illegally traded birds poached from the wild in Indonesia.
Snow gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora) thrive in cooler, wetter conditions. But as temperatures warm, these iconic trees are being threatened by drought, fire and disease.
Bruny Island is virtually the only remaining habitat left where swift parrots can safely raise their hatchlings. Fenner School Researcher Dr Stojanovic tells his story about how his team has been trying to protect them for more than a decade.