Bev grew up in the wheatbelt of Western Australia (three hours east of Perth), where she began her love of looking after the environment whilst planting salt bushes for desalination projects. She moved to the ‘big city’ for high school, to study on a music scholarship, and then began a degree in Environmental Science. Bev then got distracted from this goal by a love of teaching for a couple of decades, teaching in WA, ACT and QLD while she undertook a Masters of Environmental Management and Sustainability. She then began working with the Invasive Species Council on invasive ants.
Bev comes to us after being called ‘The Crazy Ant Lady’ for seven years. This title was earned while working in biosecurity on Yellow Crazy Ant infestations, undertaking field work, community engagement, advocacy and eDNA research. These ants are one of the world’s most dangerous invasive species, collapsing ecosystems from the bottom up by wiping out all other insects around them.
Other exciting projects she has been involved with include the science and education programs at Mulligans Flat Sanctuary (ACT), Coastal Beach Scrub restoration in Bowen and Townsville, Orpheus Island Research Station volunteer programs and Magnetic Island Network for Turtles (MINT) – which mostly involved working on the mainland with the transport and care of turtles who were visiting the vet hospital.
Bev is looking forward to working alongside the rest of the Reef Authority team, bringing her passion for conserving the natural world and a wealth of science and education experience into this new and exciting role.
