TLC Staff

James is a conservation ecologist with a passion for connecting people to the natural world through shared experiences, storytelling and community involvement. He has been working with government and not-for-profits in Victoria and Tasmania for more than 17 years, with experience in conservation covenants, philanthropic programs, marketing, communications, community engagement and not-for-profit governance.

Cath is an experienced ecologist who has been working in natural resource and threatened species management in regional South Australia and Victoria, for government and NGOs, since 2004. She recently completed her PhD at Monash University on the response of a dominant threatened plant to climate change on Macquarie Island – which ultimately led to her move south to Tasmania. Cath’s passion is working with people in nature conservation to achieve great conservation outcomes, while getting out into wild Tasmanian landscapes.

Jessie hails from the mainland where she practiced law before fundraising at the National Trust (NSW). She is passionate about connecting supporters to important not-for-profits like the TLC where volunteering, donations and bequests create real change. Jessie’s love for nature is thanks to her grandfather, a bird expert who was pivotal in Victoria’s early nature conservation efforts.

Leigh was born and raised in northern Tasmania and spent much of his childhood out in nature, finding out about plants, animals and their habits and habitats. He has had twenty years’ experience in the private land conservation field, from working with landowners to help them achieve conservation, to managing the TLC Reserve Estate. Leigh's two daughters and a fantastic wife are his priority, but he also fits in some beach fishing, occasional bushwalks and travel.

Mel grew up in Tasmania - she spent ten years of her life in the stunning NSW Snowy Mountains, but is delighted to be back. Working for the TLC gives Mel the chance to meticulously apply order in a workplace that, like her, values science and conservation. She is well on her way to her goal of visiting ten TLC reserves each year.

Aimee has a background in ecology and has experience conducting scientific research and fieldwork in Tasmania, Macquarie Island and Antarctica. Aimee loves the outdoors and learning about Tasmania’s ecosystems and is especially interested in plants and fire management. She is excited to use her field experience to contribute to the TLC science teams’ work monitoring and managing the TLC reserve estate. When not in the field for work you’ll most likely find her trail running, rock climbing or gardening at her home at the foothills of kunanyi.

Anna is an ecologist with broad, practical experience over 30 years, including growing native plants, controlling weeds and revegetating, flora surveys, a consulting business, environmental education and small mammal research. She enjoys working with conservation-minded private landholders, and learns something from every landholder.

Annabelle’s love of nature began while growing up on a sheep farm in the Western District of Victoria. In her twenties she settled in the wilds of Alaska for a few years, and 20 years ago moved to Tasmania, taking up work hosting on the Freycinet Experience Walk. After a career at Tourism Tasmania, Annabelle is excited to be at the TLC, connecting people with nature and hearing their stories.

Belle has a degree in Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies from UTAS. For the past four years she has been working at Greening Australia as a project officer and she has seven years’ experience as a volunteer firefighter. Belle wants to follow her passions for working outdoors and being part of practical efforts to look after and improve natural places.

Daniel has been working in environmental restoration for seven years throughout urban and remote bushland reserves in Tasmania and New South Wales, from habitat restoration projects for endangered flora and fauna, to working remotely in the Tasmanian central highlands undertaking weed control and vegetation management. Before coming to the TLC, Daniel worked at a nursery propagating and growing Tasmanian native plants. When he's not keeping TLC's southern reserves in tip-top condition, he's either bushwalking, gardening or making stuff.

Daniel McMahon grew up on a Mornington Peninsula beach, studied French at the University of Melbourne and discovered meaningful work at Camp Denali in the Alaskan wilderness. He managed the wine and tourism experiences at Moorilla and Mona before serving on the Board of Ultimate Winery Experiences of Australia. After establishing the Tasmanian Walking Company’s Limited Edition Walk Program, he accepted the role of Engagement and Events Coordinator at the Tasmanian Land Conservancy.

David grew up in the Tasmania of the northern hemisphere (Scotland), but moved here in 2014 to start a PhD on Tasmanian devils and their transmissible cancer. After this experience morphed him into an accidental quoll scientist, he fell in love with Tasmania’s landscapes and wildlife and started with the TLC in 2021. David can be found out and about on our reserves searching for signs of quolls (and everything else), or stuck in front of his computer figuring out what makes them tick.

Elise joins the TLC team with 25 years’ experience in conservation and land management. Starting off as a Land for Wildlife assessor, Elise has come full circle, back to private land conservation. Scientifically trained as a zoologist, Elise is grateful to have the opportunity to work with TLC to conserve the incredible diversity of fauna that Tasmania has to offer. Elise moved to Tasmania five years ago from Victoria’s surf coast to immerse her family in nature, whether it’s exploring new wild places or quietly holding a cup of coffee amongst the grassy woodland on their Land for Wildlife property on North Bruny.

Emma McPhee’s administers our information management database, Salesforce, with the aim of making community engagement easier for existing and new supporters of the TLC. Our supporters participate with the TLC in a multitude of ways; Emma's focus is to ensure that this important involvement is well supported through our data and communication systems.

Gemma is our Community Engagement Coordinator and joins us from the Australian Antarctic Division where she worked in maintenance and field operations. She spent her pre-Antarctic years with plants in indigenous nurseries and reserves and got her hands dirty and ate cake with Bushcare and Landcare volunteers, basically anything she could find that had to do with plants and plant people! Gemma is learning to surf in between bushwalks and thinks it’s very cool that she has a family of Tasmanian devils in the bush at the end of her street.

Glen joined the TLC after a stint as a lab manager and health and safety guy at the University of Tasmania, where he also completed his PhD on woodland birds of the Tasmanian Midlands in 2019. Glen is interested in birds (of course), restoration ecology and citizen science. He will spend most of his time behind a computer screen further developing the WildTracker platform but very much looks forward to meeting TLC supporters on field days and at workshops with the occasional foray into our reserves.

Grant has qualifications in project management and leisure management, and comes to the TLC from Conservation Volunteers Australia, where he was the Statewide Manager. He was previously Operations Manager for the Tasmanian Walking Company. Grant loves hiking, fly-fishing, and stonework.

Hayley developed a love for nature growing up with a Eucalyptus regnan forest at her back doorstep. Helping people connect with and understand the wonderful workings of nature has been a lifelong passion that led to a career in outdoor education and expedition guiding, exploring the vast landscapes of central and northern Australia and New Zealand. Hayley moved to Tassie in 2018 to pursue a career in conservation, completing a degree in Natural Environment and Wilderness Studies at UTAS. In her spare time you can find Hayley looking for birds through a camera lens, kayaking, on kunanyi nerding out on plants, or in her garden.

Helen is a widely experienced ecologist who has worked in river and bushland management, nature conservation and community engagement. Family life is her greatest care, but once the kids were set, she and her husband adventured away to northern NSW where she attained her doctorate at the University of New England, researching trophic cascades in Australia. Helen loves the conservation ethic at TLC, working with people for nature conservation and being out in the bush.

Iden has a background in Outdoor and Environmental Education which gradually diverged into an interest working in natural resource management - mostly with Parks Victoria in the north-east, focusing on fire recovery. More recently he's been exploring Australia and volunteering with conservation organisations around the country, further developing his land management expertise. If he's not eating corn chips and hommus you might find him exploring Tasmania's wild landscapes, trying to decipher the mysteries of fly fishing or pedalling his bike.

Manderlee has developed and honed her design and campaign skills to engage audiences and communicate complex ideas for campaigning, advocacy and change-making within socially and environmentally aware organisations. This has led her to work for and gain valuable experience and insight into organisations in the not-for-profit sector and in politics. When she is not busy designing she likes reading, visiting art galleries, traveling and spending time with her adopted fur babies, friends and family, especially if a glass of rose is involved.

Before joining the TLC, Tilly was working as a research assistant and consultant ecologist, completing a range of surveys across Victoria and semi-arid NSW. She is passionate about protecting private land and being involved with and learning from the local community. She loves being close to mountains, rivers, and people who care about them. When she's not at work, you'll find her checking on the local birds and plants, hiking in the mountains, swimming, creating, and venturing on her bike.

After a first career as an economist with the European Union in Canberra and Belgium (where he is from), Pierre decided to specialise in nature conservation. He moved to Tasmania with his family to study environmental management and raise his kids among beautiful natural places. Pierre is passionate about achieving conservation outcomes in productive landscapes, where multiple interests and land-uses coexist. He is delighted to contribute to the improvement of biodiversity in the Midlands. Pierre loves spending time outdoors, bushwalking, camping and gardening as well as cooking food for his friends and family.

Phil comes to the TLC from the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, where he spent 12 years working on aspects of devils around the state, and he has previously been a park ranger in the NT, working with traditional owners. Phil has been a member of the LFW program himself for over 10 years and displays his green sign with pride! He's also the father of three busy boys, and a keen musician (and host of community music events).

Sean Guinane is the TLC’s reserves manager, which means he keeps an eye on tens of thousands of hectares of land, co-ordinating a team who ensure fences are maintained, roads cleared, weeds removed and fires managed, among many other tasks. When he’s not working, Sean likes to ride his bike, grow things and build things.

Shaun grew up in southern Tassie, later working in nature conservation and Aboriginal land management. He relishes the daily opportunities to support programs across the TLC, applying his creative and practical approach to using technology, particularly through mapping. He loves the diversity of landscapes and ecosystems we are fortunate to live in and being part of enabling preservation through community support. He plays music, boardgames, water-basketball and loves a good bike ride too.