Meet the members
Eva Finzel (Vic)
Eva and her husband lived on, loved and managed for 30 years an isolated 40-hectare bush property on King Island. It was declared a Private Nature Reserve in 2004. Eva gained her first 11 years of volunteering experience with the King Island Natural Resource Management Group Inc, where she was involved in strategic and project planning and historical environmental research. For 8 years she was the representative of King Island on the Cradle Coast Natural Resource Management Committee in the north-west of Tasmania. After moving to Melbourne in 2013 Eva started volunteering with us in 2015. She worked from home for the Science and Conservation Team, researching various types of information for our Priority Landscapes. She then updated the Properties Database and, in the process, learnt all about our reserves. She's edited the European history book of Boolcoomatta Reserve and is currently researching and writing an environmental and social history of Pilunga Reserve.
“Volunteering with Bush Heritage allows me to do work I love at home and for an organisation whose vision and values I share. I am looking forward to continuing my work with the Volunteer Advisory Committee, updating the Volunteer Engagement Strategy and working on diversifying the Volunteer Program.”
Jessie Moyses (Vic)
Jessie is a consultant ecologist employed at GHD in Melbourne. In 2018 she completed a Masters involving a research project on the factors affecting the persistence of Burrowing Bettongs outside Arid Recovery Reserve in South Australia. Jessie loves studying and working in arid ecosystems (likely a product of growing up in Alice Springs), but has also enjoyed the chance to work and volunteer all around Australia. She is a long-time volunteer for Bush Heritage and looks forward to promoting youth involvement in volunteer programs and the sharing of volunteer stories.
“Volunteers play a key role in helping Bush Heritage return the Australian bush to good health. I'm grateful for the chance to provide a volunteer voice on the VAC, to support the sharing of volunteers' knowledge and stories and to promote the engagement of a diverse group of people in the volunteer program.”
Joanne Flint (Qld)
Jo has had some great experiences volunteering on Bush Heritage reserves in Queensland, NSW and Western Australia. She's also supported our Corporate Services Team working on management systems. Jo has held various volunteer positions on the committees and boards of professional associations. Jo is a Certified Environmental Practitioner with an engineering background. She has more than 30 years' experience, including leadership roles in environmental management and technical services. Jo currently supports organisations on strategy development and risk management.
“Volunteers are genuinely valued by Bush Heritage for their contributions towards the shared goal of conserving Australia’s magnificent landscapes and species. It’s a privilege to be involved in opportunities that champion the Bush Heritage Volunteer Program.”
Angela Fitzgerald (Qld)
While a more recent volunteer with Bush Heritage, Ange has extensive experience volunteering locally and globally through programs, such as the Community Volunteer Scheme and Australian Volunteers for International Development. She's also spent a number of years volunteering as a Director on the Board of a science education-focused professional association. A focus on education and youth engagement is the common thread running through these opportunities, which is a direct response to Ange’s professional background. Her education-focused career has spanned two decades and has included being a classroom teacher, teacher educator, educational researcher and educational leader.
“For me, volunteering has always been a way to give back to my community. Being on the Volunteer Advisory Committee is an opportunity for me to actively inform how we can improve what we do to make the most difference we collectively can.”
Paul Bateman (NSW)
Paul is a retired surveyor/site engineer who has worked in most states of Australia on some large construction projects. He enjoys being in the great outdoors, particularly our deserts, doing multi-day treks, kayaking and taking photos. Paul has been involved with us for about 6 years volunteering at Scottsdale, Goonderoo, Bon Bon and Pilungah reserves among others. He's enjoyed working with other volunteers and staff on tasks such as caretaking, fauna surveys, mapping, fence removal/building, general maintenance, tree planting as well as adventurous paddling for weed control. Paul has enjoyed presenting talks to help increase the awareness of what volunteers do. He is also involved with several other organisations working with volunteers.
“With Bush Heritage announcing it intends to deepen and double its impact to more than 30 million hectares by 2030, I'm excited to be involved in the VAC to help grow the volunteer programs to care for our country and for Bush Heritage to achieve its vision.”
Will Allan (ACT)
Will has been a Bush Heritage supporter for several years, including as a volunteer at Scottsdale Reserve and as a contributor to our health and safety procedures. Some of his other volunteer roles have included food rescue and distribution in the Canberra region and a management advisory role in an education aid project in Africa. Will had a public service career for many years in policy development and implementation, contributing to several social welfare reforms. He's also worked as a consultant providing risk management and other services in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, and has served on and supported the work of a number of corporate committees and boards.
“I love the variety of rewarding experiences that Bush Heritage volunteering provides, in the company of interesting, dedicated people from all walks of life. I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to Bush Heritage’s important work and the legacy it's leaving for future generations.”
