Dr Bruce Webber's happy place

During my undergraduate degree, an opportunity arose to head to the Daintree in Far North Queensland. The research mission involved studying a rare tree species, then known as Javan Ash (Ryparosa javanica). I couldn’t believe my luck; this was my chance to spend time in an ecosystem I’d only ever seen in David Attenborough documentaries. 

Entering the rainforest, you’re hit by a smell of earthy decomposition and a cacophony of animal calls. The place is alive, growing before your eyes. There is a huge, complex energy between the animals and plants. Each time I leave, I have more questions than when I arrived. I began to realise that the interactions between plants and animals hold ecosystems together. As such, my focus expanded beyond that one tree. I looked at all the life that interacted with it: the larger animals that ate its fruit, the insects that burrowed into the fruit and ate the leaves, and all the pollinators visiting its flowers. 

Over many years – including for my PhD – I mapped the tree’s whole ecology. During this work, I discovered the tree was new to Western science. Collaborating with Eastern Kuku Yalanji Traditional Custodians, we shared knowledge on its place in the rainforest. Elders helped advise a new name for the tree – Ryparosa kurrangii – after the cassowary that eats its fruits. 

I’ve been lucky to work in stunning ecosystems worldwide and learned the immense value – both personal and professional – of sitting still, listening and observing nature.

Since that first tropical rainforest experience in 1998, my ‘happy place’ has narrowed to three small valleys between the Daintree River and Cape Tribulation – the only place where Ryparosa kurrangii grows. Here, I work, explore, relax, pursue my passion for photography, and enjoy time with my friends and family. 

My happy places energise me more than anywhere else. I find the motivation to keep working to protect our ecosystems in abundance by spending time in the Daintree.

In June this year Dr Bruce Webber joined Bush Heritage. He carries on Dr Rebecca Spindler’s legacy as the new Executive Manager Science & Conservation. Learn more about his career and vision for the role.