“We believe that you are one of those rare people who have both the vision of a better world and the talent and drive to make it happen. Our role is to provide you with the creativity, capability and community to help make it happen.” Kate Harris, CEO, Centre for Sustainability …
Governments and lenders should plan carefully to avoid “devastating” environmental impacts of new roads, scientists say
An edited version of this article first appeared on SciDev.Net
With leaders of the 20 largest economies planning to double global infrastructure investment by 2030, scientists are urging lenders, aid agencies and government ministries to carefully examine new projects before committing funds in order to limit the “devastating” impacts these …
Brains, botany and Bogor: My eclectic career path
This was first published on Asia Options.
“How did someone with a background in neuroscience end up working at a forestry institute in Indonesia?”
It’s a question I got asked by almost everyone I met while living in Bogor, Indonesia. Brows furrowed, trying to figure me and my eclectic …
Australia’s development research lacks strategic focus
An edited version of this article was published on SciDev.Net
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) lacks a strategic framework for its investments in development research and has very little central institutional capacity to guide research or ensure its outputs are well used, a recent evaluation has found.
Radio interview on Joy FM 94.9
Listen to my interview on Joy FM 94.9 about reducing the impact of logging, working with scientists in Indonesia and much more (I start at 7:08″)
Final Report – Building cross-cutting skills and landscapes knowledge

As leader of the youth activities at the Global Landscapes Forum, I put together the final report summarising the challenges facing young professionals in engaging with landscapes issues and effectively participating in conferences. It also includes five ‘next steps’ to strengthen youth participation in future events:
1. Refine model of ‘effective youth participation in conferences’.
Feedback on CGIAR Strategy and Results Framework – youth
I delivered this intervention at the CGIAR’s Strategy and Results Framework stakeholder consultation: http://www.cgiar.org/srfconsultation/srf-e-consultation-2/
“First of all, I welcome the CGIAR’s initiative to consult youth regarding the 10-year research strategy.
However, upon reading the strategy, I was disappointed to note that the words youth and young people are mentioned only a …
Finding common ground: Could music festivals help us solve collective action problems?
This article was first published on The Verb. Read the original here.
It was dark when I arrived at Commonground. Fresh from the buzzing glow of a computer screen, I could feel the weight of emails lifting off my shoulders the further I escaped from the city’s clutches.
The frenetic …
Papuan mountains key to Australia’s fresh water supply?
Read my original news feature for SciDev.Net here.
[MELBOURNE] With over three metres in rainfall each year, Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the wettest countries in the world. At its doorstep lies Australia, a continent with wildly varying rainfall that has only just emerged from a 17-year …
SPECIAL FEATURE: Power and political interest pervade Peru’s land sector

A special feature I wrote for ForestsClimateChange.org. Read the original here. You can also read it in Spanish here.
At a glance :
Decentralization has led to a complex distribution of powers over land use and tenure in Peru, making it difficult for some government bodies to fulfill …