Photo by Ashley Sparrow, CSIRO
Ph.D. (Botany and Anthropology), B.Sc. (Zoology) – The University of Western Australia
Fiona is an Ethno-ecologist who works with people and nature. She is an independent consultant with broad experience in desert Australia where she lives. Travelling out from Mparntwe/Alice Springs, Fiona works amongst Aboriginal and Other Australians across states and disciplines. As a skilled facilitator and communicator, she helps to bridge between regional and mainstream agencies.
All of us shape the lives of children to come through our care for waters, ecology and each other. Fiona’s life purpose is to strengthen these connections, support others to understand them & weave connections tighter.
Are you curious about outback lives, people in our country or ways to create a better future together?
Do you need genuine collaborations between local people and government or other agencies?
Do you demand greater equity in decision-making between Aboriginal people and Other Australians?
Are you interested in the plants and animals of your local environment and their values to people?
Do you want strong photographs or powerful stories that leave legacies for your purpose or passions?
Previously a CSIRO Research Scientist for twelve years (2004 - 2016) and the Land Management Coordinator at Central Land Council for ten years, Fiona does both research and practice in land care and management. She has worked for state and federal governments, statutory and non-government organisations. Awards and invitations indicate her nationally recognised expertise in Aboriginal cultures and relationships to plants, animals and land. She is sought after as a speaker for general and specialist audiences.
Australian deserts are the most unpredictable ecosystems on earth, and desert people like Fiona are highly adaptable. One survival strategy, for people as well as for plants and animals, is to draw upon diverse streams of sustenance. Fiona blends ecology and anthropology, research and practice, community facilitation and planning, and audio-visual documentation and presentation.
Close collaborations with colleagues, countrymen and women are vital to her. Fiona’s photo and film work portrays the tensions of modern environments: between fragmentation or disconnection there persists beauty in nature, people and their interactions. This work makes for elegant, informative and entertaining reports, documentaries and papers that endure as legacies for generations to come.
