Goal 13:
Climate Action
Environmental Education Collaboration with NGOs
The University of Newcastle collaborates with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation initiatives. The Conservation Science Research Group, led by Professor Matthew Hayward, is internationally recognised for its expertise in biodiversity conservation and applied ecological research. The group co-designs projects with NGO partners and government agencies to ensure practical, real-world outcomes. This includes the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs): Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Birdlife Australia, Frog and Tadpole Study Group, Northeast Forest Alliance, and Environmental Defenders Office. In 2024, they collaborated with Parks Australia on Norfolk Island to manage invasive rodent species threatening native bird populations, and with the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water on conservation strategies for threatened species such as the green and golden bell frog and greater glider.
From the Blue Mountains to Bellingen, discover how the University of Newcastle is protecting our frogs.
Current Research Projects
Safe Havens
Location: Multiple (Lat: -24.67, Long: 135.5576)
Species Involved: Multiple
Staff: Matt Hayward, John Gould, Darren Southwell, Andrea Griffin
Post-doc(s): John Gould
Parma wallaby conservation
Location: Gondwana Rainforests (Lat: -29.8777, Long: 152.58)
Species Involved: Parma wallaby
Staff: Matt Hayward, Andrea Griffin, Darren Southwell
Student(s): Emily Jarvis
Rewilding Norfolk
Location: Norfolk Island (Lat: -29.033, Long: 167.947)
Species Involved: Black Rat, Polynesian Rat, House Mouse
Staff: Matt Hayward, Finella Dawlings, Andrea Griffin, Darren Southwell
Post-doc(s): Finella Dawlings
Rewilding Ngambaa
Location: Ngambaa Nature Reserve (Lat: -30.848, Long: 152.758)
Species Involved: Parma wallaby
Staff: Matt Hayward
Student(s): Emily Jarvis
Post-doc(s): Lynette Plendergath
Cats in the Fitz-Stirling Priority Place
Location: Fitz-Stirling region (Lat: -34.171, Long: 118.79)
Species Involved: Feral cat
Staff: Matt Hayward
Post-doc(s): Luke Emerson
Monitoring Land Management Actions
Location: Australia-wide (Lat: -23.4, Long: 133.76)
Species Involved: Cats and foxes
Staff: Matt Hayward, Darren Southwell, Brooke Williams
Post-doc(s): Matthijs Hollanders
Greater Glider Conservation
Location: Gondwana Rainforests (Lat: -33.22, Long: 151.297)
Species Involved: Southern greater glider
Staff: Matt Hayward, Andrea Griffin
Student(s): Melina Budden
Broad-toothed rat conservation
Location: Barrington Tops (Lat: -31.958, Long: 151.428)
Species Involved: Broad-toothed rat
Staff: Matt Hayward, Darren Southwell
Student(s): Charlotte Alley
Green and golden bell frog habitat selection
Location: Koorgang Island (Lat: -32.148459, Long: 150.7016)
Species Involved: Green and golden bell frog
Staff: Alex Callen, Matt Hayward
Student(s): Lynne Matthews
Biomon – ZeroShot learning for acoustic detection of the threatened green and golden bell frog
Location: Muddy Lake (Lat: -33.07654, Long: 151.501196)
Species Involved: Green and golden bell frog
Staff: Alex Callen, Matt Hayward, Andrea Griffin, Darren Southwell, Stephan Chalup
Student(s): Oliver Kelly, Ysobel Sims
The interaction between estuary hydrodynamic regimes and the endangered green and golden bell frog Litoria aurea
Location: NSW coastline (Lat: -33.459047, Long: 151.43243)
Species Involved: Green-and-golden bell-frog
Staff: Alex Callen, Hannah Power, Matt Hayward
Student(s): Kate Tunstill
Developing non-invasive biomarkers of stress in amphibians and non-lethal gene expression studies for chytrid
Location: Multiple (Lat: -33.009336, Long: 151.370499)
Species Involved: Amphibians
Staff: Alex Callen, Phil Jobling, Kaya Klop-Toker
Student(s): Anne Ibbotson
Post-doc(s): Rose Upton
The biology and ecology of aquatic weeds and their biocontrol agents
Location: Multiple (Lat: -33.07654, Long: 151.501196)
Species Involved: Invasive aquatic plants
Staff: Alex Callen, Craig Evans
Student(s): Amy Stephens
Post-fire habitat creation for Littlejohn's tree frog and giant burrowing frog
Location: Watagans (Lat: -33.009336, Long: 151.370499)
Species Involved: Amphibians
Staff: Alex Callen, Matt Hayward, Kaya Klop-Toker, John Clulow, Michael Mahony
Student(s): Nadine Nolan
Post-doc(s): Rose Upton
Global flows and impacts of forest-based carbon
Location: Global
Staff: Brooke Williams
Leveraging the potential of tropical natural regeneration to achieve multiple objectives
Location: Global
Staff: Brooke Williams
Private land conservation for Koalas under climate change (led by Prof Jonathan Rhodes at QUT)
Location: NSW coastal and inland regions (Lat: -33.184782, Long: 151.218799)
Species Involved: Koalas
Staff: Brooke Williams
Delivering benefits from nature in a highly connected world (led by Prof Jonathan Rhodes at QUT)
Location: Global
Staff: Brooke Williams
Global potential for natural regeneration in deforested tropical regions (contributed during PhD at UQ - project led by CI and ICEED)
Location: Global
Staff: Brooke Williams
Four African case studies exploring how to incorporate biodiversity into land use planning using spatial prioritisation and scenario analysis (contributed during PhD at UQ - project led by WCS)
Location: The Maiko-Tayna-Kahuzi-Biega landscape, eastern DRC (Lat: -2.886808, Long: 28.273298)
Staff: Brooke Williams
Land use change in the Orinoquia (contributed during PhD at UQ - led by WCS)
Location: Orinoco region, Colombia (Lat: 5.067236, Long: -70.780326)
Staff: Brooke Williams
Achieving multiple objectives in a fire-dependent ecosystem
(contributed during Honours at UQ – led by Prof Kerrie Wilson, QUT)
Location: Dry sclerophyll forests in the City of Gold Coast (Lat: 27.9769, Long: 153.3809)
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.