Restore WA Launch Event

Are you a student or early-career professional and interested in environmental restoration in Western Australia?

Join us for Restore WA's launch event between 6 - 7:45 pm on the 22nd of April in the Ashburton Function, Forrest Hall, The University of Western Australia. Hear from Restore WA's founding committee about why Restore WA was set up, learn about the importance and drivers of environmental restoration in Western Australia from three leaders in the sector, and end the night by participating in a brief workshop to assist Restore WA in its direction moving forward.

We are privileged to have the following presenters speak at our event:

1. Dr Blair Parson: Blair is Director - Impact at Greening Australia, where he currently leads a range of initiatives related to the development of strategy and frameworks, valuing nature, planning and design and ecological restoration research. Blair holds a PhD in Zoology and has over 25 years in the field of ecology, zoology and restoration. His experience includes the application of biodiversity valuation frameworks, the conduct of biodiversity surveys, threatened species monitoring programmes, environmental impact assessment, biodiversity offsets, conservation planning and ecological modelling. Blair maintains strong links across a range of sectors, including academia, government, industry, consultancy and natural resource management.

2. Dr Renee Young: Dr Renee Young is the Program Director for Conservation and Restoration at the Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute, participates on the EPA Scientific Advisory Council, the Soil and Land Conservation Council, and was recently appointed as the global lead of the IUCN CEM Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group. She works across sectors to strengthen WA’s restoration economy and create the conditions for large‑scale ecological recovery. Renee is passionate about capability building, emerging nature markets and embedding Traditional Knowledge alongside Western science to support the next generation of restoration practitioners.

3. Darren Forster: Darren Forster is an accomplished environmental policy and governance leader with more than 20 years of experience in senior roles across government, industry, and the not-for-profit sector. He previously served as Chief of Staff in the Western Australian Government under both the McGowan and Cook Governments, providing strategic leadership across major portfolios including Environment, Regional Development, and Aboriginal Affairs. While working with the Goldfields Land and Sea Council, Darren led the establishment of the Aboriginal Ranger Program in the southern rangelands. He is currently Chief Executive Officer of Natural Resource Management, Western Australia.

This is a free event, and non-alcoholic drinks and nibbles will be provided. You can register to attend online or in person; however, in-person tickets are limited to 60, so please register early to secure your spot.