Women in Conservation 2025

Join us for a special evening celebrating incredible women contributing to nature conservation in Tasmania, in recognition of International Women's Day. 

The night, once again, to be a great evening out at Hadley's Orient Hotel, Hobart, with an insightful panel discussion as well as opportunities to network and connect with peers in the field. You will be greeted with a cocktail on arrival and grazing boards in Hadley's Atrium, with a bar available for purchasing additional drinks. 

This year Dr Cath Dickson, Conservation Science Manager at the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, will lead an inspiring panel exploring how these women are researching and applying climate adaptation strategies to improve species and ecosystem resilience.

• Dr Rebecca Jones is a lecturer and researcher at UTAS with a special interest in eucalypts. Rebecca studies the genetic variation among eucalypt species and populations to understand the evolution of this important and iconic group, and to help guide management and conservation strategies for these species, including assisted migration under climate change. Rebecca enjoys embedding research into her teaching practice and delivering content through hands-on activities and excursions, such as to experimental plantings around Tasmania, where students collect and analyse data that contribute to long term data sets and management strategies for native species.
• Dr Julie McInnes is a wildlife ecologist working predominately on the ecology of Southern Ocean Ecosystems, with a focus on applied research leading to conservation and management outcomes for threatened species. She has been heavily involved in the development and implementation of long term wildlife monitoring programs around Australia, the Antarctic and Subantarctic and works closely with policy makers and key stakeholders to integrate the results into conservation planning. Julie currently holds research position at the AAD, the UTAS and is one of the founding Directors of MICF.
• Dr Jess Melbourne-Thomas is a Principal Research Scientist and leads a marine socio-ecological systems team with CSIRO. Her research focuses on connecting science to decision making for climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation and sustainability. Jess has worked as a Lead Author with the IPCC and was the 2020 Tasmanian Australian of the Year.

On the night the inaugural Melanie Jane Kelly Bursary will also be awarded by Dr Josie Kelman. For details on eligibility and how to apply for the 2025 Bursary (applications close 21 February 2025), follow this link. 

Everyone is welcome at this celebration of passionate female conservationists, on behalf of the teams at the Tasmanian Land Conservancy and Enviro-dynamics we look forward to welcoming you to celebrate the many ways women are working in conservation.

Ticket sales help to cover some of the costs of this event - we appreciate your support in building this community.

Photo: Eddie Safarik of TLC Field Ecologist, Hayley Kingsley