Fiona Leverington BSc PhD Fiona@protectedareas.com.au
Fiona has worked across many aspects of planning, management and interpretation of protected areas and natural resource management for over 40 years, with a wide range of intere
sts. She is passionate about supporting the people who manage natural landscapes and seascapes.
Key experience
- Compiling the environmental report for Papua New Guinea’s UN Common Country Analysis, with several colleagues, was an intensive learning experience about environmental management and the human interface, including planning for disasters
- Leading the study into management effectiveness of Papua New Guinea’s protected areas, along with associates Ann and Greg Peterson and colleagues from SPREP and CEPA
- Contributing to PNG’s Policy on Protected Areas, which is now the basis for renewal of the country’s PA system
- Working in the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service over a long period with many wonderful colleagues, from scientists to rangers and admin staff
- Leading the global study into management effectiveness of protected areas with Marc Hockings, which involved building contacts with passionate conservationists across the world, compiling and analyzing a fascinating database of assessments, and conducting workshops in places as diverse as Bali and Germany, Kenya and Brazil.
- Learning about reserve selection and leading a team to identify new national parks in Queensland’s poorly represented bioregions. Agitating for better biodiversity outcomes through offsets, whole-of-landscape planning, increasing connectivity and better integrating the range of conservation initiatives.
- Working with Indonesian colleagues in Kerinci Seblat NP and gaining some understanding of the complex world of park-people relationships and community-based planning.
Fiona loves writing, editing, spatial planning,interpretation, facilitating workshops and working with people of all ages and backgrounds. Her PhD looked at relationships between protected areas and surrounding communities: while context differ, the rules around respect for people and culture, trust, building connections, and understanding and respecting natural dynamics are always important.