Dec 5, 2023 | News
The ANPC is delighted to announce Alyssa Weinstein as the new editor of Australasian Plant Conservation.
Alyssa has great enthusiasm for plants, science communication, and bringing science, government, industry, and community together to effectively conserve biodiversity. These interests have led her to roles with United Nations Environment Programme, the Australian federal government, as well as in academia. Alyssa is currently working as a consultant for UNEP, bringing her experience to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem services. She previously worked at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water, ensuring effective environmental regulation under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, as well as working in the international policy space.
Alyssa’s love for plants flourished growing up in the southwestern Australian biodiversity hotspot, where she completed her Honours at Kings Park and Botanic Garden, before moving to Canberra to pursue a PhD at ANU. In her thesis she investigated the pollination ecology of sexually-deceptive orchids, focussing on the genera Cryptosylis and Drakaea. Fortuitously, her work with Drakaea led Alyssa to a role assisting in the production of the hammer orchid sequence in David Attenborough’s Green Planet, a true highlight of her experiences as a science communicator.
Alyssa’s first edition will be the Summer edition: 32(3). To learn more about APC click here.
You can find Alyssa on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssamweinstein/ and on Twitter/X at: https://twitter.com/lys_m_weinstein
Image caption: Alyssa posing with Button wrinkewort (Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides) flowers while on fieldwork.
Nov 16, 2023 | News
The ANPC’s Annual General Meeting was held on 15 November 2023. A big thank you to all the members who attended in person or via Zoom.
We heard a summary of the President’s Report from outgoing President Tony Auld on all of the significant projects which have been undertaken this year. Tony also highlighted the important work carried out by our project managers Amelia Martyn Yenson, Chantelle Doyle and Jason Halford over the past year, along with Outreach Delegate Bob Makinson, as well as office staff Jo Lynch, Richie Southerton and volunteer Robert Hawes. He also took the opportunity to thank the members of the committee who are finishing their terms. The full President’s Report 2023 will be made available soon, watch this space.
New Treasurer Daniel McKinnon then provided a financial update, reporting a small deficit in the financial year up to June 2023, but projecting a surplus in the coming years. He reported that the organisation is in a healthy financial position.
We also heard an update on membership by Business Manager Jo Lynch, who reported slightly lower membership numbers for 2023, which was not unexpected given that it was not an ANPC conference year. Jo also welcomed our two new corporate members, Alcoa and Tondoon Botanic Gardens, Gladstone Regional Council. Membership renewals will go out soon so keep an eye out for those.
Outgoing Australasian Plant Conservation Editor Nathan Emery also provided some highlights of APC’s reporting over the past year, including a new type of article called “Photos from” where authors could submit a short article to go with a photo they had taken from the field or lab.
Committee Member Elections
We are delighted to welcome our new Vice President Melissa Millar, as well as Ignacio Czajkowski, Bradley Desmond, John Hodgon, and Heidi Zimmer as new members of our Management Committee, while Kelly Gowland will continue as a committee member.
Additionally we’d like to thank outgoing President Tony Auld and Vice President David Coates, who will both remain on the committee as ordinary members. David has also kindly agreed to act as President in the interim until a new President is appointed.
We would also like to extend a big thank you to Andrew Crawford, Singarayer Florentine, Lydia Guja, Cathy Offord and Damian Wrigley who are leaving the committee this year, as well as our former Treasurer Grant Warner, departing APC Editor Nathan Emery, departing Project Manager Jason Halford, former Project Manager Amelia Martyn Yenson and former Communications Manager Christine Fernance for all their excellent work in what has been a very busy 2023.
Lastly, thanks to all the members and corporate sponsors for their contribution to another successful year of plant conservation work.
