For over 20 years, Dr Melanie (Mel) Birtchnell has worked in diverse areas of botany and ecology, including education (tertiary and community), research, engagement, threatened species conservation and biodiversity planning.

Mel’s strengths are in empowering others, thinking laterally and creatively, and in finding perspectives and knowledge beyond what we know. Mel is passionate about knowledge sharing, connecting people and place, and in systems-change that increases individuals’ and communities’ ability to be effective change-makers. She has a long-standing love of global traditional- and contemporary- relationships between people and plants (e.g. medicines, fibres, food), particularly First Nations’ cultural relationships with Australian plants.

Mel’s PhD studies explored landscape-scale flowering ecology based on long-term observational datasets; Mel especially loves systems-thinking across spatial and temporal scales.

Since 2002, among other roles, Mel has worked as an ecological consultant on complex and interesting projects. These projects have developed and utilised her skills and experience in:

• botany

• research

• ecological assessment

• biodiversity planning

• professional development training

• facilitation

• education and

• community engagement.

Mel also loves providing professional development and coaching services for ecologists and biodiversity planners.

As well as providing ecological consulting services, Mel is an experienced and sought-after facilitator. She offers a range of courses for personal and professional growth.

Mel co-developed and facilitated BROLGA (Building Resilient On-ground Local Groups for Action), a diverse programme that aims to up-skill local environment groups. She co-developed and facilitates the popular, award-winning Biodiversity Planning in Victoria courses, which have shared critical knowledge and skills with hundreds of professionals across Victoria. In addition, Mel leads regular ecology walks for individuals and groups, as well as being an engaging and “life-changing” guest speaker. Mel is a qualified Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher and loves weaving mindfulness and joy into everything she does.

A recognised leader in environmental advocacy, Mel has been a strong contributor to various committees and independent inquiries. For over a decade, Mel was a member of a local government Environmental Advisory Committee through which she actively helped shape better outcomes for the local environment. Mel loved being a valued member of the Helmeted Honeyeater Threatened Species Recovery Team and Chaired the Habitat Working Group for that Team.

Mel currently is a Director on the Board of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF), a role she enjoys very much, alongside her role as Victorian Councillor on the ACF Council. Mel considers it an honour to work in these capacities, supporting others and our local and national ecosystems: our life support systems.

In 2018, Mel was given the opportunity to participate in the Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA) programme - a brilliant program she recommends to anyone who identifies as a woman and works in this field! Mel was awarded a Lifetime Contributor Award by the LGPro Biodiversity Planning Network Special Interest Group; she enjoyed working with that network, including as a Convenor.

Mel continues to strive to build relationships and networks to help strengthen our effectiveness as custodians of the future.