PRACTICAL ECOLOGY - Key Persons


Amber Button

Job Titles:
  • Consultant ( Ecologist )
  • in 2023 As an Ecological Consultant
Qualifications 2013 - 2016 Bachelor of Science (Zoology), Monash University Amber joined Practical Ecology in 2023 as an Ecological Consultant. Prior to this role, she worked as an Environmental Consultant in Victoria and Tasmania, where she developed skills in flora and fauna survey, GIS, client and stakeholder engagement. She also worked as an environmental Project Officer in northern New South Wales where she managed projects developing best practice management advice to address Bell Miner Associated Dieback. Amber has a passion for biodiversity and ecosystem function, in particular finding practical solutions to promote ecosystem health, functionality and resilience. In her spare time, Amber enjoys hiking, foraging and gardening.

Cheryl O'Dwyer

Job Titles:
  • Manager - Admin / HR & OH & S
Qualifications 2012 Certificate IV Occupational Health and Safety BSB41407 Experience and skills

Daniel Miller

Job Titles:
  • Consultant ( Botanical Ecology )
Qualifications 2018 Bachelor of Science (Wildlife and Conservation Biology) with Honours, La Trobe University Experience and skills Dan joined the team at Practical Ecology in 2020 as an Ecological Consultant focusing on Botany. Before this, Dan worked as an Ecological Consultant also focusing mainly on botanical projects including Habitat Hectares assessments, general flora surveys, and policy and legislative assessments. Dan has additional experience in fauna salvage on large infrastructure projects having safely translocated many possums and birds. Dan also has seven years of experience working in bush regeneration, and over a year running field, tutorial, and laboratory sessions for university students. Dan completed an Honours project detailing the roles of Little Penguins as ecosystem engineers on Phillip Island, by quantifying the mechanisms through which they create entirely new vegetation types in their colonies.

Julian Drummond

Job Titles:
  • Bushfire / Ecological Consultant

Lincoln Kern

Job Titles:
  • Founding Member
  • Managing Director ( Ecologist )
Qualifications 2013 Development and Building in Bushfire Prone Areas Short Course, University of Technology, Sydney Lincoln is the founding member of Practical Ecology and has been providing expertise in flora and fauna survey, environmental planning, bushland restoration, bushfire risk analysis and planning law, environmental and noxious weed control, revegetation and general land management services with the business since 1993. Lincoln gained a Bachelor's degree in Botany and Environmental Science at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio USA (completed in 1986 with field studies in Pacific Northwest USA, Southwest USA, India and Central America) and a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management from Deakin University in 1998. With nearly twenty years' experience in the Victorian industry Lincoln has developed Practical Ecology as one of the leading environmental consultancies in Victoria.

Luke Legudi

Job Titles:
  • Consultant ( Ecologist )
Qualifications 2012 - 2014 Bachelor of Science, Zoology, University of Melbourne

Michelle Savona

Job Titles:
  • Senior Consultant
  • Senior Consultant ( Botanist )
Qualifications 2003 Diploma in Natural Resource Management, NMIT, Epping Michelle is an Senior Consultant that has been working in the field of environmental assessment and management since 2002. While Michelle has held other roles as a park ranger and on-ground bush regenerator, most of her professional career has been in ecological consulting since joining Practical Ecology in 2005. Michelle specialises in vegetation assessments and flora surveys and is accredited by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to undertake native vegetation (habitat hectare assessments) in Victoria.

Nina Matheis

Job Titles:
  • GIS Officer
Qualifications 2017 Bachelor of Environmental Science (Wildlife and Conservation Biology), Deakin University Experience and skills Nina joined the team at Practical Ecology in 2024 as a GIS Officer. Prior to this, Nina has held positions as a GIS Officer for a government organisation, a GIS Analyst for another environmental consultancy, and as a HSE Consultant. This has lent her diverse experience in various GIS applications, as well as developing skills in various aspects of project management. Her passion for mapping and spatial data began in university, where she completed GIS course units that focused on GIS in relation to environmental science and received Distinction/High Distinction grades. Nina is also passionate about Australia's biodiversity, and has volunteered with BirdLife Australia and Conservation Volunteers Australia, assisting with bird survey data collection updates, GIS mapping, and bush regeneration. In her spare time Nina enjoys tending her native plants at home, getting into nature with her senior dog, and attempting various arts and crafts.

Noemie Seck

Job Titles:
  • Senior Consultant ( Eco Logist )
Qualifications 2017 Double master's degree, Institut Superieur d'Agriculture (Institute of Life Sciences), France (Master of Environmental Science and Engineering - Specialisation in Urban Ecology and Master of Agricultural Science and Engineering - Specialisation in Agroecology) Experience and skills Noemie joined the team at Practical Ecology in 2019 and has a degree in both environmental/agricultural science and engineering. Fascinated by Australian biodiversity, Noemie has spent the last few years working on Victorian Conservation projects, both as paid and volunteer scientist. Noemie started working in Australia in 2017 at RMIT's Interdisciplinary Conservation Research Group as a research officer and finally entered in the Australian consulting industry in 2018. She has been involved in numerous biodiversity conservation projects and has developed extensive skills in project management, survey design, stakeholder engagement, report writing and data analysis.

Ruth Cannon

Job Titles:
  • Contracting Co - Ordinator
Qualifications 2018 Certificate III in Horticulture (Parks and Gardens), Murray Mallee Training Co. Ltd

Ryan Adams

Job Titles:
  • Ecologist
Qualifications 2023 Bachelor of Science (Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology) with Honours, the Australian National University Experience and skills Ryan joined the Practical Ecology team at the beginning of 2025 as an Ecological Consultant. Prior to this he worked as an Ecologist for the Offsets Monitoring Team as part of the ACT Parks and Conservation Service. Here he gained experience undertaking long-term environmental monitoring programs centring on floristics surveys, noxious weeds, woodlands, and threatened species. With a particular focus on the Golden Sun Moth, Striped Legless Lizard, and Grassland Earless Dragon, Ryan has developed a keen interest into the ecology of grassland ecosystems. Ryan has a passion for field work, and in his spare time can be found hiking or enjoying live music.