AGM & Guest Speaker Dr Andy Baker

Watch the recording of  Andy Barker’s presentation

Guest Speaker: Dr Andy Baker

Demystifying reference ecosystems for bush regenerators – how their use is critical to best practice regen.

The guest speaker at this year’s Annual General Meeting is Dr Andy Baker who will be demystifying reference ecosystems, expounding their virtues and answering that question on every bush regenerators lips, Are we getting sub-optimal results by not defining our reference ecosystem?

Dr Baker will be discussing the following scenarios

1. Grassland – What happens if we let woody species migrate?
2. Sclerophyll – What are the triggers for mesic shifts? What happens if common groundcovers are allowed to dominate? Where does resilience fit in?
3. All ecosystems (including rainforest) – What are the resilience limits? What happens if individual species numbers are low or some flora groups are missing? Is reintroduction a solution?

Following the presentation there will be a panel discussion drawn from experienced practitioners on AABR’s Board and time to answer questions.

More information on reference ecosystems can be found in the National Restoration Standards, Principle 1-Ecological restoration practice is based on an appropriate local native reference ecosystem

Agenda for AABR’s Annual General Meeting

10:00 – 10.05   Welcome: Peter Dixon- AABR President

10:05-10:30    Guest Speaker Dr Andy Baker- Demystifying reference ecosystems for bush regenerators – how their use is critical to best practice regen.

10:30-11:00     Panel Discussion and Questions

11-12:00            Annual General Meeting of AABR –

Detailed documents to download
Minutes of previous AGM 19/2/22   Agenda for AGM 5/11/22   Annual Report 2022     Financial Statements

1. Attendance & Apologies
2. Minutes previous AGM held 19/2/22
3. Business Arising from previous minutes
4. President’s Report -Peter Dixon
5. Treasurer’s Report– Matthew Pearson
6. Nomination of Returning Officer-
7. Election of Board Members

• The minimum number of Board members is to be 5 and the maximum is to be 15
• Board Members will be elected on rotation for a two-year term, so that the appointment of half of the Board expires each year.

The current Board members to November 2023 are Peter Dixon, Jane Gye, Matthew Pearson, Andrew Scott, Rob Scott.

There are up to 10 positions to be filled at this AGM for the 2022-24 term.

• Nominations for 2 Year term (to Nov 2024)
  • Nominations received prior to AGM- Here is a Nomination form
  • Nominations from the floor called

8. Confirmation of Authorised representatives

12:00 Thanks and Meeting Close – Peter Dixon

Register to attend the AGM being held on Zoom

Speaker Biographies

Guest Speaker Dr Andy Baker

Dr Andy Baker is a fire and restoration ecologist with 30 years’ experience in the management and restoration of vegetation communities in eastern Australia. Starting as a bush regenerator in Sydney sandstone communities in 1990, he went on to become a pioneer of Littoral Rainforest restoration in the subtropics. Over the last 15 years he has specialised in the restoration of open forest and heathland through the reinstatement of Aboriginal fire regimes. Andy is currently a lecturer and researcher of fire ecology at Southern Cross University (Lismore) and is the principle consultant of Wildsite Ecological Services, which he founded in 1997.

Panel

Victoria Bakker:Forest Rehabilitation Ecology

Victoria has worked in ecosystem restoration for over 25 years across NSW and QLD, regenerating a broad range of ecosystems from coastal areas to the hinterland. A specialist in working at heights, threatened species recovery and flora and fauna conservation.

Scott Meier: Bushland & Rainforest Restoration & Consulting 

Scott started bush regenerating in 1994, working mostly in the bushland of northern Sydney. He was a founding member of the Bushland & Rainforest Regeneration Co-op (BARRC) in the year 2000 along with six others including Mandy Martin which morphed into Bushland & Rainforest Restoration & Consulting during 2002 with Scott & Mandy as Proprietors. BARRC currently provides regeneration, reconstruction, consulting & associated supporting services from the Sydney area through to north coast NSW.