KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Diane Lucas​

Ethnologist and author
Website​
​​Diane began as a teacher on an Aboriginal outstation in the Northern Territory where she was also mentored on the Australian bush.
 
With a love of the Kakadu area, Diane worked on a research project documenting traditional resources on the South Alligator River floodplain and surrounds.  She continues to live near the National Park with her family whilst also travelling Northern Australia working on botanical and fire ecology.
 
The bush inspires Diane to write, and it resulted in the beautiful creation of her first children’s book in 2003.

Dr Howard Ralph
OAM, BVSc, MBBS, MVS

​Veterinarian, doctor, and Southern Cross Wildlife Care Sanctuary founder
Website
Website
​Dr Ralph is a veterinary surgeon, anaesthetist and doctor of medicine with qualifications in wildlife medicine and clinical forensics. He also holds qualifications in education and fine arts.For over 40 years Dr Ralph has practiced medicine, in humans and animals. He has received numerous awards for his work with wildlife including NSW Senior Volunteer Award 2013 and Sydney University Veterinary Science School Alumni Award in 2017. He has also featured in many publications and media, including the cover story the March 2017 issue of Vet Practice Magazine and on the ABC’s “Australia Story” in October 2017. In January 2019, Dr Ralph received the Order of Australia Medal for his work on Australia wildlife.
Dr Ralph teaches various aspects of wildlife treatment and care in a variety of species around Australia. He has also given training on animal treatment and care overseas such as in Indonesia and Nepal. Dr Ralph has attended, in his capacity as a veterinary surgeon, several disasters such as oil spills, floods, cyclones and bushfires. He also assists in the treatment of animals for Tree of Compassion in Nepal.
Together with his wife, Glenda, he established Southern Cross Wildlife Care which includes a purpose built wildlife hospital in the NSW southern tablelands and provides treatment for wildlife all over the region and beyond. Dr Ralph treats hundreds of patients every year from kangaroos, wombats, koalas, echidnas, and birds, to snakes, turtles, and frogs.

Dr Tania Bishop​
BVSc(hons1a) MANZCVS(Avian Medicine) FACSCI/School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland 

WIRES Wildlife Veterinarian
Website​
​​Tania Bishop is a highly dedicated Wildlife Veterinarian of 22 years with membership in Avian medicine, and an industry fellowship with the university of Queensland for mentoring UQ students over her career.
Tania is an active member of the Australasian Bat Society, the Wildlife disease association as well as Wildlife Health Australia (being a member of the bat health focus group). She has recently been accepted as an Industry Fellowship with the University of Queensland for contribution to the mentoring of veterinary students during her time as a Veterinarian.
Having a keen interest in the threats and environmental significance of flying-foxes, Tanis has been involved in the development and application of various management and education programs aimed at solving issues related to human/flying-fox conflict, and improving management of flying-foxes and their current population threats, including disaster management strategies, and has spoken at national and international forums.  She has also been involved in research to help solve some of these complexes, yet ecologically important issues.
The breadth of Tania’s experience. across many threatened and endangered species and other difficult to manage species where human/wildlife conflict arises, has allowed her to advise where conservation, conflict, or disaster management issues have arisen to achieve positive outcomes.
Having worked across all the major wildlife hospitals in south-east Queensland and working closely with Government Departments of Environment & conservation in both Queensland (DES) and NSW, (OEH); AAHL Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Local Government Association of Queensland and NSW (LGAQ), Biosecurity, wildlife carer groups and research institutions, Tania has developed strong working relationships across various stakeholders… often with quite differing opinions. Tania has managed to build strong relationships with these various groups to achieve positive outcomes for wildlife management and conservation over complex issues.