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THE RAINFOREST AUTHORS CV's
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Gwen (Gwenneth) J. Harden
Gwen Harden was a botanist at the University of New England, James Cook
University and at the National Herbarium of New South Wales (at the
Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney). She graduated from the University of New
England with M.Sc. in botany and she is an Honorary Research Associate
at the Botanic Gardens Trust Sydney. Gwen was awarded an OAM in 2004 for
her services to botany.
While at the Gardens (from 1980 to 2001) she co-ordinated the Flora of
New South Wales project and was the editor of the 4-volume publication
and later revisions. She continued her interest in rainforest floristics
and was involved in advising and monitoring the regeneration of
rainforest remnants in various areas. |
Gwen was involved in the Ecofest schools (run by the
Department of Continuing Education at the University of New England)
from the early 1970s in inland N.S.W., north-eastern N.S.W. and southern
Qld. For these schools she prepared and co-authored many plant lists and
illustrated identification guides so that many (both professional and
amateurs) could share in her love for, and appreciation of, the
diversity and ecology of native plants.
Gwen is now retired on the mid-north coast of New South Wales and is
updating identification guides to rainforest species that she
co-authored with John and Bill as part of the Ecofest series. |
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W. (Bill) J.F. McDonald
Dr Bill McDonald joined National Parks
Branch, Qld Department of Forestry in 1974 and transferred to Botany
Branch, Qld Department of Primary Industries (incorporating the
Queensland Herbarium) in 1977. Since then he has worked on botanical
survey and mapping projects throughout central and southern Queensland.
He developed a particular interest in rainforest floristics and ecology
and was awarded his PhD in 1998 for a study of semi-evergreen vine
thickets (softwood scrubs).
He initiated and co-authored the first report on rare and threatened
plants of Queensland in 1987. He was appointed a member of the first
Scientific Advisory Committee under |
Queensland's Nature Conservation Act (1992) and currently
is a member of the scientific advisory committees for the Fraser Island
and Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia (CERRA) World
Heritage Areas.
In recent years Dr McDonald has been heavily involved in the Queensland
Herbarium's vegetation survey and mapping program in the Wet Tropics,
Central Queensland Coast and South-East Queensland biogeographic
regions. He is presently preparing draft national recovery plans for the
endangered semi-evergreen vine thicket and brigalow (Acacia harpophylla)
- dominant communities of Queensland and New South Wales. |
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John Beaumont Williams (1932-2005)
John Williams, affectionately known to many as JBW, lectured at
the University of New England (Armidale) in Taxonomy, Anatomy and
Ecology from 1957 until his retirement in 1992. In his retirement he
continued to be actively involved in many research and community-based
projects. John graduated from Sydney university with B.Sc.(Hons) in
botany. He was made a Fellow of the University of New England in 1994 in
recognition of his long and distinguished service.
John shared his passion for plants and their conservation through his
formal teaching at the University, community-based schools (especially
the Ecofest series from the mid 70s) and his general interest in various
conservation causes. |
| John was the leader and lecturer at Ecofest schools in
North Eastern N.S.W. and southern Queensland and for these schools
user-friendly field and identification guides based on vegetative
features were developed on rainforest plants, heaths, eucalypts and
wattles. Gwen and Bill collaborated in the preparation of many of these
guides which have been used widely in John's university courses as well
as by many professional and non-professional botanists. |
www.rainforests.net.au
Gwen
Harden Publishing
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