National Parks Association ACT Committee members

Rosemary joined NPA in 2020 after decades of working in environment and heritage management with the Australian and Tasmanian governments. A keen bushwalker and cross-country skier, Rosemary and her husband Mark have walked extensively in the Australian alps and completed the Australian Alps Walking Track in 2018. Rosemary’s vision for the NPA is for an organisation that attracts a diverse range of members across ages and backgrounds so it can continue to support the protection of parks and reserves in the ACT and NSW in the years ahead.

Maisie recently joined NPA and, as well as being Secretary, is also our office manager. Maisie grew up in north-eastern Victoria and moved to Canberra to study at the ANU, where she gained her masters degree with the assistance of an NPA ACT Scholarship in Biodiversity Management in National Parks and Nature Reserves. Maisie enjoys getting people excited about nature and science.

Jenny is NPA ACT Treasurer. One of the things she loves about the ACT is its identity as the bush capital and she is keen to support that through the NPA. She has recognised the power and importance of the environment from childhood. Environmental and sustainability matters have long been her area of work and interest, especially in water policy and programs, energy efficiency, climate change and agriculture.

Esther was president from 2017 to 2022. She has been on the Committee since 2013. A life-long conservationist, Esther was a member of the American environmental organisation, the Sierra Club, for nearly 30 years and joined NPA in 1998. Esther worked in the field of muscle biochemistry and is emeritus professor at the University of Minnesota and the ANU. She enjoys many activities in the natural world including bushwalking, camping and photography.

Mike has been a member of NPA ACT for about 35 years and regularly walks with the NPA. Mike is also a keen kayaker, well known for his long-distance journeys on the rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin. With his daughter Angela, he is the author of Murray-Darling Journeys, which explores the history of significant rowing and paddling journeys on the rivers of Australia's Murray-Darling Basin over the last 200 years.

Allan has been on the Committee for 5 years and a member of NPA ACT for more than 15 years. He is also an editor of the quarterly magazine, NPA Bulletin. Allan worked for more than 40 years as a journalist in New Zealand, England and Australia, and in senior communication roles in the public and private sectors.

A member of the Committee since 2022, Alison is a former career public servant, including 10 years as a senior executive in the federal Department of Environment. Since retiring from the public service, she has continued to work as a consultant on the environment and has been chair/president of the Woodlands and Wetlands Trust in Canberra since 2014. She was awarded an OAM in the June 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours for her environmental and community work.

Jennifer joined the Committee in 2022. Her career focus has been on conservation and public access – and her particular interest is in enhancing public awareness of national parks to ensure community support for ongoing protection. She has been involved in heritage conservation policy and practice for over 30 years in New Zealand, England, Italy and Australia and has worked in various natural and cultural heritage organisations, primarily in the public sector.

Hugh joined NPA because of his interest in how people engage with the environment and has been on the Committee since 2023. A passionate, ‘hands-on’ environmentalist, Hugh has worked as a field officer with Greening Australia and has an honours degree which focused on growing more trees from seeds. Most weekends he can be found at a Parkcare or Landcare event. His goal is to engage more young people with NPA activities.

An NPA member since 2022, Steve joined the Committee in 2023. Steve is chief financial officer at an engineering firm and is keen to help out on the Committee, particularly in supporting the treasurer and ofice manager in their roles. Outside of work he enjoys bushwalking, kayaking and exploring the national parks around the ACT and Southern NSW.

Ben joined NPA with the aim of doing a few walks ,but other commitments have left little time for walks, so he joined the Committee as a way of giving back. Ben has a life-long interest in nature and has a BSc in Zoology. He has been volunteering with Bush Heritage Australia for at least 10 years. As a committed Christian, he feels a duty to be involved in the stewardship of the land.

Marian previously worked in private enterprise in human resources and payroll management and been on various boards as director and president. She lived on the South Coast for 20 years, and worked in the Marine Rescue as a radio operator and in the catering section at the Rural Fire Service, including g during the 2019 – 20 Black Summer fires. She moved to Canberra in 2020 where she has continued to pursue her interests in the preservation of the environment, bushwalking, and travelling outback Australia.