Dr Kylie Soanes
Research Fellow, Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne
Kylie is a conservation biologist with her sights set on saving species in cities and towns. Whether it’s building bridges to help endangered possums cross busy roads, working with architects to build designer houses for one of Australia’s largest owls, or engaging citizen scientists to track the movement of city-dwelling fairy wrens, Kylie is always looking for new ways to help nature thrive in urban environments.
Kylie is based at the University of Melbourne within the School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences and the Melbourne Centre for Cities. Her research has focused on identifying the challenges and opportunities for nature conservation in cities, developing tailored approaches to protecting urban biodiversity, and highlighting the importance of urban environments to threatened species. She previously led the Shared Urban Habitat Project through the National Environmental Science Program and has extensive experience working with industry and government to develop a strong evidence base for urban conservation.
Kylie is a passionate science communicator, sharing her work with broader audiences through the media, public talks and her research blog, and her role as one of Science and Technology Australia’s Superstars of STEM.