Rainforest Rescue collaborates closely with our conservation partners and scientific advisors to measure the impact of our work. Meet our Advisors below.

Dr Alex Cheesman | Tropical Plant Ecophysiologist & Restoration Advisor

Dr Alex Cheesman (Alex) is a scientist interested in the impacts climate change is having on tropical landscapes. Passionate about the tropics since a young age (having been raised on a healthy diet of Attenborough documentaries) Alex has had the opportunity to work in Panama with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and more recently here in Australia with James Cook University.

As an active research-scientist he is interested in how science can help inform better restoration practice and help secure meaningful outcomes.

Mark Dunphy | Nursery Advisor

Mark Dunphy has worked in rainforest restoration for 35 years. He has worked as a rainforest regenerator, ecological restoration consultant and nursery owner of Firewheel Rainforest Nursery on the North Coast of NSW. He has worked on over 100 projects and grown over 1 million trees.

A regular presenter at rainforest restoration field days, workshops and conferences, Mark’s work has appeared in the Australasian Journal of Ecological Management and in the book “Subtropical Rainforest Restoration: A Practical Manual and Data Source for Landcare Groups, Land Managers and Rainforest Regenerators”. Mark was also one of the authors of “Australian Rainforest Seeds: A Guide to Collecting, Processing and Propagation” along with Steve McAlpin, Paul Nelson, Michelle Chapman and Hugh Nicholson.

Justin McMahon | Restoration Advisor

As a result of living from the Northern Territory to central, south-east, and far northern Queensland, Justin always knew he wanted to incorporate the unique Aussie landscape and its ecology into his day-to-day life.

Justin has worn many hats in his professional life – tour guide (both on and off the water), zookeeper (specialising in Lumholtz Tree Kangaroos), operations manager, teacher’s aide, youth liaison worker, and Land Manager – but his true passion is our natural world, particularly protection and restoration of threatened flora and fauna. Justin worked with Rainforest Rescue as Land Manager from 2020 – 2023.

Allen Sheather | Daintree Ecological Advisor

A long-time champion for the Daintree, Allen Sheather has been involved in the fight to protect rainforest for many years, including setting up the Daintree Community Nursery and being involved in a range of conservation projects and organisations. He has lived in the area since the early ’90s and has honed his botanical knowledge of the local rainforest over this time. Allen’s ecological knowledge is vital to Rainforest Rescue’s identification of vulnerable rainforest to protect and help with our Plant a Rainforest program.

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