Make an Impact

Anke is a Lecturer in Wildlife Ecology at Charles Sturt University in Port Macquarie. She
graduated with a PhD in Terrestrial Ecology from The University of Sydney in 2010, and
holds the equivalent of a Masters for Teaching Biology and Geography from the University of
Bonn. Since arriving in Australia in 1999 as an exchange student, she has lived and worked
in Sydney, far north-western NSW, the Northern Territory, Tasmania, and the Simpson
Desert. Her research continues to focus predominantly on species interactions, specifically
the effects of introduced herbivores and predators on native species. Anke is passionate
about ‘right-way science’, conservation, promoting and achieving the UN’s Sustainable
Development Goals, and engaging with the public through citizen science and outreach
activities. This year, she will be running the Enviro Club for CSU students and is looking
forward to collaborating with other like-minded groups for some of the club’s activities.

Stuart has owned and managed a local solar power business as well as worked for Essential
Energy for 27 years and now provides business management and consultancy within the
local energy industry. With a Graduate Diploma in Business Management and an Electrical
Engineering Certificate as well as living locally for 40 years, Stuart brings a strong
understanding of the issues faced by local business, including rural, public and private
construction, aged

An Irish Marine Biologist, Maria has held several senior leadership positions within state and
local government, professionally managing complex portfolios and large teams with
responsibilities for natural resource management, contaminated land and waste
management, and workplace health and safety.  Maria is a positive sustainability influencer
educating and changing behaviours about environmental issues and driving cultural and
community reform through collaboration and engagement.  With over 20 published scientific
papers in coastal and estuarine health Maria is well versed in working with academia and
understands the value of scientific information to inform process, policy, and strategy.
Having produced the Koala Recovery Strategy for the Port Macquarie Local Government
Area and working within Kempsey on their Koala Plan of Management, Maria understands
the management actions required to address our local declining koala population.  As
the General Manager for Koala Conservation Australia, Maria is proud to be leading
Australia’s first ever koala hospital in wildlife treatment and rehabilitation, and, in developing
the first ever Wild Koala Breeding program.

Jake served for 14 years in the Royal Australian Navy as a helicopter pilot and is now
studying to become a science teacher at CSU Port Macquarie. Jake lives in Bonny Hills with
his wife Rachel and daughter Lilith and has been actively engaging local government about
what he is passionate about including the environment and water security.

Being a teacher was not in Lloyd Godson’s life plan, but he could not be happier about the
mid-life career change. His old business cards described him as an adventurer.
Working with the likes of the Australian Geographic Society, and Dr Bob Ballard, who located
the Titanic, he combined cutting-edge exploration science with intense physical
challenges. Lloyd has spent a total of one month living underwater, propelled himself
through the Greek islands in a human-powered submarine, unicycled to the summit of Mount

Kosciuszko and holds the Guinness World Records for the most electricity generated by
pedalling underwater.

Inspired by the teachers he met in his former life, Lloyd now uses his passion for exploration
and adventure to engage students at The Nature School in Port Macquarie; a not-for-profit
organisation he Co-Founded in 2015. With a focus on real-world learning underpinned by
21st-century skills and student-centred practice, Lloyd is passionate about getting students
out of the classroom. Within his first five years of graduating from Charles Sturt University,
Lloyd's "living lessons" have taken his students on a flight over Antarctica, to a student
conference in Taiwan, SCUBA diving on the Great Barrier Reef and an underwater robotics
competition in New Zealand. In 2021, he was named as one of Australia’s Commonwealth
Bank Teaching Fellows for the work he is doing to transform education. In 2022, Lloyd was
proud to be the inaugural Academic Ambassador for Plastic Oceans Australasia and in 2023
has joined the Swarovski Waterschool Australia Program delivered by Earthwatch to
improve water literacy and student empowerment outcomes for The Nature School students
and the local community.

Jenny has been a member of Sunrise Rotary for 10 years and been very actively involved in
the Club at all levels including President. For the last 3 years Jenny has been Membership
Director across our District which runs from Moree to Broken Hill to Newcastle and all points
in between. There are 97 Rotary clubs and over 2000 Rotarians across this area. Together
with a small team, she works with Rotary Clubs to realise their membership dreams!
Professionally, for over 25 years Jenny has worked in community & not for profit
organisations across the fields of education and health, seeking grants and operationalising
programs that make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities. An example of
that is leading the local headspace Port Macquarie team. Jenny is passionate about
connecting for purpose.