Our Team
Our expert team has the know-how and leadership to support the development and delivery of ecological strategies and projects to restore and protect our ecosystems across Central Victoria.
Biolinks Alliance Staff
Dr Sophie Bickford - Executive Director
Sophie is a Conservation Ecologist deeply motivated to apply her expertise to real world ecological-social problems. After completing her PhD at The University of Adelaide, Sophie spent 7 years researching distribution patterns of biodiversity at the CSIRO Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research. She was appointed a Lecturer in Biogeography at Monash University in 2007. Sophie worked for Carbon Planet as their Chief Scientist, developing methodologies for conserving ecological-services using climate (carbon) and biodiversity markets.
She has been Executive Director of Biolinks Alliance since 2010, relishing the challenge of growing a new organisation to implement large-scale and tenure blind conservation in Victoria.
Dr Chris Pocknee - Landscape and Biodiversity Conservation Ecologist
Chris is an Ecologist with a passion for understanding the threats facing native fauna and ecosystems, and how we can address these issues. Chris grew up in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne and completed his MSc at the University of Melbourne in 2017 before undertaking an internship with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy in NSW.
Prior to starting with Biolinks Alliance, Chris completed his PhD at the University of Queensland, where he studied the impacts of fire and feral cats on the endangered northern bettong. He relishes collaborative ecological work, and is passionate about empowering communities to conserve and recover local biodiversity. Chris loves exploring the outdoors, camping, wildlife photography and is an Essendon tragic.
Sasha Dobson - Programs Manager
Sasha is an experienced Programs and Operations manager with a strong background in project management, strategic planning, and environmental program delivery. With over a decade of experience in operations, production, and environmental programs, Sasha has successfully implemented organisational improvements, secured key funding, and managed complex projects.
Away from her computer, Sasha enjoys spending time with her young family, gardening and watching documentaries.
Georgia Gross - Senior Communications Manager
Georgia has a background in journalism and close to 20 years marketing communications experience in a multitude of sectors, including corporates, government and large NGOs. With a commitment to delivering tangible and sustainable results and a focus on developing sound stakeholder relationships, Georgia believes in the vital importance of creating strategic and compelling communications and content that supports, involves and mobilises people to act.
Georgia lives in the Macedon Ranges where she loves to hike and explore the natural world with her family.
Cameron O’Mara - Project Facilitator
Cameron has worked in wildlife conservation and bushland restoration for over a decade. As a Project Facilitator with Biolinks Alliance, he focuses on restoring forests and waterways, primarily in the Heathcote region, working closely with landholders. For the past four years, he has led the Spring Plains Watershed Repair Project, turning an idea into action to improve ecosystem function. Now, he’s applying his skills to larger-scale restoration projects across Victoria.
Cam is passionate about how people connect with nature. When he’s not in the field, he’s behind a camera, capturing even the most overlooked wildlife.
Dr Paul Foreman - Ecologist and Conservation Strategy
Paul is an Ecologist and Botanist with over 35 years of experience in a range of technical, strategic and management roles across Victoria and Australia. Paul has worked in State and Local Government, as well as Trust for Nature and Bush Heritage Australia, and established his own consulting business in 2009. Paul recently completed his PhD on the role of Aboriginal burning in grasslands and was the inaugural Chair for Biolinks Alliance.
Board of Management
Brendan Sydes - Chair
Brendan is an environmental lawyer with a background in not-for-profit management, policy advocacy and law reform. He was a principal lawyer and CEO at Environmental Justice Australia from 2005 to 2020. Brendan currently works as National Biodiversity Policy Adviser to the Australian Conservation Foundation. He is a Senior Honorary Fellow of the University of Melbourne Law School where he teaches environmental law. Brendan is President of the Committee of Management of Connecting Country, and a member of the Research and Conservation Committee of Birdlife Australia.
Peter Evans - Secretary
Peter is an experienced business manager, consultant, non-executive director and company secretary working to build sustainably successful organisations. He is a resident of Melbourne with a deep concern about the sustainability of our planet and society given current human activities. Peter joined Biolinks as Secretary in 2019 to contribute to Central Victoria achieving balance between its natural environment and human use. Peter trained as an electronic engineer and holds an MBA and Master of Leadership from Deakin University as well as a Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance and Risk Management from the Governance Institute of Australia which qualifies him as a Chartered Company Secretary. He is the Principal of Tunaungana Consulting, through which he provides Company Secretarial and Consulting services to a range of organisations. He is also a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Pat Scanlon - Treasurer
Pat is a qualified chartered accountant who has over 20 years international and Australian experience in financial accounting, reporting, internal controls and professional services. His experience ranges from not for profit organisations, small and medium sized organisations and large organisations both in the public and private sectors. Pat currently works as a senior manager for a consultancy in Melbourne CBD.
Jennifer Rolland - Vice Chair
Jennifer developed her love of nature and spirit of enquiry early in life through bushwalking and birdwatching. With a PhD in Immunology and a long career in biomedical science research and education, she values scientific-based knowledge and well-structured research programs to inform optimal strategies for the protection of our natural areas and wildlife. She regularly volunteers for several environment restoration and monitoring projects around the country. With her partner, she enjoys and manages a Trust for Nature-covenanted bush property in Western Victoria. Through all these activities, she sees the critical need for coordinated landscape-scale action to meet the huge challenges facing our natural environment, such as provided for community conservation groups in Central Victoria by Biolinks Alliance.
Brian Walters AM SC
Brian Walters is a former barrister. He practised as a silk from 2001-2021. In 1981, he co-founded Wild, Australia’s wilderness adventure magazine, and served as a director for 25 years. He was a board member of Liberty Victoria for over ten years, serving as president from 2004-2006. He has worked with many environmental groups. In 2017 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia ‘for significant service to conservation through environmental protection law, and to human rights advocacy’. He is now a writer.
Karl Kny
Karl is active in Landcare and experienced in plantation forestry, native forest conservation and corporate strategy with a passion for stewardship and sustainable land management. He is the President of Newham and District Landcare and a committee member of the Upper Campaspe and Upper Deep Creek Landcare Networks. For 18 years Karl was CEO and Managing Director of a number of large companies in Australia and New Zealand managing pine and eucalypt plantations and native forests for conservation. The shareholders were global institutions, pension and superannuation funds requiring the highest standards of corporate governance.
He and his wife manage a farm in the Macedon Ranges as a showcase for sustainable land management and regenerative forestry.
Greer Allen
Greer has over a decade of experience in fundraising and philanthropy to support work across climate justice, refugee rights, environmental protection, and grassroots movements. She has managed the full spectrum of fundraising—from regular giving and appeals to major gifts and institutional grants—and is passionate about building relationships that resource enduring positive change.
She is currently the Philanthropic Partnerships Manager at The Sunrise Project Australia and has held senior management positions at Environmental Justice Australia and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Greer has also worked on sustainability initiatives in local government and the events industry. Greer brings a creative and strategic approach to fundraising and engagement, shaped by years of working alongside advocates, organisers, and changemakers.
Greer lives on a small farm in Central Victoria with her partner, stepchildren, and many beloved animals. Greer holds a Bachelor of Arts and Development Studies from the University of Newcastle.