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Dr Chad Beranek

I believe that the key to human thriving is through conserving and promoting biodiversity. I also believe that this is the current generations’ most significant problem to overcome. I base my life on this core foundation. My mission is to have the greatest positive impact on nature in one human lifetime. I try to achieve this through every facet of my life; from applying rigorous science down to small behavioural choices, such as purchasing sustainable products.

I have worked as an ecologist and researcher for private consultancies, personal business, government and universities. I am currently employed at the University of Newcastle as a teaching associate and a postdoctoral researcher. I also operate an ecological services and conservation education business.

While I am very fascinated about theoretical models, especially those pertaining to evolution, I am more interested in projects that implement practical solutions for on-ground conservation and restoration. My research has been focused on strategies to enhance habitat restoration for fauna. This has crossed over into other areas of ecological research such as conducting and improving ecological monitoring protocols, investigating population dynamics, determining impacts of disturbances and investigating population genetics. I am mostly interested in fauna, especially amphibians, but I have worked with plants.

Chad in the field
Chad working with a drone

Current Projects

Assessing the impact of the 2019-2020 black summer bushfires on threatened amphibians in New South Wales, March 2021 – Ongoing.

Assessment of the impacts of fire on the occupancy of several amphibians including Heleioporus australiacus, Litoria littlejohni, Litoria watsoni, Litoria daviesae, Litoria subglandulosa, Mixophyes balbus, Mixophyes iteratus,  Philoria pughi, Philoria sphagnicola, Pseudophryne australis.

Restoration and reintroduction ecology of the green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea), September 2016 – Ongoing.

An investigation of methods to create habitat and conduct reintroductions to recover this threatened frog despite impacts from introduced fish and chytrid-induced disease. The aim is to recover this species across its former distribution.

Improving survey methods for estimating koala population size using drone-based thermal imagery, March 2019 – Ongoing.

Utilising the latest drone and thermal camera technology combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop an improved protocol to detecting koalas, with the aim to apply statistical models to create density maps to estimate koala population size across entire regions. This will result an enhanced monitoring strategy for the koala so that conservation management can be applied effectively.

Determining the habitat use and home range patterns in gliders in urban areas of the Central Coast, April 2021 – Ongoing.

Conducting radio-tracking for squirrel gliders (Petaurus norfolcensis) and sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) to determine how they use habitat in fragmented bushland in urban areas, and use this knowledge to inform urban friendly design for these species.

Conserving and enhancing fauna populations of the Cumberland Plain, September 2020 – September 2025.

Implementing broad-spectrum fauna surveys across reserves of the Cumberland Plain to assess the response to conservation management interventions. The treatments being tested are (1) different intensity burns, (2) using coarse woody debris to increase the amount of structural habitat for ground dwelling animals and (3) trialling new artificial chainsaw hollow designs for the little lorikeet (Glossopsitta pusila) and the eastern coastal freetailed bat (Micronomus norfolcensis).

Monitoring of the broad-headed snake (Hoplocephalus bungaroides) on the Woronora Plateau, July 2018 – Ongoing.

Conducting yearly ecological monitoring to assess the occupancy, abundance and population genetics of this threatened snake on the Woronora Plateau.

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