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Prof Matt Hayward

Matt is one of the rare academics with genuine experience in the 'real' world - having worked as an environmental consultant, conservation manager and researcher in the private sector, for NGOs, government and now in academia.

 

Matt conducted a PhD on the conservation ecology of the vulnerable quokka – a small wallaby that the introduced red fox loves to kill – in the Western Australian jarrah forest. 

 

He then conducted two post docs in South Africa; on bushmeat hunting in the coastal forests of the Transkei with the Walter Sisulu University, and on the reintroduction of lions, spotted hyaenas and a leopard to Addo Elephant National Park.  After this Matt undertook a Marie Curie Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the Polish Academy of Science’s Mammal Research Institute in BiaÅ‚owieża Primeval Forest looking at bison ecology and predator-prey interactions.  He then moved back to Australia to work as the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s regional ecologist for six reserves in south-eastern Australia covering over 700,000ha and ranging from the deserts of Lake Eyre through the mallee to Sydney’s North Head where reintroduction, ecosystem services, feral eradication/control and fire management were key research issues. Most recently, Matt lectured at Bangor University in beautiful North Wales where his research teams were working on reintroducing red squirrels and pine marten; ascertaining the impact of pine marten on squirrels; the context dependence of humans on wolf ecology; spatial ecology of peccaries, leopards and elephants; invasive snakes; and the impact of neonicotinoids on fossorial mammals.

 

Matt moved to the University of Newcastle in 2017 where he leads the Conservation Science Research Group.

Matt with student
Matt radio tracking

Current Projects

Coming soon...

Indigenous Australia
Torres Strait

We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and custodians of the lands in which we live, learn and work. 

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We are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion by supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

LGBTQ+
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