Meet the Team
Wetland Revival Trust is a culmination of thirty years’ experience restoring wetlands and other habitats, 10 years of which have been in WRT’s project area of Northern Victoria and the wider southern Murray Darling Basin. Over this period Elaine and Damien have developed a detailed understanding of wetland condition and ecological issues affecting the area, developed relationships with local farmers and Traditional Owners, and implemented restoration projects in a variety of habitats covering over 1000 hectares.
Staff
Damien Cook
Restoration Ecologist/Director
Damien Cook is the Director and Senior Restoration Ecologist at the Wetland Revival Trust. Damien has been a keen naturalist for 35 years and has developed a sound knowledge of flora and fauna ecology, identification, and habitat requirements. He is a recognised expert in wetland, riparian and terrestrial ecology, particularly in the factors affecting the establishment and management of aquatic and wetland plants, and the revegetation of terrestrial grassland and woodland ecosystems.
Taj Lane
First Nations Field Officer
Taj is Yorta Yorta/Barapa Barapa man who has been a keen
birdwatcher for 8 years. He has assisted WRT with wetland bird surveys in the Gunbower and Kerang Wetlands Ramsar Sites over the last 2 years on the floodplains of the Murray and Loddon Rivers. Taj is in training as a First Nations field project officer in ecological restoration and monitoring techniques. In previous roles he worked on Natural Resource Management with the indigenous-owned Barapa Land and Water, in farm machinery fabrication and as technician on a poultry farm.
Chris Cook
General Manager
Chris is an experienced environmental leader who has worked in senior roles with Parks Victoria and Trust for Nature. He has led a wide variety of conservation projects and programs focused on the restoration of Victorian biodiversity. This includes successfully implementing a range of environmental market-based initiatives. No relation to Damien, Chris supports the business and strategy of the Trust.
Naomi Fountain
Business Administration and Personal Assistant
Elaine Bayes
Ecologist
MSc, BSc (Hons), DipVET
Elaine has been working as an environmental scientist and ecologist since 1994. Her main focus is on wetland ecology and management, frog and reptile surveys, fire effects in the Box Ironbark and Eltham Copper Butterfly surveys and protection. Elaine is an experienced environmental educator and developed the popular Wetland Plant Identification and Ecology Course which is now run through WRT, as well as many other wetland related courses.
Voluntary Committee of Management
Our voluntary Committee of Management advises the Directors of the Wetland Revival Trust to ensure transparency and management of the
Wetland Revival Public Fund according to the purposes of the Trust, our aims and vision.
