Michael Looker

The director of The Nature Conservancy's Australia program, Michael Looker is a trained botanist and one of Australia's leading scientists. Under his direction, the program has protected 8.9 million acres (3.6 million hectares) of biodiversity rich land in Australia through 27 direct land acquisitions. Before joining the Conservancy in 2005, Michael was director of the Australian nonprofit Trust for Nature, served as a senior lecturer in environmental horticulture at Burnley College at the University of Melbourne, and was superintendent of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne. His major areas of interest and research have focused on vegetation management, achieving conservation outcomes at-scale and forging closer links between private and public investment in conservation.

Michael's Posts

Wade Davis and the Language of Conservation

October 24th, 2011

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A National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence reminds us that losses of indigenous peoples, cultures, and languages lead directly to environmental damage. More

Wielding Words to Protect Australia

May 6th, 2011

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For our inaugural Nature Writing Prize in Australia, we solicited essays that celebrate both nature writing and the country's magnificent landscapes. Meet the winner and read her essay. More

In Australia, Conserving Land and Tradition

January 24th, 2011

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A new partnership promises to conserve habitat for wildlife, provide sustainable livelihoods for people and return 450,000 acres to its traditional owners. More

Using the Outback for Carbon Cutbacks

October 21st, 2010

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The director of The Nature Conservancy's Australia program explains why that country is a major player in fighting climate change, and how some simple changes could make it even more effective. More

Here’s to Another 40,000 Years

August 11th, 2010

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A new model for conservation in Australia protects important landscapes, provides jobs and keeps indigenous people in the role of managing their own lands, writes the Conservancy's Michael Looker. More

Indigenous Lands Conserved in Northern Australia

September 29th, 2009

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Indigenous Aboriginal ranger Romeo Lane points out an ancient painting of a six-legged goanna lizard to the curious crowd of media and visitors — myself included — that surrounds him. The painting is just one of thousands that scatter the escarpments of Arnhem Land in the very northern tip of Australia’s vast tropical savanna. This rich [...] More

Australia: Land of the Unusual, or the Homogenized?

September 14th, 2009

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The island nation of Australia has a long history of newcomers landing on its shores — beginning with the first indigenous people, who arrived over 40,000 years ago. With them they bought what was probably the first introduced animal to Australia – the dingo. While it is highly probable this canine had a significant impact [...] More