Sal’s story in conservation and natural resource management has been diverse and rewarding in scope and geography.

Before moving to Cape York, Sal worked with the Queensland regional NRM body in Mackay in freshwater and marine habitat conservation with a particular interest in conservation planning and communications. In rural Queensland she partnered with Aramac, Booringa and Bungil Shires conducting an on-ground biodiversity survey, on foot, of the travelling stock routes in central outback Queensland. From the survey she developed assessments and GIS mapping of biodiversity hotspots throughout the 800 kilometres of travelling stock routes she walked in this part of the country.

Before venturing over the border from her NSW home state, Sal founded her own environmental, sustainability and total catchment consultancy.  She was recruited as community advocate to the NSW State Board for Southern Catchment Management Authority and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Planning Committee.

Sal has worked in conservation management in the USA and Nepal and studied wildlife documentary filmmaking in South Africa. Many years ago, before making the career change to natural resource management, she was an art curator and has a Masters degree in Museum Studies and Fine Arts.

Until last year, Sal and her partner Graham Woods co-managed the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s 170,000-hectare Piccaninny Plains Wildlife Sanctuary in the centre of the northern Cape York Peninsula for 10 years.

Sal now devotes her time to her ongoing work as Chair of Cape York NRM and maintains strong connections with the Cape York Peninsula community.

Foundational to everything Sal does is a passion for film and photography that creates an overlay of conservation communication in all that she takes on.