Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment

School of Life and Environmental Sciences

Dr Mike Weston
  Phone   +61 3 925 17433
Email   mike.weston@deakin.edu.au
Position   Senior Lecturer
Campus   Burwood
Research grouping   Marine and Freshwater Science
Wildlife and Conservation Biology
Centre for Integrative Ecology

Before coming to Deakin, I worked for 17 years in the not-for-profit conservation sector.
My interests are diverse but centre around wildlife and people, and working constructively to solve
potential conflicts for the benefit of both people and biodiversity. My particular passion is the
conservation of beach-nesting birds, and how they might be able to coexist with extremely high numbers
of recreationists.

Research interests

  1. Solutions to human/wildlife conflicts
  2. Conservation ecology, especially that of beach-nesting birds
  3. Breeding ecology of resident Australian shorebirds


Career

BSc with Honours, Melbourne University (1987-1991)
PhD, Melbourne University (2001)
Threatened Bird Network Coordinator, Birds Australia (1999-2001)
Research and Conservation Manager, Birds Australia (2000-2007)
Lecturer, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University (2007 onwards)

Key publications

Chambers, L.E., Hughes, L. and Weston M.A. (2005) Climate change and its impact on Australia’s avifauna The Emu 105, No 1, 1-20 CSIRO

Weston, M.A., and Elgar, M.A. (2007) Responses of incubating Hooded Plovers (Thinornis rubricollis) to disturbance Journal of Coastal Research 23, No 3, 569-576 Coastal Education and Research Foundation

Clemens, R, Weston, MA, Haslem, A, Silcocks, A and Ferris, J (2010) Identification of significant shorebird areas Diversity and Distributions 16, 229-242 Blackwell Publishing

Antos, M.J., Ehmke G.C., Tzaros, C.L. and Weston M.A. (2007) Unauthorised human use of an urban coastal wetland sanctuary: Current and future patterns Landscape and Urban Planning 80, 173-183 Elsevier

Weston M.A., with various coauthors (2003-2006) State of Australia's birds Birds Australia

View entire list of audited publications

Professional activities

Associate Editor, The Emu
Victorian State Organiser, Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme (ABBBS)
Member of the Australasian Ornithological Conference (AOC) Advisory Committee
Organising Committee, 2010 Australasian Wildlife Management Society Conference
Course Coordinator, Wildlife and Conservation Biology

Related links

Australasian Wildlife Management Society
http://www.awms.org.nz

 

PhD students

Student nameThesis title
Tanya PykIndividual quality in the Australsian Gannet Emma CarlosThe value of weeds to wildlife Natalie SheppardForaging of an obligate beach bird Gill Ainsworth (CDU)Human values and birds  

 

Honours students

Student nameThesis title Hayley Glover (completed)Response distances of birds to disturbance: towards meaningful buffers Jessica Bywater (completed)Parental care and mating system of Red-capped Plover Elizabeth Bennett (completed)Microsatellite analysis of Hooded and Red-capped Plover Kirsty Young (completed)Attitudes of Australians to beaches Amanda Orlowski (completed)The effects of koala-related defoliation on woodland bird and mammal communities Adam Cardilini (completed)Does compromised parental care constitute an ecological trap for Masked Lapwings breeding in suburbia? Kasun Ekanayake (completed)Plumage dimorphism and predation risk in the Red-capped Plover Kelly Shannon and Stephanie LomasRaven predation on ground-nesting birds Maree YarwoodA century of 'The Emu' Aimie CribbinNest fate and conditioned aversion as a management tool for the Hooded Plover  

 

Teaching areas

Wildlife Conservation and Ecology
Human/Wildlife Conflict
Biodiversity


Deakin University acknowledges the traditional land owners of present campus sites.

8th February 2013