Natalie Baker - Project Co-ordinator
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Professional Experience
Queensland Native Fish Strategy Coordinator
(0.8
full time) May
2005 - current
Dept. of Primary Industries & Fisheries / Murray Darling Basin Commission, Brisbane, Australia
Key Responsibilities
· Promoted the objectives of the Native Fish Strategy (NFS) to State and Local government, regional NRM groups, NGOs, private industry, universites and community groups.
· Coordinated, planned and developed “demonstration reaches” in partnership with the local communities and regional NRM groups.
· Compiled 2004/5 annual report
· Presented project progress, including highlights and problems at quarterly interstate meetings for improved project design and implementation of the Strategy.
Achievements: Commencement of Queensland’s first two demonstration reaches with steering committees formed, management interventions determined and enthusiastic community support. Demonstration reaches have been in progress in other MDB states for more than a year, but were not yet started in Qld.
Development Officer (full time) February 2006 - April 2006
· Liaised with community groups, NGOs and AID agencies and identified the threats to human communities and their environment
· Raised awareness to community groups, NGOs and AID agencies of the link between healthy rivers and healthy communities
· Designed a project to rehabilitate a section of the Nairobi River (an urban catchment flowing through slum settlements), incorporating sanitation and domestic waste elements as integral components to ensure sustainable outcomes for communities and environment.
· Prepared funding proposals submitted to AusAID, Ford Foundation and CordAID.
Achievements: Designed project to integrate sanitation and domestic waste management with river rehabilitation and monitoring elements for improved community and environment health.
Twinning Project Officer (0.2 part time) December 2005 - current
International Riverfoundation, Brisbane, Australia
· Formulated a ‘Twinning Guidelines’ communiqué and ‘Twinning Toolbox’ for interested twinning participants to build effective partnerships for sharing knowledge and expertise
· Updated media brochures showcasing a twinning project
Scientific Officer (full time) July 2004 - March 2005
CRC for Sustainable Production Forestry, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia
Key Responsibilities
· Planned laboratory component for high through put samples of two forestry projects to run consecutively
· Implemented laboratory component and reported to Team Leader.
Fisheries Biologist (part time) March 2004 - June 2004
Molecular Fisheries Laboratory, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Brisbane, Australia
Key Responsibilities
· Compared traditional sequencing and novel Sequenom SNP technologies:
§ Researching existing and novel genetic protocols from various sources, liaising with technical staff, sequencing facility advisors, and colleagues etc. to optimise current sequencing protocols.
· Reported project progress and recommended protocols for two commerical fishery species for improved efficiency and integrity of results.
Research and Development Officer (part time) February 2003 – October 2003
Research and Development Department, Corbett Robotics, Brisbane, Australia
Key Responsibilities
· Optimised a novel DNA extraction technique for a robotic workstation.
· Assessed precision of liquid handling stations.
· Produced reports.
· Updated GS2000 procedures manual, including the addition of a troubleshooting section.
Academic Staff (casual) February 2002 - November 2003
School of Natural Resources, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
· Class tutor for undergraduate biology and genetics groups of 30-50 students.
· Advised students in improved literature searching and scientific report writing techniques.
· Assessment of undergraduate assignments.
Development Officer (volunteer) October 2001 - December 2001
Colobus Trust, Diani Beach, Kenya
· Built scientific capacity of Colobus Trust staff including GPS use, record keeping and statistical analysis.
· Conducted environmental education tours through the Colobus Trust of primary school visits.
Research Officer (full time) September 2000 - October 2001
Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Key Responsibilities
· Assessed impact of escaped farmed salmon on native salmon in Ireland.
· Planned laboratory cost analysis, troubleshooting of procedures
· Reported project progress and problems to Team Leader.
Research Officer (full time) August 1996 - April 2000
School of Natural Resources, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Key Responsibilities
· Managed a small genetics laboratory, including mediating conflict.
· Adhered to a modest budget ($20K/per annum)
· Delivered training to QUT students and visiting staff on genetic techniques to ensure competence of laboratory members.
· Conducted OH&S training to all lab members to ensure safe clean up of any spills.
· Presented research results at two international conferences.
· Primary and co-author of two scientific papers.
· Critiqued honours, masters and PhD thesis drafts to improve statistical analysis and readability.
· Edited project reports and funding proposals for improved scientific content and readability.
· Coordinated field trips in urban and remote Australia for QUT academics and postgraduate students.
Publications
McGinnity P., Prodöhl P., O’Maoiléidigh N., Hynes R., Cotter D., Baker N., O’Hea B. and Ferguson A. (2004) Differential lifetime success and performance of native and non-native Atlantic salmon examined under communal natural conditions Journal of Fish Biology 65: (Supplement A)
McGinnity P., Ferguson A., Baker N, Cotter D., Cross T., Cooke D., Hynes R., O’Hea B., O’ Maoiléidigh N., Prodöhl P., & Rogan G. (2003). A two-generation experiment comparing the fitness and life history traits of native, ranched, non-native, farmed and ‘hybrid’ Atlantic salmon under natural conditions. In Salmon at the Edge (Mills, D, ed.) 384 pp. Blackwell, Oxford.
McGinnity P., Prodöhl P., Ferguson A., Hynes R., O’Maoiléidigh N., Baker N., Cotter D., O’Hea B., Cooke D., Rogan G., Taggart J.B., and Cross T. (2003) Fitness reduction and potential extinction of wild populations of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar as a result of interactions with escaped farm salmon Proceedings of the Royal Society London Series B. 270: 2443-2450
Baker N, Byrne K, Moore S and Mather P (2000) Characterisation of microsatellite loci in the redclaw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus. Molecular Ecology. 9: (4) 494-495
De Silva K, Baker N and Mather P. (1999) Microsatellites as genetic markers for identification of exotic cichlids and their hybrids in Sri Lanka - a preliminary study. Sri Lanka Journal of Aquatic Sciences 4:83-90