Staff Structure
The Bushland Manager heads the department and reports to the National Trust’s Conservation Director. The Bushland Manager is responsible for the day to day running of the department and works with other areas within the Trust which provide financial and other services.
Our Staff
The Bushland Management Division is comprised of five core office based staff and approximately 65 field staff.
Diana Picone
Diana is the Manager of the Bushland Management Division. Diana has several years of practical bush regeneration experience and has prepared management plans for a number of bushland reserves in south western Sydney.
Pat Thomas
Pat is the Area Coordinator for Southern Sydney area & Eastern suburbs. She has 18 years experience in bush regeneration and was a trainer during the time the National Trust provided the Introduction to Bushland Management course. Pat is also qualified in Horticulture. Her particular expertise includes native plant identification and propagation.
Elisabeth Dark
Elisabeth is the Area Coordinator for Northern Sydney & Central Coast areas. She has several years experience in bush regeneration. Elisabeth has a background in community education regarding environmental issues and sustainable living practices.
Paul Angel
Paul is the Area Coordinator for the Western Sydney & Blue Mountains areas. He has a background in sustainable forestry and commenced his career in Bushland Regeneration in 1994. He was involved in forest health research in northern NSW before joining the National Trust. He has experience in the restoration of a range of vegetation types including rainforest, wet and dry sclerophyl forest as well as coastal heathland and wetland communities throughout NSW and Tasmania. Paul has supervised teams on environmental projects across the Sydney region for the National Trust for three years before taking on the tasks of Area Coordinator.
Lyn Whiley
Lyn is the Finance Assistant for the Bushland Management Division. Lyn has over 20 years experience in bush regeneration. She has several years experience budgeting and managing finances for small businesses. Lyn was a trainer during the time the National Trust provided the Introduction to Bushland Management course and also taught TAFE’s Bush Regeneration Certificate course for several years.
The office based staff have the following roles:
- The Bushland Manager conducts the administration required for the coordination of staff management and the management of contracts;
- Area Coordinators for the northern, western, eastern and southern regions - these roles support the bush regeneration teams and liaise with current and prospective clients.
- The Finance and Administrative assistants support the Bushland Management Division through maintenance of site and financial records & invoicing systems.
Field staff work in teams, with each team under the direction of a Supervisor. Typical bush regeneration teams are comprised of a Site Supervisor, an Assistant Supervisor and Regenerators – including qualified and trainee regenerators. New recruits serve a traineeship period which includes a series of appraisals by Supervisors.
