As Presiding Member of the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board, Chris leads a community-centred effort to manage, protect and, in some cases, restore the region’s natural resources.

Under Chris’s leadership, the NRM board, in consultation with primary producers, the community, government and industry, is responsible for the development of the region’s NRM Plan, which sets goals, priorities and targets for the sustainable use of natural resources in the region. The plan aims to ensure there is a balance between the needs of the environment, people and the economy.

Chris is also Professor of Biology at the University of South Australia. He is a prolific scientist and author, having written or edited nine books and a DVD, and contributed to more than 170 scientific publications. He has been published on issues regarding the natural and built environments, and has an abiding interest in reptiles, particularly lizards. Chris is also an award-winning science communicator. He has regular sessions on 891 ABC Radio, and has written for many popular press publishers, on a range of science and environmental topics