Principal Ecologist & Founder
Dr. Michelle McKemey founded Melaleuca Environmental in 2008 to provide specialized consultancy services that bridge the gap between environmental science and cultural heritage. An ecologist, researcher, and best-selling author, her work has been featured in international scientific journals, Time Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.
Michelle’s long-term commitment to collaborating with Indigenous communities as a leading practitioner of "Right-way Science" ensures that Indigenous-led conversation and knowledge are integrate ethically and effectively with Western Scientific methods. This has earned her the CSIRO Award for Indigenous Engagement, national recognition from the Ecological Society of Australia and the 2021 University of New England Chancellor’s Doctoral Research Medal, recognizing the global impact of her work supporting cultural burning and seasonal calendar co-development.
With over 25 years of experience across local, state, and federal government sectors, Michelle brings a wealth of expertise to complex ecological projects. In addition to her consultancy work, she co-directs a commercial grazing operation in regional NSW, providing her with a unique, practical perspective on the intersection of sustainable agriculture, community-led action, and land management.
Consultant
Elizabeth Rosser brings extensive experience in landscape-scale environmental management, grounded in a deep understanding of regional communities. Her background spans agricultural systems and rural consultancy, giving her a practical foundation for driving ecological outcomes alongside sustainable land management.
Her core work centers on delivering targeted training, creating educational resources, and leading capacity-building initiatives for landholders, community groups, Traditional Owners, and government agencies. She specializes in securing and reporting on project funding, facilitating stakeholder partnerships, and developing practical programs that advance biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.
ased in the New England region, she helps clients design and deliver projects that build long-term resilience for communities and Country.
Gamilaraay Specialist
Bernadette Duncan is a proud Gamilaraay woman, qualified linguist, traditional healer, and cultural knowledge holder with over 30 years of experience in language revitalization and community engagement. She has dedicated her career to developing language programs and resources that strengthen cultural identity and transmit Gamilaraay knowledge across generations.
As Melaleuca Environmental's Gamilaraay Specialist, Bernadette provides language, cultural knowledge, and writing services for key regional projects. Her contributions embed traditional ecological knowledge into initiatives such as the second edition of Bush Tucker, Boomerangs and Bandages, the Gwydir Wetlands Seasonal Calendar, and cultural mapping across Gamilaraay Country—ensuring cultural heritage is protected and integrated into environmental management.
Chief Botanist
Professor John Hunter brings over 30 years of consultancy experience to his collaborations with Melaleuca Environmental as a premier authority on Australian vegetation communities. A specialist subcontractor, John provides expert botanical services, including flora surveys, vegetation mapping, and threatened species identification. He has personally established more than 31,000 floristic survey sites, a monumental body of work that has informed the mapping of the majority of the National Park estate in northern and western NSW.
When a project requires specialized botanical depth, John applies his extensive field history and expertise in survey design to ensure rigorous data collection and legislative compliance. A prolific author of definitive botanical guides on Eucalypts and wetland plants, he remains a leading figure in the scientific community through his leadership within the International Association of Vegetation Scientists.
Aboriginal Ranger & Specialist Educator
Aunty Lesley Patterson is a Banbai Elder and Ranger from the Wattleridge Indigenous Protected Area who brings together generations of cultural knowledge with on-ground environmental stewardship. A gifted public speaker and specialist educator, Lesley shares her deep cultural knowledge and stories with a wide range of audiences. Her expertise in plant conservation and cultural burning has been featured in international scientific papers and media, highlighting her role in managing native plant nurseries and leading collaborative research. With over 20 years of operational experience and a dedicated work ethic, she is a leading voice in educating the public on how to work together to look after Australia’s rich heritage.
Cultural Connector
Uncle Darryl French is a Gamilaroi Elder and educator with a multidisciplinary background including a Bachelor of Teaching, a Diploma of Aboriginal Education, and a Master of Commercial Law. Darryl leads the "right-way" repatriation of knowledge for the Gwydir Reconnecting Watercourse Country Program. His work on the Guwaaydha Warrambul (Gwydir Wetland) project involves literature review, research, and analysis to ensure that cultural and natural values are returned to the community at both a human and documentation level. He networks with First Nations scientists, archaeologists, and knowledge holders to integrate diverse perspectives into sustainable land management. Beyond his research and community education leadership, Darryl is a talented artist whose work is featured throughout Melaleuca's collaborative projects, visually anchoring our scientific outputs in Gamilaroi culture.
Gomeroi Work Experience Student
Noah Smith is a proud Gomeroi man, currently completing a double degree in Environmental Science and Indigenous Studies at the Australian National University. Bringing five years of experience as a Cultural and Bush Foods educator in the Sydney region, Noah has expertise in sharing traditional knowledge, connection to Country, and community engagement. At Melaleuca Environmental, he applies and expands his passion for Indigenous ecological practices, contributing across field work, data processing, and cultural burning initiatives.
BAM Accredited Assessor & Ecologist
Ian Simpson is an Accredited Assessor under the NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme with over 20 years of expertise in environmental science and ecological consulting. His field of expertise is in the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) and its integration with state and federal legislation, stewardship sites, and the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust. He specialises in ecological survey design, threatened species monitoring, and vegetation mapping in the Hunter, New England, and Western regions of NSW. Ian is dedicated to ensuring project compliance and achieving high-quality environmental outcomes through rigorous data collection, GIS reporting, and adherence to legislative guidelines.​
Why 'Melaleuca'?
The name Melaleuca is derived from the Ancient Greek μÎλας (mélas) meaning "dark" or "black" and λευκός (leukós) meaning "white", apparently because one of the first specimens described had fire-blackened white bark.
We specialise in working in the cross-cultural space, where people of different cultures work alongside each other. We also love learning about, and applying, fire!
Why 'Melaleuca'
The name Melaleuca is derived from the Ancient Greek μÎλας (mélas) meaning "dark" or "black" and λευκÏŒς (leukós) meaning "white", apparently because one of the first specimens described had fire-blackened white bark.
We specialise in working in the cross-cultural space, where people of different cultures work alongside each other. We also love learning about, and applying, fire!
