Meet the MidCoast Team
Reegan Walker, Regional Partnership Officer, and Caitlin Orr, Koala Officer, lead the delivery of koala conservation actions across the MidCoast and Port Stephens region under the NSW Koala Strategy. Based at MidCoast Council, Caitlin provides partners, stakeholders and community members with on-ground support for koala conservation projects, while Reegan coordinates the implementation of actions under the NSW Koala Strategy from within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
We recently sat down with Reegan and Caitlin to find out more about their background, career and, most importantly, what drives them to do the work they do.
What is your background?
Reegan: I've lived on the north coast of New South Wales most of my life and feel a strong attachment to the area. Growing up in the bush I learnt to love our environment and the animals living within it. After completing my undergraduate and master's degrees in environmental science at the University of New England, I travelled to Roma in western Queensland to work with landholders to help protect the native vegetation on their properties. During this time, I learned that seeking win-win solutions tends to get the best outcomes for our environment and the landholders.
After Queensland, I was lucky enough to land a job at Local Land Services in Gunnedah, New South Wales, working with landholders mostly to protect threatened species. I coordinated a large-scale revegetation and restoration project seeking to link isolated patches of vegetation to improve habitat condition for various threatened species. While it became really clear to me during this time how much our environment has suffered over the past few decades, I saw first-hand how many in our community are willing to change their behaviour and management practices to improve the environment for their children and future generations.
Caitlin: I grew up in Victoria spending most of my time outdoors. I have a varied background, working in ecotourism, bush regeneration, research and community engagement. I had the privilege to teach a variety of people how to surf, to enjoy a zip line through the trees and to appreciate the incredible local wildlife and environment west of Melbourne. After completing my bachelor’s degree in conservation and wildlife biology at Deakin University, I went on to work for an ecotourism company and their not-for-profit sister organisation while completing my master’s degree in environmental science at Charles Sturt University. In this role I spent most of my time monitoring the local koala population and educating both residents and tourists about the wonderful world of koalas.
I moved to New South Wales in 2021 to work for a consulting firm as an ecologist and environmental scientist. This allowed me to travel across much of New South Wales and southern Queensland, exploring beautiful landscapes and seeing the impacts of droughts, floods and fires on communities and our environment first-hand.
My time working with koalas in the You Yangs, Victoria, led to a very close understanding of each individual and the population ... we all see this cute, cuddly animal and tend not to delve much deeper. What I found instead was a complex community with a variety of personalities that have long fascinated me.
What led you to joining the Koala Strategy team?
Reegan: I moved to Taree in 2017 and continued to work with government agencies and the local community to protect and improve the environment and threatened species conservation outcomes.
I joined the NSW Koala Strategy team in 2022 because I was impressed by the scope of works detailed within the strategy. It seemed to offer a wide variety of projects that would help koalas and our environment more broadly.
Caitlin: For 3 years my work focussed on monitoring and aiding a koala population in the You Yangs, Victoria. My time with these koalas led to a very close understanding of each individual and the population where I absolutely fell in love with them and their environment. We all see this cute, cuddly animal and tend not to delve much deeper. What I found instead was a complex community with a variety of personalities that have long since fascinated me.
I joined the Koala Strategy team to support the MidCoast community to make the region a safe space for koalas and to further our knowledge of this wonderful species.
What does your day-to-day role entail?
Reegan: My role is mostly about supporting the different government agencies and our community to conserve koalas and their habitat. This usually involves providing advice on koala habitat restoration funding proposals, input into koala survey designs, technical advice on koala habitat mapping or being involved in meetings as the local koala advisory representative for government. Sometimes I escape the office and head off into the field looking at habitat restoration projects or travelling to meetings across our region.
Caitlin: My role includes all things koala across the MidCoast Council local government area, covering more than 10,000 square kilometres with a variety of landscapes. I spend a lot of time in the field, working directly with the community and landholders to help the local koala populations.
I work within a great team at MidCoast Council, who are all working within the community for a wide range of positive environmental outcomes through on-ground actions.
I do this work because it's what motivates me the most. It gives me a sense of purpose and a source of energy to be working to protect and improve our environment. Because of the sense of appreciation and attachment I feel to our environment, I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do the work I'm doing.
Why do you do what you do?
Reegan: Since starting with the NSW Koala Strategy, I have enjoyed the work and find it very rewarding. Seeing the willingness of our local community to participate in projects to help koalas has been inspiring on many levels. I've learned that most people are more than happy to dedicate their time and areas of land to help koalas. Finding ways to allow private landholders to restore our native vegetation on scale and with appropriate economic incentives is a strong area of interest for me.
I do this work because it's what motivates me the most. It gives me a sense of purpose and a source of energy to be working to protect and improve our environment. Because of the sense of appreciation and attachment I feel to our environment, I feel incredibly lucky to be able to do the work I'm doing.
Caitlin: I have never dreamed of doing anything else. It’s incredible to have a job where every day is different, working in a variety of communities and environments with so many passionate people.