Dedicated to conserving Australian wild macadamia trees and their native habitat, meet the Wild Macadamia Conservation team.
There are many ways to be part of the Wild Macadamia Conservation team.
Wild Macadamia Champions
Wild Macadamia Champions become informed about macadamia species and their rich and diverse forest habitat. We spread the word so that all Australians know about this precious resource and the need to protect it.
Our members
WMC members are people and partner organisations with an active role in protecting wild macadamias and their habitat:
- Liaising with First Nations, the original and continuing custodians of macadamias and their habitat
- Restoring and expanding macadamia habitat
- Facilitating research to informs our conservation strategies
- Surveying remnant populations
- Mitigating threats to remnant habitat
- Raising funds to support our vision: Wild Macadamias are protected forever
Our Board
Many of our Board members have been working on macadamia conservation in a voluntary capacity for decades and have nurtured the organisation from an informal committee to a Trust and now to an independent organisation. Our Directors are happiest exploring macadamia habitat but they also look after the less glamourous tasks to ensure that WMC is an effective, independent, forward-thinking and well-governed organisation.
The role of the board is to manage WMC Limited as a charity and registered environmental organisation to support and conserve Australian wild macadamia trees and their native habitat.
Paul Chapman – Chair of WMC
Paul combines a background in agricultural research and business with a commitment to Landcare and habitat restoration. He served on the Macadamia Research and Development Committee for nine years, including four as Chair and brings valuable skills in strategic decision making to WMC. As Executive member of his local Landcare group, he also understands the constraints and opportunities for conservation work and how to juggle budgets and priorities. Paul broadens our reach through his wide network of contacts across the macadamia industry, Landcare and koala habitat restoration.
Ian McConachie, AM – Founding Director
Self-identified macadamia dinosaur, we prefer to call him the Grandfather of macadamia conservation. Ian’s vision and persistence have grown a concern for wild macadamias into a recovery plan and an independent conservation organisation and source of funds to implement that plan and safeguard wild macadamias and their habitat for ever.
Andy Burnside – Founding Director
Andy’s background in native plant horticulture and the macadamia industry has helped Wild Macadamia Conservation tackle the mammoth task of creating an Arboretum of wild macadamia genetic diversity. From trekking through forests to collect cuttings, racing them to the nursery in time to strike and then not only planting the potted cuttings safely in the ground, but noting which tree went where… this collection is a legacy to be proud of.
Nigel Greenup, PSM – Director
Nigel complements the macadamia background of other board members with over 40 years of distinguished work in park and environmental management, for which he received a Public Service Medal in 2026. His experience in navigating the three levels of government to achieve conservation outcomes in NSW, Queensland and on Norfolk Island will be essential as we work to strengthen community engagement in wild macadamia conservation.
Our Staff
We currently have two staff members who work on the WMC mission to:
Drive the recovery of Australia’s wild macadamia species through collaborative research, advocacy and on-ground action.
Denise Bond – Executive Officer
Denise is Executive Officer of Wild Macadamia Conservation aka Chief Nut, and typically for a small conservation groups tries to do everything from licking envelopes to writing annual reports and reading through complex research papers to glean any conservation lessons.
Her conservation journey started with campaigns to protect Terania Creek and the Franklin River, before working with the Australian Conservation Foundation, Queensland Conservation Council and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in Australia, Nepal, Uganda and Palau. Now she gets to think global and act local by focussing on a single genus with a complex set of challenges.
After 8 years solo (with great support from members and directors), she is very happy to be able to work with Tina to progress macadamia conservation in Queensland.
Tina Raveneau – Project Officer
Tina Raveneau is Wild Macadamia Conservation’s Project Officer for Queensland’s Mary River catchment, working in partnership with the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee.
A Mary Valley local, Tina has spent many years working in environmental education and bush regeneration in the region. She assists Tiaro Landcare’s Mary River Turtle nest protection program and works at Moonaboola Garden Nursery with the Maryborough Aboriginal Corporation for Housing and Cultural Development. When it comes to caring for country, Tina is very much someone who walks the talk.
Her work with Wild Macadamia Conservation focuses on protecting Bauple Nuts (Macadamia integrifolia) and their habitat around Mt Bauple, where populations are small, isolated, and under pressure from invasive weeds. Tina works two days a week with local landholders and community groups to find, protect and expand wild macadamia populations in the catchment.