Dr Ronda Joy Green is a research ecologist, sustainable wildlife tourism specialist, author and ecotourism proprietor with over four decades of experience spanning research, education, consultancy and conservation leadership. She holds a BSc (Honours) in Zoology from the University of Adelaide and a PhD in Zoology from Monash University, with postdoctoral research at Griffith University focusing on rainforest seed dispersal by avian frugivores.

Her research interests include avian foraging behaviour, habitat selection, seed dispersal, wildlife responses to habitat alteration, primate behaviour, and the ecological and social dimensions of wildlife tourism. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, books and international reports, and has co-edited major volumes on wildlife tourism and conservation. Her work has contributed significantly to understanding both the impacts of tourism on wildlife and its potential role in conservation.

Ronda has taught and convened courses across multiple universities and institutions in Australia and internationally, including Griffith University, the University of Queensland, Southern Cross University, Central Queensland University and the Lucerne University of Applied Science and Arts (Switzerland). Her teaching spans ecology, conservation biology, wildlife tourism, interpretation and citizen science, alongside long-term mentoring of students and early-career scientists.

She is the founder and proprietor of Araucaria Ecotours, established in 1996 and specialising in educational wildlife tourism, and Green Publications, which focuses on wildlife-related books and resources. She also works as an environmental consultant, conducting fauna surveys, environmental impact assessments and conservation planning for councils, NGOs and private organisations.

Ronda currently serves as Chair of Wildlife Tourism Australia, the Scenic Rim branch of Wildlife Queensland, and the Biodiversity Working Group of IUCN’s Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS). In these roles, she has led international conferences, workshops, webinars and policy initiatives, and has been actively involved in developing best-practice guidelines for sustainable wildlife tourism globally.

An invited speaker at conferences and workshops across Australia, Asia, the Pacific, Europe and South America, Ronda has also been commissioned by the UN World Tourism Organization, conservation organisations and tourism operators to contribute to international reports, guide training programmes and educational materials. She lives on a forested property adjacent to Mt Chinghee National Park, protected under a Vegetation Conservation Covenant, where she is developing an educational Wildlife Ecology Centre and nature trails.

Most recently, Ronda collaborated with Dr. David Newsome to support the development of local guiding capacity in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Through their joint efforts and training initiatives, they are helping to enhance guides’ interpretive skills, deepening their understanding of the region’s environment, flora, and fauna. This collaborative contribution helps to empower local guides to deliver more engaging and meaningful experiences, while fostering a stronger appreciation for Borneo’s remarkable biodiversity.

In recognition of Ronda’s efforts towards environmental protection and conservation, Sukau Rainforest Lodge honours her as one of our Conservation Fellows.

Sukau Rainforest Lodge honours Ronda’s contribution by dedicating Deluxe Room No. 11 in her name.

Professor David Newsome is a dual British/Australian national and Emeritus Professor at Murdoch University, where he worked as an academic in Environmental Science from 1990 to 2021. He holds a PhD in Environmental Science from Murdoch University and has over three decades of experience in natural resource management, protected area planning, and sustainable tourism development. His teaching activity comprised research student supervision, undergraduate teaching and unit coordination across 12 different subject areas, specializing in Water and Earth Science, Land Management, Nature-based Tourism and Protected Area Management.

David is the lead author of the seminal textbook Natural Area Tourism: Ecology, Impacts and Management, which is held in over 1,000 libraries worldwide and is widely used in university courses globally. In 2024, he was recognized in the Scopus/Stanford ranking of the top 2% of scientists in his research fields for both single-year and career achievements.

His research has had a substantial impact on informing the management of National Parks in Western Australia. During his service on the Conservation Commission of Western Australia (2007-2016), where he chaired the Management Planning Committee, he contributed to the development of guidelines and policy documents that continue to guide protected area management today. His work has led to policy alterations and changed management practices following advice to ministers and government departments, both internationally and within Australia.

With over 200 publications in leading journals, David has been instrumental in defining the field of geotourism. He is the lead author of Wildlife Tourism and co-editor of the first suite of books describing geotourism as a specialist form of natural area tourism, including the Handbook of Geotourism, Geotourism: the tourism of geology and landscape, and Global Geotourism Perspectives. These works have helped define and inform the direction of geotourism in the global context.

He serves on the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, contributing to the Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group and the Geoheritage Specialist Group. He has conducted World Heritage assessments, ecotourism and geotourism evaluations, and tour guide training across Australia, China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Iceland, Indonesia, and beyond. He also serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Geoheritage and Parks and Journal of Ecotourism, and is a member of the Shark Bay World Heritage Advisory Committee.

David's work spans multiple continents, with fieldwork and research experience in over 20 countries including Australia, Christmas Island, the United Kingdom, Norway, Cameroon, Uganda, Madagascar, Mauritius, southern Africa, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, China and Malaysia. His research focuses on sustainable tourism in protected areas, wildlife tourism management, and enhancing the economic value of geodiversity and biodiversity. He has delivered keynote seminars on protected area assessments and continues to advise governments and communities on best ecotourism practices, particularly in Southeast Asia and Australia, working to ensure that tourism development supports both conservation goals and local communities.

Most recently, David collaborated with Dr. Ronda Green to support the development of local guiding capacity in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Through their joint efforts and training initiatives, they are helping to enhance guides’ interpretive skills, deepening their understanding of the region’s environment, flora, and fauna. This collaborative contribution helps to empower local guides to deliver more engaging and meaningful experiences, while fostering a stronger appreciation for Borneo’s remarkable biodiversity.

In recognition of David’s efforts towards environmental protection and conservation, Sukau Rainforest Lodge honours him as one of our Conservation Fellows.

Sukau Rainforest Lodge honours David's contribution by dedicating Deluxe Room No. 18 in his name.