Patrick Pigott has been involved in environmental research in Australia for more than 20 years. He has diverse experience in a number of eucalypt forest environments in WA and Victoria, working on a range of forest health issues and management problems. At present he manages research and environmental planning for Parks Victoria’s Active Forest Health Program, River Red Gum Parks. In April 2011 Patrick will move from the Centre for Environmental Management to an ongoing environmental science position with PV to formalize his leadership in this program and look towards development of new research programs in Central Victoria.

Patrick’s current interests include new ecological thinning research and feral horse monitoring at Barmah National Park as well as firewood resource assessment in nearby PV parks and reserves. He also continues to liaise with research partners including CEM on the Box-Ironbark Ecological Thinning Trial, a project he has been involved with since 2004. Patrick also has conducted research into understanding elements of the adaptive management cycle in the context of management scale research projects.

Initially working for Parks Victoria, Patrick moved to the CEM in 2007 where he has combined his project management role for PV as well as contributing to Box-Ironbark research, vegetation surveys, environmental weed communication projects and ‘Net Gain’ planning. Prior to working for PV, Patrick worked on similar types of projects for a national consulting firm in Melbourne.

Prior to 2003, Patrick worked for many years as a research scientist in State Government agencies in both Western Australia and Victoria. During the 1990's he gained diverse scientific and communications experience in a range of projects including improved weed management, farmland re-vegetation techniques, impact of environmental weeds on threatened flora, conservation status of Goodeniaceae, natural regeneration in grassy eucalypt woodlands and regional assessment of biodiversity. Whilst working at the Keith Turnbull Research Institute (1999-2002) Patrick contributed to the development of strategic plans and associated projects under the then new National Weeds Strategy, including Blackberry and Willows.

Patrick’s postgraduate research was based on studies in remnant urban bushland in Perth, and included analysis of plant communities, mapping of eucalypt decline, and the relationship between fire regimes and weed invasion.