The Bush Blitz team brings together expertise in scientific fieldwork, science communication, project delivery and stakeholder engagement. Most team members are based in Parks Australia, working in partnership with Earthwatch Australia to deliver the program.
Jo Harding
Bush Blitz Manager
Jo Harding (MPhil (Wildlife Conservation Management); BA) is the Bush Blitz Manager. Jo has undertaken field work in Australia, Thailand and Vietnam. Before moving into the field of natural resource management she studied non-human primates and has published and presented scientific papers on the study of wild and captive primate behaviour, ecology and taxonomy. Jo has worked and travelled in Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Indonesia and the United Kingdom. She has 3 children and lives in Canberra.
Kate Gillespie
Bush Blitz Remote Operations Lead
Kate (BSc Hons Zoology) joined the Bush Blitz team in 2010 and has lead over 25 Bush Blitzes across every state and territory in Australia. She has over 15 years experience in undertaking biological field survey management and ecological impact assessments for the private and government sectors. She has undertaken volunteer work for a number of conservation organisations and worked on threatened species programs throughout Australia. Originally from Melbourne, Kate has also lived and worked in Ireland as an ecologist and has undertaken coyote research in California USA.
Dr Kate Grarock
Bush Blitz Remote Operations Lead
Dr Kate is an ecologist, who worked for 5 years on research and restoration of critically endangered grassy woodlands in the ACT, before joining the Bush Blitz team. This work included reintroducing locally extinct species, such as the Eastern Bettong, Quoll and Bush Stone-curlew. Kate also developed a suite of education programs for the Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, sharing science with policy makers, students and the local community. This work resulted in her being a Eureka Prize finalist in 2018 and ACT Australian of the year nominee in 2019. In her spare time Kate loves hiking and packrafting.
Dr Bryan Lessard
Bush Blitz Communications and Partnerships Officer
Bryan Lessard (PhD Entomology) aka Bry the Fly Guy joined the Bush Blitz team with more than 15 years’ experience in taxonomic research and science communication. Bry has named 50 species new to science and sparked a global conversation on the importance of taxonomy after naming the fabulous Beyoncé and RuPaul flies. He led the Australian Geographic Citizen Science expeditions to Lord Howe Island and other successful fieldtrips throughout Australia, New Zealand, Chile and South Africa. While at CSIRO, Bry published the first national roadmap to the Australian edible insect market with a strong First Nations-led approach. He also managed the Australian Biological Resources Study to help support taxonomists through the National Taxonomic Research Grant Program. You may have seen Bry share his passion for biodiversity and inspire the next generation of scientists on social media, YouTube, radio or TV.
Paula Banks
Bush Blitz Reporting Officer
Paula (BSc Hons Zoology) compiles the reports that follow each Bush Blitz expedition. Growing up in Wales, Paula's interest in wildlife led her to undertake personal species discovery trips to places such as Madagascar and the Galapagos Islands before she finally settled in Australia. Paula is passionate about science communication and delivered environmental education and volunteer management through non-profit organisations before joining Parks Australia in 2012.
Helen Cross
Bush Blitz Business & Finance Officer
Helen (BSc - Ecology & Natural Resources) grew up in Canberra and lived and worked in western Queensland as a Ranger and Regional Landcare Facilitator before moving back to Canberra. She joined Bush Blitz in 2019 to look after administration and finances. Since then she has helped run 14 Bush Blitz expeditions, including 3 as the Expedition Leader (as at the end of 2025). In her spare time she enjoys photographing wildlife and documenting it on the NatureMapr citizen science platform.
Megan McLeod
Bush Blitz TeachLive Coordinator
Megan (M.Sc. Ecosystem Management and Conservation) is Program Coordinator for Climate and Biodiversity at Earthwatch, and runs the Bush Blitz TeachLive Program by organising the placement of BHP employees and STEM teachers as research assistants on Bush Blitz expeditions. Prior to this role Megan worked as an ecological researcher, using trail cameras and acoustic recorders to analyse wildlife responses to fire across Victoria. She is passionate about the conservation and protection of Australia’s unique ecosystems, and believes engaging the community through citizen science is fundamental to achieving this goal.
