Malan Bothma

I commenced my PhD at UNSW in 2025 after completing a Master of Environmental Science at the University of Melbourne. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Biology & Chemistry) and Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Honours) at the University of Sydney. My experience in ecological consulting, diverse academic background and keen interest in nature (especially birdwatching) have sparked an interest in human-wildlife conflict and biodiversity conservation. I hope to integrate existing field techniques with emerging technologies to best mitigate anthropogenic impacts on Australia's birdlife.

Supervised by: Prof. Will Cornwell and Dr. Ruby E. Stephens

Project Title: Investigating the impacts of terrestrial wind farm infrastructure on Australian avifauna

Project Description: My project aims to gain a greater understanding of the impacts of wind farms on Australian birds and to explore the use of emerging techniques in long-term monitoring at wind energy facilities. I will be focusing on species-specific impacts and landscape-scale characteristics to better understand variation in the impacts of wind farms on Australian birds. By examining acoustic technology on wind energy facilities, I further aim to determine the potential for effective long-term monitoring.