Co-Acting Executive Director | Bree Ahrens
Bree’s career as a champion for climate and environment issues, social justice and worker’s rights spans twenty years.
She leads ECNT’s climate campaign, spearheading a multi-pronged program to hold back gas industry expansion in the Northern Territory, both on land and in our seas, and to shift the economic development narrative from digging, drilling and extracting, to a future that favours people and planet.
Previously Bree worked in Indonesia and Timor Leste, supporting domestic workers in their quest for workplace rights and analysing the impacts of oil and gas dependency on the climate and economy.
In Australia, Bree has been an organiser in the union movement and in student politics, including as President of the University of Melbourne Student Union, and has supported feminist and LGBT groups to work collectively and build power.
She has worked as a researcher, educator, editor and translator in Melbourne and overseas.
Bree holds a Master of Arts in Asian Studies and a Bachelor of Arts, both from the University of Melbourne.
Co-Acting Executive Director | Carolina Francia
Carolina is an accomplished operations and finance professional with 25 years’ experience across civil society, social services and environmental organisations in Australia and the United Kingdom. Her expertise spans operations systems and processes, financial management, budgeting and human resources as well as campaigns and event management. She is committed to strengthening ECNT’s operations, providing a solid base to support ECNT’s critical campaigns for NT nature, while fostering a caring, cohesive workplace.
Carolina serves on the board of Darwin arts organisation Happy Yess. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in International Relations and Development Studies, from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
Philanthropy Manager | Ione McLean
Ione has engaged, supported and been inspired by philanthropists for over a decade at the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN), a member-based organisation for environmental funders that strives to grow effective philanthropy to protect nature and secure a safe climate. Previously she worked in program and business development in the climate and energy efficiency sector with non-government organisations, state government and small business, and as a fundraiser for several environmental organisations, Environment Victoria and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. Ione has a Master of Environmental Science from Monash University and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne.
Rural Areas Community Campaigner | Pauline Cass
Climate Campaigner | Sarah Wilson
Seeing climate justice is the driving force behind the work that Sarah does at the Environment Centre NT as a climate campaigner. She has a background in politics, project management and advocacy work, and she wants to see an end to the expansion of the harmful fossil fuel industry within this critical decade.
Climate Campaigner | Dan Broun
Dan has had extensive experience in film and television production, nature conservation and progressive politics. He enjoys grassroots community campaigning, big picture thinking and holding decision makers to account. Dan is a keen bushwalker and outdoors enthusiast, a wilderness photographer and lover of music and the arts.
He firmly believes we are all in this together and that by nurturing and protecting nature we are in fact caring for each other.
Climate campaigner | Niall Earl
Niall brings a background grounded in political ecology - with an approach that frames environmental issues as inseparable from society, culture and politics. Previously Niall worked as a researcher in food and water security, First Nations water in federal government, community-led development, and in local print media.
Senior Campaigner - Nature | Allana Brown
Allana Brown is an environmental policy professional with over 15 years experience working in the environment sector across northern Australia. Allana has a background in conservation science and a Master of Public Policy from Charles Darwin University. She has worked in government, the not-for-profit sector and for Indigenous organisations. Allana is currently based in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.
Nature Campaigner | Amy Russell
A former Australian Geographic reporter and communications specialist, Amy was drawn to environmental campaigning after witnessing the power and energy of the Save Binybara/Lee Point campaign. As a mother of two young children, Amy believes we owe it to future generations to fight for nature.
Nature and Water Campaigner | Correa Driscoll
Correa has always been passionate about action on climate change, biodiversity conservation and environmental justice. She has worked in fundraising, community-led landcare organisations, local and federal government, and volunteered on several climate and environmental campaigns. Correa brings her expertise in policy and community engagement to the ECNT, where she is building on and supporting critical campaigns to protect the Territory's water and natural environments.
Northern Australian Conservation Alliance Coordinator | Amanda Lilleyman PhD
Amanda has a background in conservation science and has worked in universities, NGOs, and Indigenous ranger groups. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons), and a PhD on the conservation and ecology of threatened migratory shorebirds in the tropical north. Amanda is also an active volunteer with community organisations and a frontline defender of nature.
Community Organiser | Emma Murphy
Emma first worked for Environment Centre in the early days of the anti-fracking movement, when she helped raise the alarm about, and build community opposition to, the threat posed by the onshore shale gas industry. She is now back as a community organiser with the climate team. Emma has worked as a linguist and cross-cultural facilitator with First Nations groups across Australia, most recently in Arnhem Land.
Events and Engagement | Sarah Sutcliffe
Sarah is a life-long Territorian with a background in environmental science, science communication, and live event production. From counting turtles to booking bands, she is fuelled by a deep love of the Territory's magical nature and people.
Digital Communications Manager | Emma Hoy
Emma is a digital creative with experience. She holds degrees in creative arts and international development.
Senior Media Specialist | Jem Wilson
Jem is a former journalist who helps to profile ECNT's work in the media.