From Sunday 23 to Friday 28 November 2025, ecologists from across Australia gathered in Adelaide on Kaurna Country for the annual Ecological Society of Australia (ESA) Conference. With sunshine, stimulating conversations and a packed scientific program, it was a memorable week for the nine ICON Science members who attended and presented their research.
Dr Nita Lauren kicked off the conference for ICON, presenting her research on behavioural spillover in zoo visitors after purchasing wildlife-friendly coffee. Her work explored whether small, everyday conservation actions can lead to broader pro-environmental behaviours. The takeaway? Simple, accessible actions, when paired with tailored and meaningful messaging, may help foster wider conservation engagement. A great way to set the tone for the week.
On Wednesday morning, Dr Lily van Eeden joined a panel discussion alongside Dr Megan Evans and Dr Bek Christensen, focused on pathways to impact for ecological research, particularly how to inform policy. One of the strongest messages from the panel was reassuring and empowering: you don’t need to be a big name in ecological science to influence people and policy. There is space for all ecologists, including early career researchers, to share their expertise and help shape practice and decision-making.
Later that day, Professor Sarah Bekessy co-convened a full-day symposium on ‘Nature Positive Cities’, alongside collaborators from Green Adelaide and Macquarie University. The symposium showcased a range of innovative ideas and case studies, and featured several ICON Science postdocs and PhD students. It was a clear demonstration of ICON’s strong focus on urban ecology, interdisciplinary research and translating science into real-world outcomes.
Urban design and development featured strongly across ICON presentations. Dr Jacinta Humphrey shared the findings of a recent expert elicitation project estimating the cost of implementing a range of Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design (BSUD) actions in a greenfield community development, compared with a business-as-usual approach. Her conclusion challenged a common assumption: designing for nature is cheaper than you think. Her work suggests BSUD is both feasible and relatively affordable to incorporate into new developments. Jacinta also made a major contribution beyond her conference presentation. She was invited to speak at Postgrad Day and played a key role in organising initiatives for early career ecologists, including a session titled ‘The Ups, Downs, and Sideways of an Ecology Career’, the Mentor Booth, a social night for early career attendees, and even a set of stickers for those looking for jobs or research projects.
Several ICON PhD students also took to the stage. Katherine Robertson presented at her first ever conference, sharing a narrative literature review on potential human–wildlife interactions of concern in biodiverse urban areas. She also explored urban design and planning strategies that could help mitigate zoonotic disease risk, an increasingly important topic as cities continue to grow.
Fiona Hoegh-Guldberg presented the final chapter of her PhD, which applies Nature-Water Design to improve outcomes for biodiversity, water and people, using a residential street as a case study. Fiona clearly demonstrated the benefits of integrating both Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) and Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design (BSUD) when designing or retrofitting streetscapes. Her excellent presentation was recognised with 2nd place in the Most Outstanding Spoken Presentation by a Student.
Social and environmental justice were also strong themes. Dr Nerkez Opacin presented his research on how nature-based social interventions can benefit LGBTIQA+ asylum seekers and refugees. He called for more co-designed, place-based strategies that elevate the voices of people most affected by ecological and social exclusion. PhD student Catalina Mardones Martinez complemented this focus, presenting her systematic literature review on the wellbeing benefits and barriers of urban nature for recent migrants. While she found more positive impacts than negative ones, her work highlighted the importance of designing inclusive urban green spaces that work for diverse communities.
Rounding out ICON’s contributions, Dr Cristina Hernandez-Santin presented her work on The Paddock, a 27-home regenerative development in southeastern Australia designed to empower residents to take part in ecological restoration and regeneration. Cris reflected on how the project has fostered stronger human–nature connections and enhanced nature stewardship among residents – an inspiring example of what nature-positive living can look like in practice.
Overall, ESA 2025 was a busy, energising and genuinely fun week, helped along by some beautiful Adelaide weather. ICON attendees left feeling connected, inspired and optimistic about the future of Nature Positive Cities, and about Australian biodiversity and ecology more broadly.
