“What’s not to love about capturing 3-metre pythons at Australia’s Millstream National Park and placing trackers on them to find out how they live!”

Exploring the rugged Western Australia bushland to track the iconic Pilbara olive python is just one of the reasons why Matt loves his job as a Biodiversity Specialist at BHP.

Matt was born and bred in Perth and as a kid if he wasn’t chasing lizards or frogs, he was fascinated by the ABC program Into the Wild, hosted by the late Australian Naturalist, Harry Butler.

He went on to study marine and terrestrial ecology studies at university and spent the next 18 years with a special interest in vertebrate fauna, working as a Zoologist and in roles that took him to the Northern Territory and Timor-Leste.

Matt joined BHP’s Environment team in 2021 to advise on issues and assist on approvals surrounding biodiversity at BHP’s operations. This can include finding solutions to rehabilitate and remediate sites to ensure species continue living for many future generations to come.

Matt’s role isn’t your typical 9 to 5. A workday can see him searching for bilbies on sandy plains north-east of BHP’s Newman operations or searching for ghost bat and Pilbara leaf-nosed bats on rocky rangelands. If he is in the office, Matt is reviewing technical reports on our WAIO operations and advising on how to make our activities more sustainable.

For Matt, it’s spending time on Country working alongside Traditional Owner groups and other team members that share the same passion for nature, that is both exciting and challenging, and according to Matt, great for the soul!

We caught up with Matt to learn more about his interesting career, what’s to come in his role in the Environment team, and life outside of BHP.

Hi Matt, can you tell us about your career journey?
Before joining BHP, I was involved in the biodiversity environmental consulting industry in Western Australia for 18 years with a special interest in vertebrate fauna and was mainly a Senior Zoologist for a couple of well-known consultancies in Perth. I worked extensively across Western Australia, briefly in the Northern Territory, and even conducted some surveying internationally in Timor-Leste where the biodiversity of the country is largely unknown.

What led you to your career?
I have always been interested in the natural environment, so it was a natural progression to study marine and terrestrial ecology studies at university. I remember being fascinated as a kid watching programs such as Into the Wild with the late naturalist, Harry Butler and then trying to emulate and chase and catch lizards in the natural environment after. I think David Attenborough is a natural living wonder and the messages he promotes are inspiring.

What excites you most about your role?
I think the freedom and resources to take my interests further than just the daily 9 to 5 role. My role is both office and field-related and it’s this diversity than keeps me interested. Working with a great team at WAIO Biodiversity, going out bush and tracking the iconic Pilbara olive python is certainly a plus! There’s always something new to understand and a new technique to find out more about our natural world.

What do you hope to achieve with your team this year?
We are working with stakeholders at WAIO to help look at ways we can further reduce the impacts we have on biodiversity, such as coming up with solutions to rehabilitate and remediate sites to ensure species persist for future generations to come. Globally, biodiversity is facing a range of significant pressures and our team here at WAIO are doing what we can to reduce this.

What are your career highlights to date?
To be honest, there’s been too many examples to mention! Searching for bilbies in the Kimberley region, conducting annual seabird and turtle assessments on remote islands on the northwest shelf of Western Australia, and flora and fauna assessments across Western Australia. You get to go to some amazing locations and work with incredibly dedicated and passionate professionals. Currently, the programs we are running here at WAIO for the Pilbara olive python are both challenging and exciting. What’s not to love about capturing 3-metre pythons at Australia’s Millstream National Park and placing trackers on them to find out how they live!

Who are your strongest influences in life?
I can’t go past my folks they have always been a positive influence. I also have a great family and two amazing kids, and we love nothing better than getting our toes wet at our local beach.

Finally, what’s at the top of your bucket list?
Travelling and spending time with friends and family. I hope to go the Galapagos Islands one day!