National Forum

Michael Looker

Michael Looker is currently the Director of Trust for Nature, a position he commenced in the past 12 months. Prior to this Michael was Senior Lecturer in Environmental Horticulture with Melbourne University's Institute of Land and Food Resources (formerly VCAH) at Burnley for nine years. His major areas of interest and research have been in public open space management, especially vegetation management.

Before 1991, Michael spent five years as Superintendent of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. In that role, he was primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the living collections. His major achievements during this period include the implementation of a more contemporary thematic-based planting scheme for interpretative and educational purposes, the introduction of collecting programs to obtain wild source material for the living collection and ex-situ conservation programs and the development and planning for a new 240 hectare Australian plant garden in a bushland setting at the Cranbourne annexe.

Following his initial training in Botany and Biochemistry at LaTrobe University, Michael spent several years in England during the early eighties. He completed a Diploma of Horticulture with Honours at the esteemed Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and qualifications in management at the West London Institute of Higher Education.