Qualifications

• Bachelor of Applied Science (Natural Resources Management), Deakin University 
• Bachelor of Science (Honours), Deakin University 
• Doctor of Philosophy (Research), Deakin University 
• Graduate Certificate in Education (Tertiary Teaching), University of Ballarat

Areas of interest

• Threatened species conservation 
• Fire ecology 
• Wildlife ecology 
• Landscape ecology 

Areas of expertise

Grant has expertise in wildlife identification and survey, habitat assessment and understanding and managing the impacts of disturbance and landscape change on wildlife species and communities.

Grants

• Palmer, G. (2025–27). ‘Swamp Antechinus in South west Victoria’. ($66,000) 
• Hansen, B., Palmer, G. and Hamilton, D. (2025–27). ‘Ecology of Latham’s Snipe in central Tasmania’. ($17,780) 
• Palmer, G. (2025). Fauna and flora survey of threatened Mallee Bird Community of the Murray Darling Depression’. ($51,657) 
• Schultz, N., Palmer, G. and Wright, W. (2024–28). ‘Large habitat trees as biodiversity resources in production forest landscapes’. (($117,750) 
• Palmer, G. (2024–2027). ‘Greater Glider in Wombat Forest’. ($155,910) 
• Palmer, G. (2023). ‘Evaluating the impacts of fire and predation on small threatened mammals in the semi-arid Scotia Mallee region of NSW’. ($10,000) 
• Barton, P, Palmer, G., Schultz, N. and Saunders, M. (2022–25). ‘Effects of land management on arthropod biodiversity and ecosystem services in semi-arid southwest NSW’. ($30,000) 
• Palmer, G. (2022). ‘Management and monitoring of Southern Ningaui (Ningaui yvonneae)’. ($30,000) 
• Wright, W. and Palmer, G. (2022–2025). ‘Informing sustainable urban expansion in Victoria’. ($81,000). 
• Wright, W. and Palmer, G. (2020–22). ‘Identification of reintroduction release sites for Southern Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby bushfire recovery’. ($53,747) 
• Florentine, S., Palmer, G. and Westbrooke, M. (2018–21). ‘Securing threatened fauna in semi-arid south-western NSW’. ($200,000) 
• Westbrooke, M., Palmer, G. and Florentine, S. (2017–2019). ‘Enhancing habitat values for threatened species on Nanya Station’. ($99,804) 
• Palmer, G. (2017). ‘Snake Island Koala population and vegetation impact survey’. ($6,000) 
• Florentine, S., Palmer, G., Westbrooke, M. (2017). ‘Great Ocean Walk environmental impacts resurvey’. ($37,772) 
• Florentine, S. and Palmer, G. (2015–2018). ‘An investigation of the ecology and impacts of a native Australian shrub)’. ($30,000) 
• Florentine, S. and Palmer, G. (2015–2018). Investigating rehabilitation of nutrient rich cropping zones using recycled green waste to benefit indigenous grassland species within the Western Grassland’. ($48,637) 
• Florentine, S., Schultz, N. and Palmer, G. (2014–2016). ‘Investigating tree death and decline (including from Mundulla Yellows) in South Australia’. ($90,412) 
• Palmer, G. (2014–15). ‘Fire in Temperate Forest Landscapes 2014–2015’. ($5,000) 
• Florentine, S., Westbrooke, M., Palmer, G., Gowans, S. and Milner, R. (2014–15). ‘Vegetation and community mapping of the greater floodplain of the Darling River’. ($123,920) 
• Palmer, G. (2013–15). Resurvey of terrestrial mammals of the Otway HawkEye Township Study’. ($59,871) 

Awards

• 2024: Whitley Book Awards Best Regional Field Guide for Wildlife of Victoria’s South West 
• 2024: Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability, Executive Dean’s Commendation for Excellence in industry/community engagement and impact on learning and teaching 
• 2017: Faculty of Science and Technology Learning and Teaching Award for Outstanding collaborative and creative efforts to provide a high quality learning experience for students 
• 2015: Vice Chancellor’s Award for Contributions to Student Learning at Federation University Australia for Providing enriched student learning in the Environmental Management Discipline by blending experiential and class-based approaches, underpinned by and engaged and committed approach to student learning 

Current

• Master's student, Federation University, ‘Fire Regimes and Small Mammal Responses in Heathlands: A Case Study on the Swamp Antechinus (Antechinus minimus maritimus) in an Otway Ranges heath and woodland complex’, principal supervisor.
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Large trees as biodiversity resources in multiple-use landscapes’, associate supervisor. 
• Master's student, Federation University, ‘Ecology of Latham’s Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii) in the central plains of Tasmania’, associate supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Holes to Recovery: Investigating Hollow Resources and Occupancy by Greater Glider at the Limit of their Species Range’, principal supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Effects of Land Management Practices on Conserving the Insect diversity in Semi-arid New South Wales region, with an emphasis on Ant community’, principal supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Informing the protection of biodiversity in expanding rural towns of Victoria: a case study in Ararat’, associate supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Conservation and management of an endangered ecological salt lake community: influence of abiotic factors and seed traits on the survival and reproductive potential of Tecticornia lyei (Chenopodiaceae)’, associate supervisor. 

Past

• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Environmental impacts of mechanical harvesting of submerged aquatic vegetation in shallow urban lakes’, associate supervisor. 
• Master's student, Federation University, ‘Between a rock and a hard place: Site selection for Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) translocations using an explicit decision-making process’, associate supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Interactions between a gall-inducing wasp (Trichilogaster acaciaelongifoliae) and its host plant (Acacia longifolia)’, associate supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Investigating bird responses to fire in the Heathy Dry Forests of Victoria, Australia’, associate supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Movements, behaviour and ecology of the Brolga, Antigone rubicunda, at multiple spatial and temporal scales’, principal supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘The contribution of Silverfish (Insecta: Zygentoma) to Australian invertebrate biodiversity and endemism’, principal supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Investigations into the ecology ana management of the invasive plant Galenia pubescens within native temperate grasslands of Victoria’, associate supervisor. 
• Master's student, Federation University, ‘The use of on-farm waterpoints and artificial wildlife ponds in providing habitat for fauna in the Wimmera and Southern Mallee, Victoria’, associate supervisor. 
• PhD student, Federation University, ‘Avian biodiversity in a modified mallee landscape: habitat communities and ecological processes’, associate supervisor. 

• Species and community ecology 
• Wildlife conservation 
• Fire ecology 
• Field-based skills and experience 

Specialist roles

• Deputy Head of Science 
• Animal Ethics committee member 

Professional association memberships

• Birdlife Australia 
• Ecological Society of Australia 

• Ongoing drought and fires endanger Victoria’s iconic wildlife (Federation University, 2025) 
• Unexpected consequence of bushfires exposed (Bush Summit, 2025) 
• The remarkable wildlife of Victoria’s South-West (Federation University, 2024) 
• Wildlife of Victoria’s South West (CSIRO Publishing, 2024) 
• Australian animals’ bushfire survival tactics save many, but some species are dying en masse (ABC News, 2020) 
• Wildlife of the Otways and Shipwreck Coast (CSIRO Publishing, 2019)