ProfessorRaylene Cooke

Raylene is an active researcher with a focus on how disturbance processes such as urbanization, rodenticides, fire and introduced species impact on our unique ecosystems and wildlife. Much of her research has seen her working on the outskirts of Melbourne tracking down the elusive powerful owl, one of the few native top-order predators still residing on the edge of our cities. Using spatial modelling and GPS tracking technologies with powerful owls has changed our perceptions of how predators can respond to urbanisation processes. More recently Raylene has also been investigating the prevalence of rodenticides in native wildlife, with a particular focus on predators and their prey both throughout Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Raylene is also an important part of our long-term research program in the Grampians National Park investigating the role of fire and climate change on small mammals. She has been part of this research since it started in 2008 and was integral in the team winning the Nancy Millis Award in 2016 for research that changes the way Parks Victoria manages its park assets. Raylene has a dynamic research team of honours students and postgraduates working on urban processes, raptor ecology, invasive species and conservation ecology.