Our Team
The whole is much more than the sum of it’s parts. Meet our team!
Maree Treadwell Kerr
president – head bat
Maree, is an ecologist and wildlife communicator, and has been active in flying-fox conservation and community education for over 30 years with a particular interest in bat tourism. She is also co-convenor of the Australasian Bat Society’s Flying-fox Expert Group and coordinates the Australasian Bat Night program.
Sera Steves
Vice President
Sera grew up with bat conservation in the USA and brought this experience to Australia. She is an ecologist and ethologist with experience in delivering wildlife presentations and chairs the Spectacled Flying-fox Recovery Team.
hilary whitehouse
secretary
Associate Professor Hilary Whitehouse is an expert in climate change and sustainability education. She began direct involvement with flying-foxes during the heat stress event of 2018, where 23,000 flying-foxes died.
Brynn Mathews
treasurer
After a working career in pollution control and catchment management Brynn has retired and now concentrates on more focused conservation and sustainability issues. These include tree protection and supporting the rescue and care of Spectacled Flying-foxes. He not only manages BatSoc’s at times complex finances, but also brings legal experience and local knowledge to the team.
Rebecca Koller
key creche and release manager
Rebecca is a wildlife artist and the key flying-fox carer in the Cairns region, managing rehabilitation and release of orphaned and injured flying-foxes. She works closely with the bat hospitals and wildlife care groups mentoring and training new carers.
Gaby Schierenbeck
Batsoc committee member
Gaby has been involved in flying-fox rescue for over ten years and has the keenest eyes and ears for orphaned flying-foxes needing care.
Kathleen Ager
newsletter editor
Kathleen is a psychologist who has been involved in advocating for the
environment and wildlife for many years. Since moving to Cairns in 2020,
she has started working with and caring for the critically endangered
spectacled flying fox. She has been the newsletter editor for a couple of
years and has recently taken on the role of membership secretary.
Cheryl hudson
flying-fox coordinaTOR
Cheryl is a Wildlife Rescuer and Carer who specialises in Flying Foxes, Microbats and a wide variety of Birds. She has been the Flying Fox coordinator since 2022 and coordinates the bat rescues in our region including getting the many orphaned Flying Fox pups to carers. She also keeps records of all Flying Fox and Bat rescues in our region. These are vitally important to know the key hotspots in colonies, rescue areas and types of injuries sustained.
bryony sumner
eDUCATION, COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND FUNDRAISING
Bryony is the newest member of the committee, and you will often find her on one of BatSoc’s market stalls, leading a bat walk or talk or making up random facts at bat trivia nights. Passionate about wildlife education, she is a primary school teacher by day and an avid bat watcher by night.