Sustainability Leadership category

Professor Catherine Pickering’s leadership has transformed Griffith University’s campuses—spanning 287 hectares across Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast—into internationally significant biodiversity hotspots. Through a decade of strategic, collaborative and community-centered initiatives, she has championed biodiversity, green infrastructure, and nature-positive teaching. Projects include the creation of native exhibition gardens, co-authorship of biodiversity books, app development, and stewardship of the university’s Biodiversity and Conservation Plan. Her work has significantly advanced urban conservation, engaged thousands of students and community members, and inspired replication across Southeast Queensland.

Finalist – Catherine Pickering

Impacts and Benefits:

  • Griffith’s campuses now host over 1,800 species, including more than 30 threatened plant species and 13 species of animals of high conservation concern, making them among the most biodiverse university environments globally.
  • More than 17,000 biodiversity books co-authored by Professor Pickering have been distributed, supporting knowledge of animals on the campuses as well as native gardening and conservation in schools, homes, and public landscapes.
  • 145+ hectares of native forests were assessed for their carbon storage (28,600 tonnes of carbon), supporting Griffith’s net zero aspirations and informing regional carbon sequestration strategies.

Leadership and Engagement:

  • Professor Pickering chairs Griffith’s Biodiversity Working Group and leads the delivery of its Biodiversity and Conservation Plan. Her efforts span interdisciplinary collaboration, Indigenous engagement, and student learning.
  • She has led a team of academics using the campuses as ‘living laboratories’ through experiential learning, reaching over 1,100 students between 2021 and 2024.
  • Her work is highly visible, supported by a professional social media presence, frequent contributions to traditional media, and ongoing collaborations with local government and NGOs.

Wider Societal Impact:

  • The GroNative App and native plant guides have informed city policy and reshaped landscaping practices across Southeast Queensland.
  • Educational resources and public engagement have elevated biodiversity literacy among the public, with direct uptake by schools, councils and community groups.
  • Her initiatives contribute to SDGs 3, 4, 11, 13 and 15, and Griffith now ranks 3rd globally (1st in Queensland) for SDG15: Life on Land.
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Past Winners

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Sustainability Leadership category

Professor Catherine Pickering’s leadership has transformed Griffith University’s campuses—spanning 287 hectares across Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast—into internationally significant biodiversity hotspots. Through a decade of strategic, collaborative and community-centered initiatives, she has championed biodiversity, green infrastructure, and nature-positive teaching. Projects include the creation of native exhibition gardens, co-authorship of biodiversity books, app development, and stewardship of the university’s Biodiversity and Conservation Plan. Her work has significantly advanced urban conservation, engaged thousands of students and community members, and inspired replication across Southeast Queensland.

Finalist – Catherine Pickering

Impacts and Benefits:

  • Griffith’s campuses now host over 1,800 species, including more than 30 threatened plant species and 13 species of animals of high conservation concern, making them among the most biodiverse university environments globally.
  • More than 17,000 biodiversity books co-authored by Professor Pickering have been distributed, supporting knowledge of animals on the campuses as well as native gardening and conservation in schools, homes, and public landscapes.
  • 145+ hectares of native forests were assessed for their carbon storage (28,600 tonnes of carbon), supporting Griffith’s net zero aspirations and informing regional carbon sequestration strategies.

Leadership and Engagement:

  • Professor Pickering chairs Griffith’s Biodiversity Working Group and leads the delivery of its Biodiversity and Conservation Plan. Her efforts span interdisciplinary collaboration, Indigenous engagement, and student learning.
  • She has led a team of academics using the campuses as ‘living laboratories’ through experiential learning, reaching over 1,100 students between 2021 and 2024.
  • Her work is highly visible, supported by a professional social media presence, frequent contributions to traditional media, and ongoing collaborations with local government and NGOs.

Wider Societal Impact:

  • The GroNative App and native plant guides have informed city policy and reshaped landscaping practices across Southeast Queensland.
  • Educational resources and public engagement have elevated biodiversity literacy among the public, with direct uptake by schools, councils and community groups.
  • Her initiatives contribute to SDGs 3, 4, 11, 13 and 15, and Griffith now ranks 3rd globally (1st in Queensland) for SDG15: Life on Land.

Supported by

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Related finalists

Other finalists