Geoff Carr

Geoff completed a Certificate of Gardening at Oakleigh Technical School in 1971 and a Bachelor of Science (Botany, Zoology) at Latrobe University in 1979.

Geoff Carr joined Abzeco in 2023, he is an ecologist, taxonomist and horticulturalist, and was the founding director of a private environmental consultancy for 38 years and has worked as an ecological consultant for over 40 years, he is a pioneer of the industry.

Geoff is a leading authority on environmental weed research and management in Victoria, with detailed knowledge on biological invasions, weed risk assessment and weed management.  He published the seminal book: ‘Environmental Weed Invasions in Victoria: Conservation and Management Implications’, and more recently with co-authors, the DELWP Advisory List of Environmental Weeds (2018).

Geoff also has also undertaken significant taxonomic research; he has researched and published on several groups, notably orchids (mostly Caladenia), lilies (Dianella), naturalised willows (Salix), and Prickly Pear (Opuntia) in Australia.  He has described about 30 new plant species and is currently revising the genus Correa in Victoria, as well as ongoing Dianella studies.  He has authored or co-authored over 800 papers, reports and other publications.

Geoff has exceptional knowledge of Victoria’s and South-eastern Australia flora and vegetation communities. He has recently been involved DELWP’s Conservation Status Assessment project which has involved reassessing the status of all plant (and animal species) that are currently considered to be rare or threatened in Victoria.  Geoff’s intricate knowledge of Victoria’s vegetation communities extends to wetland communities (freshwater wetlands, peatlands, riparian environments and saltmarshes).  He is able to combine this knowledge with his extensive horticultural expertise to develop detailed revegetation and environmental rehabilitation plans, including translocation of threatened flora species.

Geoffs expertise includes taxonomy and plant identification, weed risk assessment and management, rare and threatened plant species survey and management, integration of plant taxonomy and ecology to enhance horticultural management, assessment of conservation status of rare or threatened species, extant and pre-european native vegetation communities, environmental management plans and revegetation and rehabilitation plans.

Professional associations:

• Invasive Species Council – Scientific Advisory Committee
• Member of the Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand
• Member of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria
• Member of the Royal Society of Victoria
• Member of the Australian Systematic Botany Society