Donna Fitzgerald

Donna Fitzgerald holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science from the University of South Australia (Uni SA) with First-Class Honours. In her Honours research, Fitzgerald assessed the dieback of the red stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha) using remote sensing techniques in a small, remote population in Spring Gully Conservation Park (SGCP). Satellite imagery was used to look at vegetation changes over time, and airborne multispectral and LiDAR imagery was collected to determine the extent of dieback. The outcomes of this integrated approach were highly successful, confirming declining population health over the last 5 years and providing a reliable estimate of the extent of the dieback (37%). The results of this work have been published (https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071271). Recently, Fitzgerald was awarded the ‘Peter Woodgate Scholarship for Earth Observation’. During her PhD, she will further develop methods for reviewing the dieback of eucalypt forests using various remote sensing methods.