Dr Pawel Waryszak

Principal Scientist and Ecologist

At Redleaf Group, we’re proud to have specialists whose experience bridges both scientific research and practical environmental outcomes. One of our specialists is Dr Pawel Waryszak, our Principal Scientist & Ecologist.

Pawel (Polish for Paul) brings more than two decades of experience in environmental science, ecological restoration and data analysis, with a career spanning research institutions and environmental projects across Australia, Europe and the United States. Before joining Redleaf, he spent over 20 years in the academic sector as a Research Officer and a Postdoctoral Researcher, leading and contributing to major environmental research programs.

Pawel completed his PhD in Environmental Sciences at Murdoch University in 2017, where his research focused on restoring Banksia Woodland ecosystems on the Swan Coastal Plain - a threatened ecological community that is now protected under Australian environmental legislation.

Since then, Pawel’s work has expanded across soil and sediment science, restoration ecology, coastal ecology, plant ecology, water science and landscape ecology. He has contributed to collaborative research with leading universities including Deakin University, Curtin University and Tulane University, and has published 24 peer-reviewed scientific papers, in internationally recognised journals.

What makes Pawel’s expertise particularly valuable at Redleaf is his ability to combine rigorous scientific knowledge with practical environmental management. His experience designing field studies, analysing complex ecological data and delivering evidence-based restoration outcomes strengthens the technical capability we bring to our clients and projects.

Whether working on ecological restoration, environmental assessments or strategic environmental planning, Pawel is passionate about applying science to achieve meaningful and lasting environmental outcomes.

Q&A with Pawel

What attracted you to environmental consulting and to joining Redleaf Group?

I met Dr Darren Fielder, General Manager & Principal Consultant, through my University of Southern Queensland network and was intrigued by Darren’s experience and knowledge he shared with me during our first informal chat. That informal chat has led to a job interview that landed me a full time role of Principal Scientist and Ecologist at Redleaf Group in Toowoomba, Qld, Australia.

Is there a project, research breakthrough or field experience that stands out as a career highlight?

A key highlight of my career, across all projects I was involved with, has been applying environmental legislation such as the EPBC Act, Vegetation Management Act, and Nature Conservation Act to guide impact assessment, approvals, and on-ground outcomes. These Acts provide practical tools to manage biodiversity by setting clear triggers, requiring mitigation measures, and ensuring legal decision-making.

What stands out to me is how this applied work differs from academia. While academic research is essential for understanding ecological processes, my role focuses on actively managing and shaping outcomes - translating scientific knowledge and field-based data into regulatory decisions, impact management plans, and approval pathways that directly influence how land is used and how ecosystems are protected.

What’s one ecology fact or environmental insight that surprises people most?

One insight that often surprises people is that not all vegetation clearing is automatically illegal in Queensland - it’s highly regulated, but the system is actually designed to manage and direct clearing to the right places, rather than simply prohibit it.

Tools like Property Map of Assessable Vegetation (PMAV), Protected Plant Clearing Permit and legislation such as the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (Qld) and the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Qld) allow landholders to legally clear certain areas while ensuring that high‑value remnant vegetation and threatened species habitat are protected.

People are often surprised that ecology in practice isn’t just about preservation- it’s about balancing use and conservation, using field data and policy together

Outside of work, how do you like to recharge and spend your time?

I love spending time with my family, preferably on one of the Queensland’s sandy beaches. My 7-year-old daughter is a very good at designing and managing the construction of sandcastles.

What do you think is the biggest challenge, or opportunity facing ecological restoration in Australia today?

One of the biggest challenges in ecological restoration in Australia is the cumulative impact of what’s often described as “death by a thousand cuts” - incremental, small-scale clearing and degradation that, over time, significantly reduces ecosystem integrity through facilitating invasion of non-native species and reducing landscape-scale connectivity.

At the same time, this presents a key opportunity. There is growing recognition that restoration needs to be strategic and integrated into planning frameworks, using tools like environmental legislation, offsets, and PMAVs to guide both protection and rehabilitation.

Ultimately, the real opportunity lies in translating ecological science into practical, on-ground outcomes, embedding restoration as a core part of land-use decision-making rather than an afterthought.