He has carried out research in a variety of habitats, including saltmarsh, rainforest and heathland. He has many years of involvement with government conservation agencies and with NGO environmental groups. He has been involved in the development of environmental policy and with the implementation of threatened species legislation in NSW and has continuing interest in the interaction between science and the law in the environmental area. Career highlights include writing the nomination for the listing of NSW rainforests on the World Heritage List and writing monographs on both saltmarsh and rainforest ecology. He was for many years active in the bush management activities of the National Trust in NSW.