Leila McCaughan

Leila has a BSc majoring in Environmental Restoration from Curtin University. During her studies, she conducted flora and vegetation surveys across the highly biodiverse southwest of Western Australia, including Rottnest Island, the Margaret River region, and Ellis Brook Valley Reserve, as well as volunteering in various revegetation and conservation projects throughout the region. She developed a strong foundation in invertebrate biology through research into the antipredation behavioural response of millipedes, and gained further experience working on an invasive species project targeting fruit flies, where she identified specimen using morphological traits and DNA sequencing. With skills in GIS mapping, data analysis, report writing, and molecular techniques, Leila contributes to both the field and laboratory teams at Bennelongia.