Dr Kay Weltz
Conservation Projects & Research Operations Manager
Kay joined the Conservation Ecology Centre in 2024 to establish ecological baselines on Cape Otway for fauna, flora, and fungi, as well as contributing to the Resilient Forest Project. She now leads the Otways Marine Ecosystem Resilience (OMER) initiative, co-manages the CEC internship program, and oversees daily research and field-based operations.
Her work focuses on understanding the impacts of climate change and human pressures on marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and translating ecological research into practical conservation outcomes that support resilience and long-term ecosystem function. She works across both marine and terrestrial systems in the Otways, with a strong connection to marine and coastal environments.
Kay is also strongly committed to science communication and its role in conservation impact. She works to build stewardship and connection to place through accessible, meaningful engagement with local communities via citizen science. Her work is guided by the principle that people are more likely to protect what they love, and we can only love something we know intimately - through experience, trust, and sustained connection to the landscapes and seascapes we are part of.
Kay was raised on the southern tip of Africa, where wild blue oceans meet rugged mountain coastlines and diverse fynbos ecosystems. She spent her childhood immersed in the outdoors, which fueled her passion for nature. This led her to earn a Bachelor's in Biodiversity and Ecology, an Honours in Marine Biology and a Master's in Applied Marine Sciences, where she studied the ecology of various terrestrial and marine species.
In 2018, Kay completed her PhD in Marine Biology with the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Tasmania, investigating extinction risk and habitat use in the endangered Maugean skate using genetic, dietary, and habitat-use approaches.
From 2021–2023, she co-directed an Outdoor Education Centre in the Victorian High Country, delivering conservation programs with young people and stakeholder groups, and contributing to governance roles within not-for-profit organisations focused on community and environmental outcomes.
