For more than a decade Jane Hutchinson has been deeply involved in one of the country's great environmental success stories that has delivered an enormous boost to Tasmania's precious wilderness, an area that is otherwise so often ensnared in bitter political battles. 
The avid conservationist heads the Tasmanian Land Conservancy (TLC), an organisation that has grown from humble beginnings to now protecting 65,000 hectares of habitat for threatened wildlife species such as the Tasmanian devil and wedge-tailed eagle.
As part of its efforts, the TLC possesses 14 nature reserves, making it one of the largest private land owners in Tasmania. And it has established innovative programs with farmers to help them conserve areas of ecological value on their land. "It is very pragmatic" Hutchinson (pictured) says of the organisation. "Sciences underpins all the work that we do."
The TLC was started in 2001 and Hutchinson, a lawyer, was drawn in with the founders needing somebody to prepare legal documents. From there she served on the board, and was named chief executive in 2011.
Her environmental interests go back to childhood when she went bird-watching with her parents in the white gum woodland reserve in the southern Tasmanian town of Kettering.
She believes Australians' desire to see nature protected is deeply ingrained, drawn from their love of the unique species that populate the country and their personal experiences of going to the beach, camping and living next to natural wonders.
"It is part of who we are as Australians," she said.