30 May 2025
Wildlife Queensland is delighted to announce that Dr Phil Tucak has been awarded the Wayne Lawler Nature Conservation Photography Grant 2025.
Administered by Wildlife Queensland and supported by a trust established by the late Wayne Lawler, a renowned photographer, the Wayne Lawler Nature Conservation Photography Grant assists Australian photographers in highlighting community-led conservation efforts.
Shining a spotlight on the numbat and its conservation story
Phil Tucak is a science communicator and veterinarian who, as the Wildlife Outreach Vet, is passionate about sharing the conversations around wildlife conservation.
For Phil’s project, he will showcase the endangered numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) and conservation efforts underway to help this threatened species. He will write a feature article incorporating photographs for both Vet Practice magazine, a national print and online publication, and Wildlife Australia. He will also share the published article and project updates online via social media.
The feature article will share the success story of the growing numbat population at Dryandra Woodlands National Park, south-east of Perth, whilst also highlighting numbat conservation efforts by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and Project Numbat. Project Numbat is an incorporated community group that promotes community awareness of the numbat and is involved in numbat conservation by assisting the Numbat Recovery Program.
Wayne Lawler’s inspirational legacy continues
Almost a decade ago, Phil worked as Communications Manager for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, where he was fortunate to be a colleague of Wayne Lawler.
“For weeks at a time, Wayne would be out bush, living in his 4WD camper, photographing the wildlife and landscapes of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s properties. I enjoyed regularly speaking with him on the phone. We had many great chats discussing what photographs we needed, updating him on news and happenings, and Wayne would share insights about his photographic adventures in the wilderness,” explained Phil.
“Wayne would submit his images to the office, and I’d catalogue his photographs in the image library, and then help tell the stories of his photographs through our publications and social media. I’m thrilled to receive this grant and hope to honour Wayne’s memory through this project to celebrate his remarkable legacy.”
About Dr Phil Tucak
Phil graduated with a veterinary degree from Murdoch University in 1999 and has developed a unique career working in clinical veterinary practice, journalism, media production, communications management and wildlife conservation. He currently works as a science communication manager for the Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer at the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and as a journalist and science communication consultant.
During his career, Phil has worked in mixed-animal and small-animal veterinary practices across Australia and the United Kingdom. With a love of storytelling, he has written for various publications including The Post newspaper, Tracks surfing magazine, Gardening Australia magazine, CSIRO’s Helix magazine, Vet Practice magazine, SBS and dvm360.
Phil previously worked as the Science Communication Manager for the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Science Communication Advisor for Wildlife Health Australia, Communications Manager for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Communications and Interpretation Coordinator at Perth Zoo, a news journalist for SBS, and as a television producer, presenter and radio producer for the ABC.
In 2020, Phil was awarded Veterinary Business Professional of the Year by the Australian Veterinary Association’s Veterinary Business Group.
Conservation leaders back Phil’s mission to raise numbat awareness
In his letter of support, Project Numbat’s President, Robert Hemsworth, said that work such as Phil’s project is essential for community engagement and awareness about numbat conservation.
“We are thrilled that Phil has chosen to help numbat conservation through his photography and article. This engagement helps our organisation to raise much-needed funds for numbat conservation activities such as camera monitoring programs and radio tracking collars,” said Robert.
Australian Wildlife Conservancy Chief Executive Officer Tim Allard also provided a letter of support for Phil’s project.
“Wayne’s images have inspired countless people to care for our wildlife and wild places, and his legacy continues to shape how we communicate the importance of biodiversity and conservation. Phil played an important role in helping to preserve and share Wayne’s remarkable body of work, and he has continued to champion wildlife conservation in his role as the Wildlife Outreach Vet, including advocacy for the numbat—an iconic yet endangered Australian species. Phil is passionate, principled, and dedicated, and I am confident he will approach this project with the respect and integrity that Wayne’s legacy deserves,” said Tim.
Wildlife Queensland’s Policies & Campaigns Manager Des Boyland shared:
“While all grant applications were worthy of consideration, Phil’s project powerfully demonstrated how photography can highlight that the current species extinction crisis can be addressed with timely and effective action. A truly worthy winner.”
Wildlife Queensland congratulates Dr Phil Tucak on this well-deserved recognition and looks forward to the continued success of the Wayne Lawler Nature Conservation Photography Grant.
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