Forest Solutions

Owen Bassett

Director and Principal Consultant

Owen is an experienced Silviculture Scientist, and is Forest Solution's Principal Consultant. Under-pinning his career of 26 years is a life-long concern and passionate interest in Australia's native forests.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Forest Science from Melbourne University in 1987, with an ecology major under the tutelage of the late Dr David Ashton, Ecologist. Owen studied key ecological interactions between the Superb Lyrebird and its Mountain Ash forest environment in Central Victoria.

He has since specialised in applied ecology and native forest silviculture, with notable experience in forest-based Research and Development (Victoria and Tasmania). He undertook field-based research with the Silvicultural Systems Project (SSP) in both East Gippsland (mixed species forests) and the Central Highlands (Mountain Ash forests), and provided Forestry Tasmania with guidance during the design and early establishment of the Warra LTER research site in Southern Tasmania. Owen is particularly passionate about the conversion of research into the development of practical, operational techniques and guidelines for forest management.

Owen is a specialist in forest-environment interpretation and forecasting. He uses scientific design and sampling principals, biological samples, within-forest observation and measurements, aerial observations, and remotely sensed data to interpret natural processes and forest attributes. His experience and knowledge-base enables him to forecast some processes into the future. A key example of this is his forecasting system for eucalypt flowering and biological seed production in mountain forests; now routinely used by VicForests and DSE.

Owen has made a leading contribution to forest recovery following all three recent major wildfires in Victoria since 2003, attracting recognition and award from Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment. Following the 2003 bushfires, he developed a Rapid Response process for regeneration that he later again used following the 2006/07 and 2009 fires. His rapid response system is designed to enhance forest resilience in such times of dramatic change.

Owen is a also a talented botanical illustrator, and he is available via commission to undertake scientifically accurate fine line illustrations of flora and bird species.

Owen is a member of the Institute of Foresters of Australia (IFA), and has National FAFPESC accreditation for nine discipline areas in Silviculture. He also has a Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment and Training from Melbourne University.