AELA’s Team

Dr Michelle Maloney has a Bachelor of Arts and Law (Hons) from the Australian National University and a PhD in Law from Griffith University. As Co-Founder and National Convenor of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance, Michelle manages the strategic direction and governance of AELA, including the extensive partnerships and networks that AELA has with the legal, academic, indigenous and environmental advocacy communities. Michelle also designs and manages AELA programs and events, including the Australian Peoples' Tribunal for Community and Nature's Rights, and coordinates the work of more than 20 fantastic multi-disciplinary professional and student volunteers around Australia. Michelle is the Co-Founder and Director of the New Economy Network Australia (NENA); Co-Founder and Director of Future Dreaming Australia; Senior Adjunct Fellow, Law Futures Centre, Griffith University; the Australian representative on the Executive Committee of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN);  and a member of the Steering Group the Ecological Law and Governance Association (ELGA) . Michelle lives in Brisbane, (Queensland) with her husband, daughter and Raz the Wonderdog.Read Michelle's profile and publications.

James Lee has a background in art, music (BMus) and film studies (GradDip Film & TV) and holds a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). James has a strong interest in interdisciplinary approaches to addressing ecological challenges and exploring the role that cultural practices can play in informing and supporting Earth-centred governance.James manages a range of AELA programs, including ecological governance/GreenPrints, AELA Education and selected Earth Arts projects. James also oversees AELA's operational systems, including membership, event coordination, communications, and website development across several AELA programs.

Margot is a graduate of International Human Rights Law (Maastricht University, the Netherlands) and South African Environmental Law (University of Cape Town). She has 4 years’ experience working to support sustainable business development in South Africa, with a strong focus on the environmental sustainability of value chains. Her past experience also includes helping facilitate Access and Benefit Sharing for Indigenous knowledge holders in South Africa. Margot’s research interests include rights of nature; earth democracy; indigenous knowledge systems; and agroecology and local food systems.Margot started her journey with AELA when she moved to Australia from South Africa in 2019. She is a member of AELA’s Law and Regulation Team, and has been working on projects for the Australian Peoples’ Tribunal for Community and Nature’s Rights (www.rightsofnature.org.au) and AELA’s Education Program. Margot is passionate about ecological justice and loves contributing to AELA’s multi-disciplinary work. Margot lives in Adelaide, South Australia.

Ruth has a Bachelor of Music and a Post Graduate Certificate in Global Challenges, both from the University of Edinburgh (Scotland), and a background including eight years of work in the performing arts as a lighting technician, Stage and Production manager for shows and festivals in the UK and Australia.Ruth joined AELA in mid 2019 and works on research, writing and project co-ordination for the Greenprints team, including working closely with our first group of community champions in the Sunshine Coast.Ruth has a strong interest in how the vast range of proposed theoretical solutions to the climate and ecological crises can be interpreted into real, practical solutions for communities through the Greenprints approach, which focuses on integrating ecological, governance, economic and law practices into one solution based around an earth-centred ideology. Ruth also works with the National Convenor to coordinate the AELA Volunteer Program.Ruth grew up in the UK and moved to Brisbane in 2018, where she currently lives with her partner.

Dr Edward Morgan PhD (Natural Resource Management) (GU), MSc (Environmental Science), MSci (Chemistry). Edward is a Research Fellow at Griffith University and volunteers to support AELA's GreenPrints program and other projects that require expertise bridging the natural and social sciences. Edward's research interests include the interaction between science and society for sustainability; governance and planning for water sensitive cities and adapting to climate change; environmental justice and the role of communities in transforming governance.

Ally Moulis has a Bachelor of Communications in Creative Writing & Journalism, a Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (First Class Honours) and a Diploma of Languages in French from the University of Technology Sydney. Having completed an Honours thesis analysing the role of storytelling in motivating action on climate change, Ally is dedicated to celebrating the role of creativity in generating meaningful social change. Ally is an experienced writer, having worked as an editor, copywriter and content creator. Her poetry and flash-fiction has been published online and in Vertigo Magazine, and her creative writing has been recognised by the Sydney Morning Herald. Ally is currently lending a hand at FEAT Artists; an initiative designed to improve sustainable practice in the music industry, co-editing the AELA Earth Arts Anthology and working on a volume of poetry exploring human / nature relationships. When she’s not hunched over a notebook, Ally is probably reading, taking pics of her mates, making music or dancing to Dua Lipa in her backyard. For more information on her projects, passions and past work, feel free to head to https://allymoulis.wixsite.com/website.

Claudia Pilon-Summons has a Bachelor of Science (Environmental Sciences) and a Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (First Class Honours) from the University of Technology Sydney. Claudia is passionate about social and environmental justice, as reflected by the eclectic range of projects she has worked on, including a social media campaign on medical gaslighting, a ‘toolkit’ for impactful storytelling, and most recently an Honours thesis investigating the key barriers to the implementation of the Rights of Nature in Australia, which saw her engage with a variety of stakeholders in the Rights of Nature sphere both nationally and abroad. Claudia has also been involved in a number of scientific research projects within both the School of Life Sciences and the Climate Change Cluster at the University of Technology Sydney. Further, Claudia has experience in editing and education, and has recently started a role as a casual academic at the University of Technology Sydney. Currently, Claudia is one of the co-editors of the AELA Earth Arts Anthology. In her spare time, Claudia can be found outdoors: camping in the outback, hiking in the arctic circle, or rock climbing and taking photographs in the Blue Mountains. For more information, feel free to contact Claudia at: www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-pilon-summons-826831163.

Liz Day has been working in the web development and information technology areas for over seven years and has also worked for a number of volunteer and non-profit organisations over the last fifteen years. She has worked on a wide range of projects ranging from South Pacific aid initiatives, student government planning and online international research tools and applications, but has always had a passion for protecting the environment and wild places since her childhood days growing up the Glasshouse Mountains. Liz currently assists AELA with day-to-day web content management for the AELA and NENA websites, and publication tasks as well as coordinating on overall web design and web and technology strategy for the future.

Leeanne has more than 17 years' experience in policy analysis, regulations and compliance, sustainability and financial reporting in the energy industry.  Leeanne holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Newcastle, Master of Environmental Law from the University of Sydney and is CPA qualified.