Penney Wood

Growing up in regional Tasmania fostered Penney’s enduring love of wildlife and sparked a deep appreciation for the communities that share spaces with these species. Penney believes that sustainable coexistence between human and animal communities relies on strengthening relationships between these groups.

To further pursue her passions in this space Penney is undertaking a Doctorate focusing on the social and ecological relationships between humans and wildlife in shared environments, utilising a case study of interactions between humans and dingoes in the Myall Lakes region of NSW.

Her research investigates the relationships between entities by employing a relational ontology to guide her data collection and analysis. This ontology frames the experiences and agency of both humans and wildlife, as multidirectional acts that contribute to the co-construction of relationships in various ways. Her research also seeks to understand the connections between perceptions of knowledge and power in the context of wildlife management.