Hidden Chemistry of Native Plants

As part of National Science Week, ecologist Carl Glaister explores the Treelines Track, highlighting the hidden ecological relationships shaping the landscape.

Learn how native species use toxins, scents and other biochemical strategies to defend themselves, communicate, compete and regenerate. As you explore the landscape, Carl will reveal the intricate ecological relationships at work beneath the surface, offering new insights into the remarkable ways plants survive and shape the environments around them.

Carl Glaister

As a certified bush regenerator (Cert III, TAFE NSW) and member of the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators, Carl Glaister brings decades of experience to the restoration of native landscapes.

For the past 39 years, he has led the regeneration of Bombo Headland—once a severely degraded, weed-infested site—into a thriving coastal forest, rich in native biodiversity and much loved by both wildlife and locals. This long-term work with Landcare Illawarra and the community has shown the power of patient, well-informed restoration.

Carl now works on a range of private properties, focusing on the careful removal of invasive weeds like Lantana to support the natural recovery of native species. For sites where native vegetation has been lost, Carl can design and deliver replanting strategies tailored to the site and its natural ecosystem.