Rate My Professor Sally Burgemeestre

Sally Burgemeestre is a graduate researcher in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at Deakin University, part of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment. She is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy focusing on the interactive effects of fire, feral herbivores such as horses, and small mammals in Australian ecosystems. Her research specifically examines the impacts of feral horses on post-fire recovery and persistence of native species, including how these invasive ungulates alter habitat use, movement patterns, and site occupancy of small mammals like the broad-toothed rat (Mastacomys fuscus) in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales. Burgemeestre engages landholders to better understand these dynamics across varying land tenures, including national parks, state forests, private land, and forestry coupes. Utilizing scat surveys as a proxy for occupancy, she collects data on habitat features, ungulate impacts, and management practices to model factors influencing species distribution and persistence. This work addresses the novel communities formed by feral species, where native fauna face competition, habitat degradation, and reduced resource availability, particularly in riparian corridors vulnerable to horse activity.

Burgemeestre has actively contributed to the academic community through conference presentations. At the Australian Mammal Society conference, she delivered talks titled 'The race for space: the influence of land tenure on the distribution and persistence of broad-toothed rat' and 'What makes a mountain home? Structural equation modelling of rat distribution patterns in the Snowy Mountains.' She also presented 'Do feral horses influence habitat use and movement of small mammals?' at the Victorian Biodiversity Conference 2026. Additionally, she served as Co-Chair representing Deakin University for VicBioCon. Her expertise extends to practical ecology, as evidenced by her contributions to submissions on feral horse management in the Australian Alps and ecological assessments. In January 2026, Burgemeestre joined The Ecology Office Pty Ltd as Senior Zoologist. She completed her Bachelor degree at Deakin University in 2017.