Christine Prietto has been 'sucked in' by wetlands for over 40 years. Originally from California, she moved to Newcastle, New South Wales, in the early 1980s. A love of science and teaching experience led to a job at the newly opened Shortland Wetlands Centre in 1986. It's now the popular Hunter Wetlands Centre. After starting as a volunteer and eventually becoming its principal, Christine is still there.
'I'd always worked with rivers. Rivers were my thing, and wetlands were new to me, but they just, you know, literally suck you in!' she says.
'Once people get to know what the habitat is delivering, they're just never cured. They are a wetland fan forever.'
For Christine, wetlands aren't just beautiful landscapes. She sees these dynamic places as living laboratories, where species and conditions constantly change.
'It's probably our most changing habitat type; it can change drastically in a week. The water dries up - so some birds come, some birds go, then all of a sudden, the water comes back, and it's a totally different landscape again.'
Christine has spent over 40 years of volunteering and working. She has led school programs, coordinated community restoration projects, and helped manage the Hunter Ramsar Wetlands site. People from all over the world have come to visit the sites she's worked hard to protect and care for.
She has also attended 7 Ramsar Conferences of Contracting Parties (COP). This year, she's going to her eighth - COP15 - supporting the Australian delegation as our non-government Focal Point for the CEPA program. This role supports communication, capacity building, education, participation and awareness.
Christine's work soon connected her to a global network of wetland centres. These centres, usually attached to Ramsar-listed wetlands, link educators, conservationists and scientists through the Convention on Wetlands.
'I found there was this little, very active international community. You realise the work you're doing in your little piece of wetland is very, very similar to what other people are doing,' she says.
This deep experience makes Christine an ideal representative for Australia as the Non-government Focal Point for Ramsar's Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness (CEPA) program.
She sees the convention as a practical, living document that is focused, flexible and strengthened by science.
'It's the only environmental convention that is focused on a single habitat type, and it's continued to be practical.'
For Christine, COPs are key to keeping the convention relevant. They also give countries a chance to renew their commitments to protecting wetlands.
'Really, it's about commitment. Showcasing work, making new commitments, and building partnerships within regions,' she says.
At COP15, she's looking forward to potential talks on recognising the cultural importance of wetlands.
'It's a really, really beautiful component of what Ramsar is - the history of water and people. That's the Ramsar culture.'
COP15 will be held from 23 to 31 July in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
