Suzanne Senger, Executive Director
Hello Sunshine Coast: I’m Suzanne Senger, the Sunshine Coast Conservation Association’s Executive Director.
I stepped into this role in November 2020, when the SCCA was at an important crossroads. I can’t believe five years have passed so quickly. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of leading the organization’s conservation work—strengthening programs, building partnerships, and growing a small but highly effective team.
Much of my work happens in places that aren’t always seen. It involves understanding how decisions are actually made—how laws and regulatory systems intersect with forests, watersheds, and community well-being—and then using that knowledge to create strategic conservation campaigns and partnerships, and to intervene when ecological values are at risk. At the same time, it means being present for community members and volunteers who care deeply about this place, offering support, context, and tools so their advocacy can be informed, effective, and sustained.
My connection to the SCCA goes back to 2007. I first encountered the organization during the Chapman Creek watershed logging blockade. Standing alongside community members to defend our most critical watershed made it clear that conservation is not abstract. Safeguarding the ecosystems that sustain our communities, now and into the future, is all our business. That experience grounded my long-term commitment to this organization and its mandate.
Over the past several years, the SCCA has taken on increasingly complex conservation challenges. We’ve expanded our work on watershed and drinking water protection, old forest and biodiversity conservation, marine ecosystem health, and private land protection, supporting conservation covenants and stewardship on ecologically significant properties. This work requires careful analysis, deep regulatory engagement, sustained advocacy, and strong community relationships. I’m drawn to the complexity of watershed-scale advocacy—to tracking how decisions ripple across landscapes, communities, and time, and to finding the moments where careful intervention can shift outcomes toward resilience.
As we move toward 2026, I’m excited about the direction this work is taking. We’re leaning into watershed-scale conservation and climate resilience, strengthening how land use decisions are made, and expanding private land protection in ways that are practical, durable, and rooted in community. I’m especially energized by the growing emphasis on research, monitoring, and restoration—work that grounds advocacy in evidence and gives communities better tools to protect what they care about. Just as importantly, I’m excited about building a stronger team so we can better support volunteers, grassroots advocates, and community-led conservation efforts across the Sunshine Coast.
In the following blog posts, you’ll meet Robyn, Ian, Hannah, and Iz, as they share their perspectives, roles, and the work they’re helping move forward.
If you’re new to the SCCA, welcome. If you’ve been part of this work for many years, thank you. I invite you to stay connected, learn more about the issues shaping our region, and be part of the ongoing effort to protect what sustains us, together.