Max McQuillan is a restoration ecologist and landscape designer whose work explores how cities can become places not just for people, but for biodiversity. Working across ecology, landscape architecture, and public land management, his research and practice focus on how urban landscapes can function as living ecological systems while remaining culturally meaningful, socially accepted, and practical to manage.

Originally trained in ecology and environmental science at The University of Adelaide, Max began his research career studying plant–soil interactions in native Australian ecosystems, publishing work on nutrient cycling and phosphorus storage in Plant and Soil. After working in environmental consulting across Adelaide and Melbourne, he became increasingly interested in the gap between ecological science and the way cities are designed and managed. This led him toward landscape architecture and a broader interest in the social and aesthetic dimensions of restoration.

In 2026, Max completed a PhD in Landscape Architecture and Restoration Ecology at The University of Adelaide. His doctoral research investigated how ecological restoration principles could be integrated into urban landscape design, using native grassland reconstruction in metropolitan Adelaide as a large-scale living experiment. Combining field ecology, design research, remote sensing, and community engagement, the work explored new ways of designing urban landscapes that prioritise biodiversity within everyday public life.

Max currently works as a Sustainable Landscape Officer at Adelaide Hills Council, where he manages ecological restoration and sustainable landscape projects, including the ~$1.97 million Cox Creek restoration project funded through the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program. His work spans strategic planning, on-ground restoration, policy development, and improving the long-term sustainability of Council open space operations.

Alongside his professional role, Max continues to publish and contribute to restoration practice and discourse, with interests spanning urban grassland restoration, biodiversity-sensitive urban design, restoration monitoring, remote sensing, and designed ecological systems.