Natalie is an applied anthropologist that is dedicated to advancing the role of social science in agriculture and natural resource management within interdisciplinary teams. Her research interests involve understanding how people perceive and interact with environmental systems.
Natalie has established a strong track record in applying cognitive constructs, including mental models and values, to explore how people make sense of and relate to their environment, particularly in relation to water resources. Two of her publications have been placed in the top 1% of the academic field of Social Sciences (Clarivate, 2020). Natalie has an interest in designing and implementing participatory processes to support decision-making.
She is currently co-leading the Regenerative Agriculture Group within the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences. The focus of this inter-disciplinary group is to advance knowledge and practice of regenerative agriculture to increase social and ecological resilience within Australia's agri-food systems. She is also leading the social component an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research in Fiji which aims to develop a value chain for converting senile coconut trees into engineered wood products.
Natalie has conducted applied social science research within a number of interdisciplinary teams involving governments, research organisations, non-governmental organisations and Indigenous groups. She has published more than 25 academic papers and book chapters.
Natalie is a Lecturer of Rural Development within the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences. Prior to taking up her position at UQ, Natalie was a Researcher at the Australian National University working in the Resource Management of the Asia Pacific Program. This involved working as a social scientist in an international collaboration with CIRAD – Agricultural Research for Development, to evaluate 34 participatory modelling projects globally. She has undertaken consultancies with various natural resource management groups within Australia, including Healthy Land and Water and Seqwater.
She teaches post-graduate level courses,including:
AGRC7047 Global Challenges in Agriculture
AGRC7045 Advanced Research Methodologies
Journal Article: Drivers and barriers to uptake of regenerative agriculture in southeast Queensland: a mental model study
Dipu, Mokaddes Ahmed, Jones, Natalie A. and Aziz, Ammar Abdul (2022). Drivers and barriers to uptake of regenerative agriculture in southeast Queensland: a mental model study. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 46 (10), 1502-1526. doi: 10.1080/21683565.2022.2114120
Journal Article: A shock to the system: what the COVID-19 pandemic reveals about Australia's food systems and their resilience
Jones, Natalie A., Bellamy, Jennifer, Bellotti, William, Ross, Helen, van Bommel, Severine and Liu, Yiyu (2022). A shock to the system: what the COVID-19 pandemic reveals about Australia's food systems and their resilience. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5 790694, 1-18. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.790694
Journal Article: Emotionally augmented mental models, connectivity and beaver reintroduction in Southwest England
Blewett, Andrew, Jacobs, Maarten, Kok, Kasper, Jones, Natalie A., Ogle, Sharron and Huijbens, Edward (2022). Emotionally augmented mental models, connectivity and beaver reintroduction in Southwest England. Ecology and Society, 27 (1) 33. doi: 10.5751/ES-12823-270133
(2022–2024) Great Barrier Reef Foundation
(2021–2026) Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Use of ICT in agriculture marketing to connect smallholder farmers to dynamic markets in the developing countries: A case of the dairy industry in Bangladesh
Doctor Philosophy
Smallholder agriculture and food and nutrition security: strategies to empower farming families in Solomon Islands
Doctor Philosophy
The financial performance of utilising senile coconut palms for the manufacture of engineered wood products in Fiji
Doctor Philosophy
A custodial ethic: Indigenous values towards water in Moreton Bay and catchments
Pinner, Breanna, Ross, Helen, Jones, Natalie, Babidge, Sally, Shaw, Sylvie, Witt, Katherine and Rissik, David (2019). A custodial ethic: Indigenous values towards water in Moreton Bay and catchments. Moreton Bay Quandamooka and catchment: past, present and future. (pp. 29-44) edited by Ian R. Tibbetts, Peter C. Rothlisberg, David T. Neil, Tamara A. Homburg, David T. Brewer and Angela H. Arthington. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Moreton Bay Foundation.
Managing for the multiple uses and values of Moreton Bay and its catchments
Ross, Helen, Rissik, David, Jones, Natalie, Witt, Katherine, Pinner, Breanna and Shaw, Sylvie (2019). Managing for the multiple uses and values of Moreton Bay and its catchments. Moreton Bay Quandamooka and catchment: past, present and future. (pp. 563-578) edited by Ian R. Tibbetts, Peter C. Rothlisberg, David T. Neil, Tamara A. Homburg, David T. Brewer and Angela H. Arthington. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Moreton Bay Foundation.
Values towards Moreton Bay and catchments
Ross, Helen, Jones, Natalie, Witt, Katherine, Pinner, Breanna, Shaw, Sylvie, Rissik, David and Udy, James (2019). Values towards Moreton Bay and catchments. Moreton Bay Quandamooka and catchment: past, present and future. (pp. 47-60) edited by Ian R. Tibbetts, Peter C. Rothlisberg, David T. Neil, Tamara A. Homburg, David T. Brewer and Angela H. Arthington. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Moreton Bay Foundation.
Assessment and monitoring of the effects of the ComMod approach
Perez, Pascal, Aubert, Sigrid, Dare, William’s, Ducrot, Raphaele, Jones, Natalie, Queste, Jerome, Trebuil, Guy and Van Paassen, AnneMarie (2014). Assessment and monitoring of the effects of the ComMod approach. Companion modelling: a participatory approach to support sustainable development. (pp. 155-187) edited by Michel Etienne. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-8557-0_7
Dipu, Mokaddes Ahmed, Jones, Natalie A. and Aziz, Ammar Abdul (2022). Drivers and barriers to uptake of regenerative agriculture in southeast Queensland: a mental model study. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 46 (10), 1502-1526. doi: 10.1080/21683565.2022.2114120
Jones, Natalie A., Bellamy, Jennifer, Bellotti, William, Ross, Helen, van Bommel, Severine and Liu, Yiyu (2022). A shock to the system: what the COVID-19 pandemic reveals about Australia's food systems and their resilience. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5 790694, 1-18. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.790694
Emotionally augmented mental models, connectivity and beaver reintroduction in Southwest England
Blewett, Andrew, Jacobs, Maarten, Kok, Kasper, Jones, Natalie A., Ogle, Sharron and Huijbens, Edward (2022). Emotionally augmented mental models, connectivity and beaver reintroduction in Southwest England. Ecology and Society, 27 (1) 33. doi: 10.5751/ES-12823-270133
Blewett, Andrew, Jacobs, Maarten, Kok, Kasper, Jones, Natalie and Ogle, Sharron (2021). Stakeholder mental model analysis supports focused conservation policy and actions for Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) reintroduction. Journal for Nature Conservation, 64 126064, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126064
Guerrero, Angela M., Jones, Natalie A., Ross, Helen, Virah-Sawmy, Malika and Biggs, Duan (2021). What influences and inhibits reduction of deforestation in the soy supply chain? A mental model perspective. Environmental Science and Policy, 115, 125-132. doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2020.10.016
Kelly, meet Craik: a role for mental models in personal construct psychology
Ross, Helen, Jones, Natalie A. and Abel, Nick (2020). Kelly, meet Craik: a role for mental models in personal construct psychology. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 35 (4), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/10720537.2020.1805071
Witt, Katherine, Ross, Helen, Shaw, Sylvie, Jones, Natalie, Rissik, David and Pinner, Breanna (2019). How do Local People Value Rural Waterways? A Study in the Upper Catchments of South East Queensland’s Rivers. Society & Natural Resources, 32 (6), 638-656. doi: 10.1080/08941920.2019.1578910
Stephen Kellert’s development and contribution of relational values in social-ecological systems
Ross, Helen, Witt, Katherine and Jones, Natalie A (2018). Stephen Kellert’s development and contribution of relational values in social-ecological systems. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 35, 46-53. doi: 10.1016/j.cosust.2018.10.007
Predators modify biogeographic constraints on species distributions in an insect metacommunity
Grainger, Tess Nahanni, Germain, Rachel M., Jones, Natalie T. and Gilbert, Benjamin (2017). Predators modify biogeographic constraints on species distributions in an insect metacommunity. Ecology, 98 (3), 851-860. doi: 10.1002/ecy.1712
Values towards waterways in south east Queensland: why people care
Jones, Natalie A., Ross, Helen, Shaw, Sylvie, Witt, Katherine, Pinner, Breanna and Rissik, David (2016). Values towards waterways in south east Queensland: why people care. Marine Policy, 71, 121-131. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2016.05.027
The study of human values in understanding and managing social-ecological systems
Jones, Natalie, Shaw, Sylvie, Ross, Helen, Witt, Katherine and Pinner, Breanna (2016). The study of human values in understanding and managing social-ecological systems. Ecology and Society, 21 (1) 15. doi: 10.5751/ES-07977-210115
Jones, Natalie A., Ross, Helen, Lynam, Timothy and Perez, Pascal (2014). Eliciting mental models: a comparison of interview procedures in the context of natural resource management. Ecology and Society, 19 (1), 13.1-13.7. doi: 10.5751/ES-06248-190113
Waypoints on a journey of discovery: mental models in human- environment interactions
Lynam, Timothy, Mathevet, Raphael, Etienne, Michel, Stone-Jovicich, Samantha, Leitch, Anne, Jones, Nathalie, Ross, Helen, Du Toit, Derick, Pollard, Sharon, Biggs, Harry and Perez, Pascal (2012). Waypoints on a journey of discovery: mental models in human- environment interactions. Ecology and Society, 17 (3), 23.1-23.11. doi: 10.5751/ES-05118-170323
Mental models: An interdisciplinary synthesis of theory and methods
Jones, Natalie A., Ross, Helen, Lynam, Timothy, Perez, Pascal and Leitch, Anne (2011). Mental models: An interdisciplinary synthesis of theory and methods. Ecology and Society, 16 (12), 46.1-46.13. doi: 10.5751/ES-03802-160146
Stone-Jovicich, Samantha S., Lynam, Timothy, Leitch, Anne and Jones, Natalie A. (2011). Using consensus analysis to assess mental models about water use and management in the Crocodile River catchment, South Africa. Ecology and Society, 16 (1). doi: 10.5751/ES-03755-160145
Daniell, Katherine A., White, Ian, Ferrand, Nils, Ribarova, Irina S., Coad, Peter, Rougier, Jean-Emmanuel, Hare, Matthew, Jones, Natalie A., Popova, Albena, Rollin, Dominique, Perez, Pascal and Burn, Stewart (2010). Co-engineering participatory water management processes: theory and insights from Australian and Bulgarian interventions. Ecology and Society, 15 (4). doi: 10.5751/ES-03567-150411
Evaluating Participatory Modeling: Developing a Framework for Cross-Case Analysis
Jones, N. A., Perez, P., Measham, T. G., Kelly, G. J., d'Aquino, P., Daniell, K. A., Dray, A. and Ferrand, N. (2009). Evaluating Participatory Modeling: Developing a Framework for Cross-Case Analysis. Environmental Management (New York), 44 (6), 1180-1195. doi: 10.1007/s00267-009-9391-8
The AtollGame experience: from knowledge engineering to a computer-assisted role playing game
Dray, Anne, Perez, Pascal, Jones, Natalie A., Le Page, Christophe, D'Aquino, Patrick, White, Ian and Auatabu, Titeem (2006). The AtollGame experience: from knowledge engineering to a computer-assisted role playing game. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, 9 (1), 1-10.
Farlofi, S., Gumede, H., Rowntree, K. and Jones, N. (2008). Local water governance in South Africa: to which extent participatory approaches facilitate multi-stakeholder negotiations? The Kat River Valley experience. XII World Water Congress, Montpellier, France, 1-4 September 2008.
Participatory values-based risk management for the water sector
Daniell, K. A., Coad, P., Ferrand, N., White, I., Jones, N., Guise, K., Marvell, C., Burn, S. and Perez, P. (2008). Participatory values-based risk management for the water sector. Water Down Under 2008, Adelaide, Australia, 14-17 April 2008. Modbury, SA, Australia: Engineers Australia.
Eliciting mental models of natural resource systems: a procedural comparison
Jones, Natalie Anne (2012). Eliciting mental models of natural resource systems: a procedural comparison. PhD Thesis, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland.
(2022–2024) Great Barrier Reef Foundation
(2021–2026) Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Use of ICT in agriculture marketing to connect smallholder farmers to dynamic markets in the developing countries: A case of the dairy industry in Bangladesh
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Smallholder agriculture and food and nutrition security: strategies to empower farming families in Solomon Islands
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
The financial performance of utilising senile coconut palms for the manufacture of engineered wood products in Fiji
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Learning how to manage for resilience - strategically monitoring for adaptive governance of social ecological systems
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
(2020) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: