Ben Gawne is a freshwater ecologist who has spent his career working out how research can help people make better decisions about rivers and wetlands. He has worked across freshwater restoration, from planning and on-ground delivery to monitoring and evaluation, and managed projects ranging from small advisory jobs to multi-million-dollar collaborations. Much of Ben’s work sits between research and water management—two worlds that don’t always speak the same language. He enjoys bringing together evidence, practical experience and people with different perspectives to find workable solutions to complicated problems. Along the way, he has learned that good science is essential, but getting it used usually requires listening.