Aila Keto

Who is Aila Keto?

Aila Inkeri Keto AO is founder and President of the Rainforest Conservation Society in Queensland, Australia, now known as the Australia Rainforest Conservation Society.

Born in Tully, Queensland, Australia, Dr Keto originally studied biochemistry and worked at the University of Queensland.

Keto was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1994 and was nominated as Queenslander of the Yearin 2000. In 2001 she was awarded the Centenary Medal, "for service as an expert on wet tropics and as a leading conservationist and academic".

In 2005 Dr Keto was awarded the Volvo Environment Prize for her work which, led to the protection of more than 15,000 km² of Queensland's rainforest. This is only one of a series of awards that have been given to her for her environmental and conservation work which has resulted in three successful nominations for world heritage status: Wet Tropics, Fraser Island and the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves of Australia.