George holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Melbourne and has worked in academia for several decades, with a strong background in forest ecology, landscape ecology, palaeoecology, fire ecology, and ecological modelling.  His qualifications include a BSc and MSc Hons from the University of Canterbury, and he’s also a PGCAP holder from King's College London.

George has received prestigious awards, including the Te Tohu Taio Award for Ecological Excellence from the Ecological Society of NZ, and a Charles Bullard Fellowship at Harvard Forest. Additionally, George actively contributes to the field by serving on the editorial boards of the ecological journals like Ecosystems and the New Zealand Journal of Ecology