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Where did your love of science come from?
I grew up on a farm at Rocky Cape on the north-west coast and attended Marist Regional College. From an early age I had a passion for animals, especially cats, and wanted to be a Veterinary Surgeon. In Grade 10 I did work experience at the Wynyard Veterinary Clinic, but my love for domestic cats was growing to the larger variety: tigers and leopards! In 1999 my family arranged a school holiday vacation to Sydney where I was lucky enough to have a week's work experience at Taronga Zoological Park working with Asian Carnivores. Subsequently, I enrolled in and completed a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Zoology and Plant Science at the University of Tasmania in Hobart.
How did your love for big cats turn into a love for plants?
When I started uni I only wanted to study Zoology. However, you need to study a variety of subjects in first year and Plant Science seemed to fit into my degree quite well. After that, I was hooked!
What did you do after graduating?
After my degree I was undecided what to do. I was struggling to find employment and wondering whether or not I'd done the right thing. I did volunteer work with Conservation Volunteers Australia and assisted in the revegetation of Trial Bay at Kettering with the Department of Tourism Arts and the Environment and Kingborough Council. This lead to part-time work at the Department of Primary Industries and Water as an 'Administrative Support Officer' for the 'Registrar of Stock Brands', and then to a 'Project Assistant' position for their Protected Areas on Private Land Program. Within five months this role developed into a fixed-term full-time position. About 1 month into the position I had gained so much insight and skills into the permanent protection of native vegetation on private land, that it was only a matter of waiting for a suitable job opportunity to arise.
Where do you currently work?
I now work for the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association in Launceston where I am a 'Conservation Agreements Officer'. The position involves assessment and the permanent protection of native vegetation on private land, in the form of a voluntary Conservation Covenant, which is attached to the Land Title binding future Landowners to the conditions stated, ensuring that we still have native vegetation for future generations and homes for Tasmania's native animals (fauna).
What do you love about your career?
I love being able to escape the office and the city and trek around the 'bush' assessing and assisting in the protection of what little native vegetation we have left on private land. I also love meeting new people and learning new things from their life experiences. I'm always learning something new! I usually get out into the field about twice a week, although winter weather does involve a lot more office work: writing reports on the properties visited, presenting them to a Scientific Advisory Group, writing plans for the properties and conditions involved in the protection of native vegetation, drawing vegetation maps and rectifying aerial photos of properties using Geographic Information Systems software and reading up on latest legislation changes.
What do you love about science?
Science involves a diverse array of skills and it is defiantly not repetitive and monotonous, I am always learning new skills, I am able to travel around and see so much more of Tasmania and I cannot believe that I am actually getting paid to do something I really enjoy, seeing the North half of Tasmania and working outdoors! What more could someone ask for? I find my job very rewarding.
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