Environmental scientist launches sustainable impact career with Western
With a lifelong passion for the environment and sustainable pathways for the future, Holly Nettle enrolled into the Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science) at Western Sydney University to make a difference in the Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains regions.
After finishing her Year 12 HSC studies, Holly says she couldn’t wait to launch her environmental science career and discovered that Western was one of the only universities that offered the Environmental Science degree and the diversity of subjects she wanted to study.
“Western appealed to me because it seemed fresh and young, and the location of the Hawkesbury campus also attracted me as I knew that I would be learning in close proximity to a UNESCO World Heritage Area, the magnificent Blue Mountains,” said Holly.
“I had access to a series of practical sessions over the duration of my degree. These involved lessons from radio tracking animals to plant identification and carbon capture experiments.”
Holly’s favourite part of her degree was studying in Western’s microbiology laboratories, discovering that the field of microbes is what she is the most passionate about.
“I have always been interested in microbiology, but I didn’t realise how strong my passion for the topic was until I studied it at university.”
“I think it’s amazing that we know so little about the most abundant organisms on earth, and in the context of viruses, they make us question what it even means to be alive.”
During her studies, Holly took part in volunteer research and sustainability projects including water pollution studies with senior researchers and mentors from the University’s School of Science, and volunteering with the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute.
Holly also secured an Environmental Science Cadetship with Blue Mountains City Council in her second year of study which allowed her to gain experience working in the field while studying.
“I am now moving on to the Federal Government’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, where I will be assessing the environmental impact of some of Australia’s most significant development proposals.”
Now in her final year of her undergraduate studies, Holly says her degree has also uncovered a new passion for science journalism, gaining her valuable media interview experience as an up-and-coming environmental science researcher from her community engagement and outreach activities.
Notably, Holly was interviewed with her mentor Associate Professor Ian Wright by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age(opens in a new window) for an investigative news story on the environmental pollution at the abandoned Sunny Corner Mine, and features in Mining The Blue Mountains – A Documentary(opens in a new window).
“I want to work as an environmental journalist for a period to bring science stories to people who otherwise wouldn’t be engaged. I will be studying environmental journalism in 2024 and then completing a Master of Research in microbiology in 2025.”
“I got a great deal out of my degree, and it has opened a lot of doors for me. I absolutely loved what I learned at university particularly because of the diversity in the subjects I studied.”
“This has equipped me with an extensive knowledge base which has helped me to land other opportunities in my field outside of university.”
ENDS
21 August 2024
Photo credit: Sally Tsoutas
Video credit: The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age
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