Patrick Tegart
Project officer/Environmental education consultant
Completing my degree, particularly my honours year, has been one of the most rewarding experiences...
What was your course?
What exactly does your work/job entail?
As someone who likes to stay busy and utilise my energy while I have it, I find myself working two jobs a lot of the time. Working at Landcare Australia, I am regularly communicating and visiting a number of organisations throughout Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania. As a project officer, I apply the skills I learnt at UTS to provide technical guidance to organisations who are undertaking revegetation, weed treatment and pest management activities.
Outside of Landcare, I run my own business called SCience in Nature Services, or SCiNS for short, where I put together workshops and educational materials designed to engage local community members and school students. One of my favourite aspects of this job is creating and managing environmental education events. These events, called ‘BioBlitzes’, provide platforms for environmental scientists, naturalists and community members to network, learn from one another and conduct surveys that collect valuable environmental data and species lists from specific areas.
What part of your work inspires you the most? Why do you find it interesting?
The most inspiring part of my work is teaching and learning. I am quite fortunate due to the diversity my two jobs provide. As a strong advocate for citizen science and community engagement, I frequently find myself interacting with scientists, park rangers, teachers, and community members. With this ongoing networking and engagement, I am able to share my knowledge while directing projects or creating workshops.
Do you find the skills you learnt during your degree useful and versatile? If so how?
In December 2015, I coordinated the Wallagoot Catchment BioBlitz. Sponsored by South East Local Land Services, Atlas of Life in the Coastal Wilderness, Bega Local Aboriginal Land Council and a number of other partners, this citizen science event targeted Bournda National Park and a neighbouring Aboriginal land lot found on the far south coast of NSW. Engaging over 20 scientists, the two-day event successfully attracted 200 local community members and 60 school students who supported scientists as they ran surveys.
Have you had any achievements or news that you'd like to share with the UTS Alumni community?
Completing my degree, particularly my honours year, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my young career. UTS provided an ideal learning platform from which I have gained technical skills backed by theoretical knowledge. It also taught me to take the good with the bad. Experiments go wrong, mistakes are made and technology is definitely not always your friend. Yet through these experiences, I have developed an open and adaptive mind that keeps me prepared for the evolving challenges that all research and projects contain.
