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Often, when we think of a conservation not-for-profit, we envisage people in boots and hats planting trees and pulling weeds. What we don't think of are the people that answer the phones, design the newsletters, take social media photos, or handle mail and process donations. It is this collaboration of skillsets that allows Bush Heritage Australia to deliver impact, protecting and managing our precious landscapes across the country.
Our Seeding the Future Program provides passionate young people the chance to gain real hands-on experience, both in the field and in the office, creating pathways for emerging conservationists in all their forms. Bush Heritage's first Supporter Care Intern, Amy Naylor, discovered new career opportunities during her time at Bush Heritage.
“This internship widened my perspective on the conservation jobs that are out there, especially the number of jobs that combine creative and scientific thinking,” says Amy.
The internship helped bring Amy’s passions of conservation and creativity together, while building integral relationships with Bush Heritage's supporters and processing donations. This may not be seen as a 'typical' conservation experience, but Amy believes what she's learnt at Bush Heritage has significantly shaped her future career.
“After university, it's easy to conceptualise the role field work plays in solving conservation problems, but I was unclear on all the other parts that make up a conservation organisation,” says Amy. Now, she has a more concrete idea of where she’d like to take her career in the sector.
“My mentor, Michelle, was incredibly helpful throughout the whole process. When I first came to her, I didn't have a solid idea of what I wanted to get out of my internship, but she was so generous with her time and really helped me nail the things I was passionate about and who I should be talking to within the organisation to make them happen,” says Amy.
As the program lead and mentor, Michelle Stook gets the privilege of working with interns from when they first arrive to their final days at Bush Heritage. She provides advice and resources to help guide them towards their passions, determining an idea of where they want to go or the different skills they might want to combine into a career.
Having the additional support of mentors like Michelle can make all the difference to the interns at Bush Heritage. “It takes a village! Amy was able to experience many different components of the organisation during her internship,” Michelle says.
Next up for Amy is a role at Melbourne Polytechnic, delivering workshops to high-school students who are keen to further their studies in science. And as for the Seeding the Future program, Michelle is looking forward to helping more talent find their way, “We have another 10 paid internships available this year and, over the coming years, we are beginning to develop a 12-month paid graduate program that will ultimately offer opportunities to budding Reserve Managers and Field Ecologists. Stay tuned!”
Bush Heritage gratefully acknowledges the visionary cohort of philanthropists who support the Seeding the Future Program, with special thanks to the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation who provided substantial funding for the pilot program.
