Farmers within the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Catchments will benefit from the introduction of six new extension trainees. The trainees, supported through the Reef Extension Work Placement Initiative, have commenced work with six NRM or agricultural organisations from Mossman to Gympie.
Lili Usher-Chandler
Host Organisation: Private Forestry Services (PFSQ)
Location: Gympie – servicing Wide Burnett
Main Industry: Forestry, silviculture, horticulture, grazing land management, timber processing
Mentors: Executive Officer Sean Ryan, David Menzies from PFSQ and Growcom Land and Water Manager Scott Wallace
Lili has a Bachelor of Advanced Science with majors in zoology and ecology, and is dedicated to creating positive environmental change. Her life goal is to strengthen the relationship between people and the environment so that both receive the benefits of coexistence.
Upon graduation Lili was placed with Private Forestry Service Queensland (PFSQ) in Gympie and will work also with Growcom. Lili will work in forestry, silviculture, horticulture, grazing land management, timber processing and environmental conservation. PFSQ uses managed ecology and sustainable forestry practice to improve landholders’ productivity and reduce their ecological impact.
Lili looks forward to providing landholders with useful resources that aid environmental responsibility. She wants to inspire change among primary producers and ask them what they can do to better their practices, rather than simply telling them what to do.
Erin Baldwin
Host Organisation: Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA
Location: Rockhampton
Main Industry: Grazing
Mentors: Barbara McKechnie, Water and Agriculture Manager, and Elyse Riethmuller, Chief Operating Officer.
Erin is being hosted by the lead natural resource management body for Central Queensland, the Fitzroy Basin Association (FBA) in Rockhampton. With a geographical footprint of over 156,000km2 and more than 20,000km of waterways, the Fitzroy Basin is the largest river system draining into the waters of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR).
Erin is working under the supervision of her Senior Project Manager Rachel Bryan to deliver a diversity of Reef Trust funded projects to landholders and graziers in the region. The primary goal of these projects is to reduce mean-annual fine grazing loads being delivered to the Reef lagoon.
In the past, Erin has worked on Heron Island which instilled her with a deep understanding of the many threats which face the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). She applied to be a part of QFF’s Workplacement Initiative upon completing her degree in Environmental Science, majoring in Wildlife and Conservation Biology.
She is excited to acquire new skills that will assist her in taking active, on-ground action to reduce some of the cumulative pressures currently impacting the water quality of the GBR.
Kate Armstrong
Host Organisation: Mossman Ag Services – WITSIP
Location: Mossman
Main Industry: Sugarcane
Mentors: Daryl Parker, MAS Regional Extension Officer, and Caroline Coppo, WTSIP Extension Co-ordinator.
Kate has been placed with Mossman Agricultural Services and is working as a District Extension Officer. Based in Mossman, Far North Queensland, she helps service growers along the coast from Daintree to just below Port Douglas and west to the foothills of the Great Dividing Range.
It was during her studies in a Bachelor of Environmental Management, majoring in Natural Systems and Wildlife, when Kate decided she wanted to use her knowledge of natural systems to work in regions where natural systems are colliding or competing with other resources.
Kate has always been interested in working in a job where she could be based on the ground, in communities, to address interesting and challenging resource issues. She jumped at the opportunity to be involved in the QFF’s Workplacement Initiative, particularly as it involved her greatest passions; people and beautiful natural resources.
Eilis Walker
Host Organisation: North Queensland Dry Tropics (NQDT) Natural Resource Management group, Greening Australia (GA) and Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF)
Location: Townsville
Main Industry: Grazing + Sugarcane
Main Mentors: Linda Anderson and Bob Shepard
For the duration of her traineeship, Eilis has been placed with North Queensland Dry Tropics (NQDT) Natural Resource Management group, Greening Australia (GA) and Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF). She is working with the grazing and sugar cane industries and the bulk of her time is focussed on understanding the sediment and nutrient exports from these sectors into the Great Barrier Reef.
Eilis will be based in the NQDT office in Townsville and will be mentored by Linda Anderson who is a Senior Field Officer in the Sustainable Agriculture team and Lisa Hutchinson who is the grazing BMP coordinator. She will also be mentored by Damon Telfer from GA and Bob Shepard from DAF.
After graduating from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management, Eilis wanted to pursue a career that would have a meaningful impact on Australia’s natural environment. QFF’s Workplacement Initiative has facilitated her passion by matching her with a host organisation that implements projects that protect the Great Barrier Reef through improved water quality in catchment areas.
Zoe Eagger
Host Organisation: Farmacist
Location: Mackay and Burdekin
Main Industry: Sugarcane, Horticulture and Grazing
Main Mentors: Robert Sluggett
Zoe is currently being mentored by Farmacist, an independent agronomy and precision agriculture service provider in the Mackay and Burdekin Regions. Farmacist specialises is agronomic advice, geospatial data collection and management, development and extension activities supporting farming practice changes.
Zoe is interested in improving farming practices and building effective communication networks between growers. She also is keen to explore new and innovative farming methods, precision agriculture and integrated pest management.
She decided to apply for the QFF’s Workplacement Initiative because of her passion for engaging community groups, stakeholders and industry leaders. She relocated from Western Australia to help support farmers through education that empowers them to make sustainable decisions.
Zoe believes extension officers are the vital link between researchers and farmers. Her primary mentor is Robert Sluggett.
Dominique Hinchliffe
Host Organisation: Burnett Mary Regional Group for NRM
Location: Bundaberg
Main Industry: Grazing
Main Mentors: Cathy Mylrea and John Day
Dominique has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of Queensland and has a keen interest in the extension of material to producers. Her background consists of a mix of industries, growing up on a sugarcane and beef property and working on a dairy farm for many years.
Dominique has been placed with the Burnett Mary Regional Group for NRM and will be working as an NRM Agricultural Extension Trainee based in Bundaberg. The projects she contributes to include the “Better Beef for the Reef”, Grazing BMP, Soil Health and Soil Conservation projects.
In the past, Dominique has worked as a Development Officer for Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland. It was in this role, working within the dairy industry, that she developed an interest in extension and working with farmers to implement practice change and improve production on farm.
She is very much excited about being paired with BMRG in an extension role and taking on the exciting new challenge of working on projects within the grazing industry. She is looking forward to further developing and learning new skills to extend information to the grazing industry and assisting producers to make positive changes.