Charles Sturt has Sustainability Student Advisers across all campuses and also online, so let’s meet the 2024 team!
Rebecca (AKA Becky) – Albury Adviser
What are you studying at Charles Sturt and where would you like this to take you?
I am currently in my third year of Environmental Science and Management.
I am incredibly passionate about creating a sustainable environment where both the human population and wildlife can coexist and thrive together.
My dream is to work with people to make our world a better and more sustainable place – no matter how big or small that impact might be.
What does your role as a Sustainability Student Adviser involve?
As the sustainability advisor, I aim to bring together a wide range of people to promote sustainable initiatives at Albury campus.
Our campus and Albury community are already leading in many environmental innovations. I aim to adopt and communicate these innovations to Charles Sturt students.
What makes you passionate about sustainability?
Growing up on a farm, I was constantly surrounded by nature and wildlife.
My family were massive advocates for sustainability and taught me the importance of caring for land. With so much of our land being degraded and native populations declining, I find it incredibly rewarding to be a part of the change and work towards a more sustainable future.
What is an easy way to be more sustainable?
The easiest way to be more sustainable is to take a second to think about the environment.
It can be as simple as deciding to bring reusable bags when shopping or turning off the lights when you leave the house- sometimes you might forget but it’ll soon become a habit.
What do you enjoy doing outside of uni?
When I am not studying or working, I love to be a part of our campus clubs. I am very involved with the Charles Sturt Mud dogs league tag team and love adopting koalas and platypus with the Enviro Club.
Lucinda – Wagga Adviser
What are you studying at Charles Sturt and where would you like this to take you?
I am currently in my 2nd year of veterinary science.
I am deeply passionate about the Australian landscape and how efforts can be made to preserve and protect it amidst its agricultural usage and various other stresses.
I see the value of a partnership between vets, farmers and ecologists in finding this balance between current practice and conservation so that we prioritise our ecological footprint while recognising the needs of primary production.
What does your role as a Sustainability Student Adviser involve?
Being the sustainability adviser in Wagga so far has given me the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of individuals across campus and share and instigate ideas with them to make existing practices more environmentally friendly.
In this role I also seek to support students with ideas of improving campus experience in a sustainable way and providing avenues to implement potential initiatives they have in mind to foster community.
What makes you passionate about sustainability?
I have grown up with a keen interest in agriculture as I love working outdoors and being practical however I have progressively questioned the way the industry puts pressure on the land and how we as humans mitigate this through conscious efforts.
What is an easy way to be more sustainable?
You can be more sustainable by investing in quality items, may that be in relation to clothing or household goods, that will both outlast wear and tear that disposable fashion is not designed for as well as reduce the direct and indirect waste of byproducts when you replace these items seasonally.
What do you enjoy doing outside of uni?
I spend plenty of time drinking coffee and cooking (and eating) delicious food with friends and am always ready to hit the dance floor no matter who’s playing.
I have recently taken an interest in mosaicking, my latest project being the pizza oven on-campus. I enjoy trail running and also roller skating, both which get you out and moving through your environment at a different pace to normal.
I love going bush and on a weekend, I’ll often take myself off on a hike or out on the horses to somewhere where I cannot be reached so it’s just me and the trees.
Teagan – Online Adviser
What are you studying at Charles Sturt and where would you like this to take you?
I’m in my fourth year of veterinary science at Charles Sturt and I aspire to be a rural mixed veterinarian with a focus on large animals and reproduction.
Having spent a lot of my childhood between the Blue Mountains and Far North Queensland I have a unique appreciation for the diversity of flora and fauna.
In my profession, I hope to implement sustainable measures in vet clinics to reduce medical waste as well as work with farmers to improve agricultural sustainability.
What does your role as a Sustainability Student Adviser involve?
As the online sustainability advisor, I get to work alongside the other campus advisors on group projects and create content and share information online with all Charles Sturt students.
What makes you passionate about sustainability?
Growing up in the Blue Mountains and spending a lot of my spare time with my friends on bush walks and swimming in the national parks instilled an appreciation in me from a young age for the environment.
Additionally, witnessing how responsible land management is essential for breeding and raising livestock, ensuring they have sufficient pastures, has emphasised the importance of caring for our natural resources and working harmoniously with the environment.
What is an easy way to be more sustainable?
Little things you can do include hanging your washing on the line instead of using the dryer, using a reusable cup or water bottle, car-pooling or walking to places that are close enough and buying second-hand clothes instead of fast fashion.
What do you enjoy doing outside of uni?
I love to go to the gym and for runs as well as play netball and league tag. I enjoy being involved in committees at uni as well as in Wagga as an RFS volunteer and member of the Wagga Show Society.
Jake – Port Macquarie Adviser
What are you studying at Charles Sturt and where would you like this to take you?
I have begun my third year of Environmental Science and Management.
I chose to specialise in Climate and Sustainability as these topics are heavily dominating everyone’s lives now. Understanding the climate and its processors will assist in developing strategies to mitigate or reverse climate change.
I hope to expand my knowledge in these areas and then apply that to marine science, where the ocean plays an enormous role in climate change.
What does your role as a Sustainability Student Adviser involve?
Here in Port Macquarie, there is access to state forest, National Parks, beaches, river and estuary ecosystems.
Spreading awareness of environmental issues will be a focus, particularly working with the university residence where residents will be empowered to make small changes, and make a huge change in their habits.
What makes you passionate about sustainability?
I was lucky enough to grow up rurally, with a 10km stretch of state forest on the Murray River straight across the road from where I lived.
I spent countless hours in this forest, walking with family, running, playing games as a kid, camping, fishing, etc. I believe this has enabled me to grow a greater appreciation for the environment.
What is an easy way to be more sustainable?
Reduce food waste. It may seem like such a small thing, though food waste in Australia is currently huge.
From the land and resources used, the harvesting or collection, to the processing and logistics, so much effort goes into providing food to serve at the table.
Why throw it out?
And even the cost of it, if we can save the food we buy, we will be saving ourselves a bit of coin too. Save food, save money, save the earth. Win.
What do you enjoy doing outside of uni?
I moved to Port Macquarie with a huge intention to learn to surf, which I feel quite confident with now, so I spend most of my time doing just that.
I love anything outdoors and active essentially, which is what drives me to be involved with the university clubs such as the Enviro Club, Run Club, and I am trying to revive a Surf Society.
