Eika Glasgow and Heidi Clark are turning their love of nature into rewarding environmental work, harnessing the skills they’ve gained studying Conservation and Ecosystem Management at TAFE SA.

Their commitment to knowledge and skill development has been recognised with key awards at the Urrbrae Campus graduation for Conservation and Ecosystem Management, Horticulture, and Landscape Construction and Design courses.

Heidi (pictured at right), the recipient of the Friends of Belair ‘Emerging Environment Steward Award’, is a graduate of the Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management and is nearing completion of the Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management.

“Enrolling in the Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management ended up changing the direction of my life. For the first time, it feels like my passion has met purpose,” she says.

Heidi says one of the most rewarding aspects of studying at TAFE SA has been the practical, hands-on learning and the opportunity to build real-world skills through fieldwork and environmental monitoring.

“Subjects like Conduct Biological Surveys and Collect and Classify Plants have been especially rewarding because they combine fieldwork, observation, ecology and discovery,” she says. 

“I’ve also been incredibly lucky to learn from some amazing lecturers who are not only passionate educators but also bring a wealth of industry-based knowledge and experience into the classroom.

“Their passion, experience and knowledge have been pretty awe-inspiring and have played a huge role in shaping both my learning and confidence moving forward.”

Alongside her studies, Heidi volunteers with the Native Orchid Society of South Australia (NOSSA) and Fauna Rescue SA. She is also a member of Birds SA and a former volunteer at Gorge Wildlife Park.

Her main areas of interest include biodiversity monitoring, ecology, wildlife conservation and ecosystem restoration.

“More than anything though, my happy place is simply being out in nature, exploring and photographing all the incredible things I come across,” she says.

Native plant enthusiast Eika Glasgow, a graduate of the Diploma in Conservation and Eco-system Management, received the Sue Duigan Award for the student who best exemplifies the traits of curiosity, passion, wonder and respect for the natural world. 

Eika was “ecstatic” about the award, which is presented in memory of Sue Duigan, a TAFE SA lecturer in Conservation and Ecosystem Management and Botany who passed away in 2020.

Passionate about connecting people with nature and raising the profile of native plants, Eika has balanced study over the past four years with work at Provenance Indigenous Plants, creating plant care labels for customers.

“People expect that the plants will thrive because they’re native, but the conditions are still important. Adelaide has diverse soils and not all plants are suited to all environments,” she explains.

Eika says she has gained an appreciation of Adelaide’s different regions during her TAFE SA studies, with field trips an important - and favourite - part of the course, and as a volunteer at Tennyson Dunes.

“Adelaide occupies a long thin strip of land where the soil and conditions vary and as a class we went all over and it gives you an appreciation of the different environments - TAFE SA really takes you there,” she says.

Eika says the course has provided a good foundation for her career and she has developed “an understanding of how eco-systems work, the attributes of specific plants and animals and the importance of understanding them to preserve or create a space”.

After initially studying Information Technology, Eika says she is grateful to have had the opportunity to pursue her interest in the natural world.

“Whether it’s weeding or a more complex project in the environment, you can see the results of your hard work and it’s rewarding,” she says.

Her long-term ambition is to work as a garden designer, bringing new varieties of native plants to people’s attention.

“There are some beautiful native plants like the Lotus australis which I’m working with at the moment and Pelargonium australe that people could be using and enjoying,” she says.