Onwards!

A few months ago I expressed an interest in a program organised by the Rotary Club - a New Generations Service Exchange (NGSE). This program involves the Rotary Club (a huge international organisation) attempting to find a vocational placement for a young individual who wants to pursue work in a specific field. The program is an excellent idea as it allows young people to gain experience in the vocation they wish to pursue (this is becoming increasingly important, especially for recent graduates), whilst also supporting the individual by searching for a host family for them to stay with during the placement.

I applied to the program quite late and wasn't really expecting to be accepted anywhere. But, thanks to some very fast-moving and dedicated Rotarians, my application was quickly sent off to see if any organisations might be able to offer me a placement.

After a great deal of intercontinental emailing, a fisheries research institute confirmed that they would be able to offer me work experience for 10 weeks! So, on Thursday 25th June I will be flying off to Sydney, Australia (total journey time of around 30 hours! I have bought flight socks for the first time ever)!

I will be staying in Nelson Bay in the NSW area of Australia, and working at the Port Stephens Fisheries Institute - where research being undertaken includes:
- Aquaculture Research
- Marine Ecosystems Research
- Fisheries Resource Assessment
- Aquatic Biosecurity Risk Management
- Invasive Plants and Animals
- Aquatic Habitat Rehabilitation
- Fisheries Operational Planning and Review

I am super excited to get out there, meet my hosts, and get back into doing science again!