MsRachel Lee

My passion for environmental science started when I was in primary school. I used to love sharing about fauna and remember rescuing birds and providing a small amount of funds for a stout little native pigeon. My path took a different focus and I studied Social Science following secondary schooling. I worked in disability and health for a number of years before two key moments (and a number of personal changes) led me to take a 'tree change' in my education and career. One was standing in front of the thylacine taxidermy specimen at Melbourne Museum and the other in front of two elderly Leadbeater's possums at Healesville Sanctuary. At both times, I felt that the extinction of the former and the near extinction of the latter species should not have been allowed to happen. Luckily, we have amazing people working for organisations that are dedicated in preserving the species that are at risk of being lost.

Studying wildlife and conservation biology at Deakin University guided me toward an Honours project that focused on what makes an invertebrate species translocation for conservation more successful. Even though the outcomes were different than anticipated, we were able to provide recommendations for parameters that should be recorded in future projects in order to determine what increases the likelihood for translocation project success. My love for "all the little (and sometimes big) things" has resulted in being accepted as a Ph.D. candidate through the Deakin University Women in STEAM program. My project combines my passion for conservation and my love of invertebrates through examining invertebrates as bioindicators of restoration in damaged Australian landscapes.

Since 2018, I have been employed at Deakin as an academic staff member and associate researcher. Teaching into ecology and biology, a lot of the same units I loved in my undergraduate studies, has provided me with communication and organisation skills. The professional relationships developed with students have allowed me to also share my knowledge and passion for conservation and ecosystems (and our mini-beasts). My time teaching and researching at Deakin resulted in a group award where the team developed and applied customised and freely accessible resources for a major ecology unit. My passion for working with students was also awarded with a Deakin teaching and learning award for "Personalised education with a big heart".

Even though I am a graduate researcher and early in my career, I look forward to the opportunities ahead. I am eager to learn more about our environment and how we can help to remediate the natural and anthropogenic damage that has been done. Discussing the topic with other professionals and enthusiasts enthuses me and being able to share further with our ecology students and apply the new knowledge and skills to my teaching is an exciting prospect.