I was drawn to the course because I was looking for a degree which could develop my knowledge of Australia’s unique biodiversity and provide me with the tools to work towards preserving it in the future.

I was also delighted that the course provided a chance to gain practical experience, as well as theoretical and lab-based skills.

The highlight of my degree was definitely the two field courses I took part in (Coral Bay and Albany). Both courses were full of like-minded people who are still my good friends today.

They gave me practical experience which helped to set me up for future jobs and studies, and fostered my passion for fieldwork, Australian wildlife, and conservation biology!

I also found that all the lecturers within the degree were passionate, and keen to engage and help where possible. They were supportive and made classes more enjoyable.

If you are a person who enjoys being in the bush, and appreciating Australia’s unique wildlife, and you are looking to be equipped with the tools to preserve and manage our biodiversity for future generations, then this degree would suit you well!

After finishing my degree, I put my practical skills to use and worked as a research assistant in South Africa. I then further developed my theoretical skills by completing a MSc in Quantitative Environmental Sciences at the University of Zurich.

I am now looking to start a PhD and to pursue a career where I can use my knowledge and unique skillset to provide solutions to the real-world problems that our biodiversity is facing, in order to preserve and protect it for generations to come.

Natalie Schmitt

Conservation geneticist and documentary presenter

Since completing my honours degree in Zoology at UWA, I’ve gone from managing a project which teaches predator recognition to small marsupials, presenting and filming wildlife documentaries for four years with Discovery Channel and Nat Geo Wild, a conservation genetics PhD on humpback whales with the Australian Antarctic Division, to now developing new technology for species detection, which focuses on snow leopards, with McMaster University in Canada and Panthera conservation organisation. UWA gave me a well-rounded degree in the biological sciences which taught me all that is possible within this field, and this gave me a platform to dream, and dream big!

Read more about Natalie's story here.