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Welcome to the Environmental Collective Column!
At UQU Environment, we are proud to be a collective driven by students, for students. That’s why we’re so excited to be launching the Environmental Collective column as an ongoing contribution to the Semper newspaper. We hope to create a space to spotlight the incredible environmental work happening across campus, from cutting-edge research to clubs and individuals that are making a real impact. Our goal is to promote sustainability, create opportunities for student engagement, and connect to you, our UQ community. Whether you’re interested in a career in conservation, or you are simply looking for small sustainability swaps, we hope to offer something for everyone.
To kick things off, I sat down with Aidan Dufty, President of the largest society within the UQ School of the Environment, the UQ Marine Society, to hear about the inspiring work they’re doing and how students can get involved. For those looking to get further involved with sustainable operations around campus, we will be sharing two new opportunities for involvement, including a newly opened, ongoing volunteer position. Finally, we are excited to showcase some incredible creative work from poet, journalism student, and member of the UQ Creative Writing Society, Bree Benbow, inspired by her personal connection to the environment.
If you enjoy this column and want to learn more about UQU Environment or how to get involved, be sure to follow us on Instagram for regular updates @uquenvironment
Interview with MSUQ Preisdent Aidian Dufty
By Chelsea, co-Environment Officer
Good morning, everyone! Today I’m here with Aidan Dufty, a passionate third-year student from the School of the Environment who has been doing incredible work creating opportunities and fostering a vibrant community for marine enthusiasts. Aidan, would you like to introduce yourself to our audience?
Absolutely! Hey guys, my name is Aidan Dufty, like Chelsea said, I am currently a third-year student studying an advanced science degree with a major in marine and conservation biology. I am also the president of the UQ Marine Society and a massive fan of all thing’s ocean.
Amazing, it’s great to have you here Aiden, now for those who aren’t familiar would you like to tell us a bit more about the Marine Society, who are you guys and what do you do?
Of course!
The marine society is a dual interest program, so we are actually a bit of an interesting group. Now on one side we have marine biology students here to pursue a certain degree, gain experience and land in a marine related job and they use our club to access skills, access workshops, and network with future academics.
But that isn’t everyone, and we are much more than just a career pathway club. We also attract the other half, which is marine enthusiasts, or as I like to call them, ‘fish people’. You know, we have a lot of people studying here who have chosen to study in Australia or have come from rural parts of the country to study here because they are passionate about the marine environment, they’re passionate about the reefs and they want to learn more. So, for a lot of people who have that interest but aren’t necessarily following a marine pathway, we are a great way for people to get involved, explore their interests and take action. Providing that avenue for people to get involved, no matter their background, is something that is really important to us.
Wow, it really sounds like you guys have something for everyone! Now, for people who feel like this could be the club for them, what kind of activities do you run, and how can people get involved?
Great question, we have a couple of different events that I am excited to talk about!
Let’s start with our biggest draw card, field-based activities! These have been an ongoing part of MSUQ since its inception, but this year is especially exciting for everyone who wants to get out and explore our marine and coastal environments, as it is our first year where we can offer water-based activities. So, if you are interested in day trips to go snorkelling, ocean clean-ups or other activities like that definitely come get involved. We also offer land-based field activities such as shoreline walks with academics.
Social events are also something we do regularly. A great example of this is our coffee meets, which we host every couple of weeks as an opportunity for our members and broader community members to catch up in a fun and casual setting. This is probably one of the best events for people interested in getting involved with MSUQ. We also cater to all our creatives out there through things like our sticker art competition, where students submit marine designs for our sticker merch and offer a bunch of other fun and casual marine-inspired activities!
Now, on top of that, like we touched on before, we do a lot of practical career and job-related stuff. This includes workshops, behind-the-scenes lab tours, research and networking nights, and the list goes on. So really, we offer a heap of activities that should give something to just about anyone who is interested in our marine environments.
What has been your favourite memory with MSUQ?
I have so many amazing memories, but I think for me, and now I know how cliché this sounds, but to me it’s more than a club, it’s a family. I come from the United States, I grew up in a landlocked area, and I was so passionate about marine science, but not many people around me were. So, I think my best memories have been any event where I get the opportunity to just connect with people who really get me, they share the interests and connections, and they humour me when I ask what their favourite fish is. I can’t say I favour any one event over the other, but getting to spend time with the awesome people here has made my favourite memories.
What would you say your proudest achievement as Marine Society president is?
My proudest achievement? So, we touched on this earlier, but I would have to say finding a way to make it possible for our club and members to participate in in water activities for the first time has been a huge win for the club. It really opens the doors for so many opportunities like ocean cleanups, underwater species ID, and just a bunch of both social and skill-building activities. I am proud of the work it took to make it happen and excited to see what else comes from it.
What advice would you give to students interested who are interested in marine science and want to see themselves in your shoes in the future?
When I first started here, I found it was incredibly scary to be a first-year student, so up until my second year, I really didn’t get involved in the opportunities we have on campus. It wasn’t until one day, on a whim, I decided to show up to an MSUQ event, and from there, I decided I would give my all to this club. Next thing I know, I became the club treasurer, and since then, what I have gained from my involvement in this club and community has been incredible.
So, I guess my advice to students would be that you get out what you put in. While you don’t need to commit yourself to a club or society, they really are an incredible resource, and that doesn’t just go for MSUQ; other clubs like the wildlife association or ecological society are great too. We really are a friendly bunch, and we are here for you, so as I like to say
“If you can come to one thing, we would love to have you, if you can come to everything, we would love to have you and if you can’t come to anything we are still here for you”.
That is amazing, now, from this, for the students who are inspired to come get involved, how should they get in touch?
Great question! So, the easiest way to find us is on Instagram, which is @marine_society_uq. We are pretty easy to identify, we have the blue ringed octopus as our mascot, who we like to call Hamlet, but if you see him, that’s us. We post weekly on Instagram about our events and what we are doing, so that is the easiest way to stay involved, but otherwise, you can always email us @msuqexec@gmail.com or even find us on Facebook.
Website: SEQUEST – South East Queensland Underwater Environment Survey Team
Opportunities with UQU Environmental Collective
Recycling officer volunteer:
This year, we are introducing a new, ongoing volunteer position within the environmental collective: Recycling Officer. We are looking for two students, who can commit to about an hour a week to help us with the running of a recycling station within the union complex, to provide students with a place to sustainability dispose of niche goods such as electronic waste, printer cartridges, DVD’s etc. If interested in learning more, reach out to us via our Instagram @uquenvironment
Have your voice heard! Student sustainability survey:
Have you noticed any areas where UQ could improve the sustainability of its operations, on either a large or small scale? Have you seen innovative sustainable practices in your workplace, community or elsewhere that could be brought to UQ? Understanding how students and staff feel about sustainability measures on campus is important to us as we’re always trying to improve, which is why we are launching a campus voice survey to gain better insight into how UQ could improve its overall approach to sustainability. This is your opportunity to have your voice and opinions heard by the university’s sustainability board and heads of operations. If this is of interest, please follow the link below, and if you have any questions, please reach out to us via our Instagram @uquenvironment
Survey link: UQU Environmental Collective – Campus Sustainability improvements survey
Poem: Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble – By Bree Benbow
Wake up and good morning anyone,
I’ve come to see the blue:
The curlicue fingers of light prying at my windowsill, the blue inside me, beside me, timid and driven by thirst
The ocean blue? Yes, the ocean is blue -
for now, at least,
Sadly swallowing oil and tired from spitting out plastic
The transitory meekness of human endeavour,
Our grand, obligatory raping of the sea.
But still, I’ve come to see the blue,
Where nothing at all needs saying,
Where everything is absorbed by flesh-eating current
Stalactite glowing silver with salt, growing stronger with age
wiser too I bet, albeit a bit tired – those pesky growing pains.
I’ve come to see the blue and revel in it
Feel the wind lash against my face, see God in a teaspoon
Transcending transcendent
Our shivering planet and her voice – the desperate plea of gradual death,
Velvet ribbon ocean tangling around my ankles, pulling me into her berth, the wide-breasted mother of her –
I am child and prisoner now.
And when I die,
The moon will still swim back across the seas’ stomach,
Its rays all silvered,
Yes,
In that blue hour,
turned to darkness,
I am a grown-up child,
with large damp wings,
Yes,
held for a moment, astonished – without a single light to comfort,
watching a paper boat as the water swallows it whole.
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