Emma Koch is a Blue Mountains local with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Environmental Studies with Honours in Geography. Emma heard about our ecological monitoring through our partnership with Scenic World, where she works. Emma joined our Ecological Monitoring program in 2019 and has been working with our Wentworth Falls team ever since.
Tell us about yourself.
I have always lived in the Blue Mountains and love the unique environment the World Heritage area has to offer. I am passionate about the environment and recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Ancient History and Bachelor of Science majoring in Environmental Studies with Honours in Geography. My honour thesis focused on stakeholder’s perceptions of the Warragamba Dam wall raising proposal and the environmental and cultural heritage legislation that protects the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area which is a topic I am looking to pursue further in a Masters. I also received a scholarship to participate in the BMWHI Adaptive Management course which I found great to connect with other professionals in the industry and learn more about different conservation practices.
What inspired you to sign up to our citizen science program?
I found out about the program through working at Scenic World who monitor fauna cameras on their site in partnership with BMWHI. I got in contact and joined the Wentworth Falls group in 2019 since I am very interested in the long term goals of the project and enjoy monitoring the flora and fauna of the Blue Mountains.
What study area are you particularly interested in?
I am highly interested in conservation so an interesting part of the program has been to see what native fauna and introduced species our camera traps have captured and potentially develop strategies of how they can be protected in the future.
What's good about being a citizen scientist?
I enjoy being a citizen scientist because we collect a lot of valuable data that can then be used to make a real contribution to the Blue Mountains databases and knowledge on the impact of climate change on different ecological communities and more.
What have you learned from your experience?
I’ve gained a lot of knowledge from the other volunteers who have shared their own ecological interests with me. Who knew there could be so many native orchids in such a small area?
Where would you like to be in 5 years?
I would like to work in Environmental management and policy or a similar ecological field. I also see myself continuing to volunteer in some capacity.
Do you have any advice for others thinking about joining the program?
If anyone is thinking about joining the program or has any questions get in contact with BMWHI. There are a range of different programs and sites that meet at different times so there should be one that is good fit for you. Everyone is very welcoming so we would love to see more volunteers.