In this supporter profile, we shine the spotlight on one of our amazing vollies, Amber Marwede.

How long have you been a Nature Foundation volunteer and what inspired you to get involved?

I've been a volunteer with the Nature Foundation for just over a year now. I've always been passionate about conservation and caring for the environment, and during my studies where I recently completed a Bachelor of Marine and Wildlife Conservation Biology, I wanted to gain more hands-on experience. After talking to some family (who are also members) about wanting to get involved with an organisation, they recommend I look into the Nature Foundation which I'm so happy that I did!

What type of volunteering activities have you undertaken and enjoyed during this time?

I've participated in a few different activities now which included going up to Tiliqua to help with the pygmy blue-tongue survey which was incredible and also helping serve food and drinks at the promotion for the Kids on Country documentary. I've also been lucky enough to help with some research through the University of NSW (UNSW) at Witchelina twice now, which have been huge highlights. The property is absolutely gorgeous and such a unique place. It was really cool to be a part of Matt Smith (UNSW PhD candidate) and Mike Letnic's (UNSW Professor in conservation biology and ecosystem restoration) research and to gain such great field experience - doing work that I might end up doing one day! I hope that I can jump on a few more field surveys with the Nature Foundation in the near future, especially the regent parrot survey.

What do you find most rewarding about volunteering for nature?

I love the feeling of giving back to the earth and helping protect and conserve what we still have left. Australia has such unique species and high levels of biodiversity which we should protect at all costs. It's easy sometimes to get caught up in the doom and gloom when looking at the state of our environment, but the great thing is, there's still so much that can be done and it's really rewarding when that's put into practice. Being outdoors and immersed in nature is also such a huge bonus and it does wonders in clearing my mind and making me feel more connected with the environment. I'm also interested in science which backs nature conservation as I love knowing and understanding the why and how of things, and the problem solving that comes with complex, multifaceted issues which can be teased apart and then addressed. The people you meet along the way have to be one of the best parts too. There's no incentive which I can think of when it comes to volunteering for nature apart from your love and passion for the environment and wanting to make a difference and have a positive impact.

What are your hopes for the future of nature conservation and biodiversity in Australia?

I would love for revegetation and ecosystem restoration to be at the forefront of Australia's push for future nature and biodiversity conservation. Invasive species control should also go hand and hand with this to minimise inter-species competition and reduce overall ecosystem pressure. There are still so many critical biodiversity hotspots in both terrestrial and marine environments which need to be protected, and unfortunately, we sometimes don't act quickly enough in first recognising this and then acting to ensure its preservation. Take the Mt. Lofty Ranges for example, where we're seeing huge declines in woodland bird species as a result of habitat loss, destruction and land-use change. Many species will now become regionally extinct in the area due to poor and fragmented habitat. If we can prevent these occurrences from happening altogether, the positive cascading effects through the rest of the environment ensure things like biodiversity and ecosystem balance is maintained, along with reducing anthropogenic pressures and unnecessary interference with the natural world.

Learn more about and register your interest in our Volunteer program here.