Interning Abroad in Sydney, Australia
My Internship in a Nutshell
Through my studies at CEA CAPA, I am currently interning with PlantingSeeds, a small sustainability nonprofit based out of Sydney, Australia. The organization focuses on building up biodiversity corridors in urban areas, such as schools, communities, and companies.
As an environmental science major with a minor in public policy, this internship has been highly beneficial to show me what working in the field would be like. So far, I’ve loved it. Working with people who are passionate about making a difference, especially in schools, gets me excited to go to my internship in the morning. This is a great change of pace from my usual classes.
Helping kids plant native species at a school just outside of Sydney.
My Schedule
My work with PlantingSeeds consists of a hybrid schedule.
I work at the in-person office in Sydney’s Central Business District once a week. Getting dressed up to go to an office is something new for me, and can be fun when it is only once a week.
The rest of my time consists of scheduled site visits (such as to schools and community meeting places) and remote work. Having remote workdays allows for flexibility in my schedule. Getting to try working in a new cafe, library, or on my couch is super nice when my classes are also busy.
What Do I Get to Do?
My work for PlantingSeeds consists of grant writing, article writing, biodiversity assessments, and school visits.
Writing grants has been difficult, but is an invaluable experience to have for virtually any field I go into in the future. Breaking down questions and fitting them to the right responses for the grant applications has resulted in lots of questions that I have never thought to ask before. This is super rewarding when you are awarded a grant and know you made it happen.
I write articles about a variety of topics, mainly environmental topics that I am interested in, after discussing them with my supervisor. These get posted to the nonprofit’s public website, meaning I get to contribute to environmental debates in a meaningful way.
Completing biodiversity assessments was something completely new to me before this experience. I work within a transect at the site, usually a school, that we will plant at in the future. This information goes into data charts that will be used for statistical analysis. I like how marking down my observations about species turns into important information that will have a future impact.
A butterfly that landed on my coworker’s shirt during a biodiversity assessment.
Visiting schools has been a highlight of my internship abroad. Along with a group of educators and volunteers, I get to interact with school kids around biodiversity topics in the classroom and with hands-on activities. Helping them plant native species around their school is empowering and exciting for all of us. While I enjoy the flexibility on the days I intern remotely, I feel much more connected to the Australian culture surrounding me during the days when I’m in the field.
One of the plants that children planted that brought the area back to life!
The Australian Work Environment
Getting to interact and make connections with people from Australia and all over the world has been an amazing privilege. I work with people from places like Melbourne, New Zealand, and Ireland! Seeing everyone’s perspectives on the world has improved my communication skills across cultures. I also have gotten a lot of perspective on different paths in life and what I may be interested in in the future.
The work-life balance in Australia has been a breath of fresh air. While I am expected to get my work done, my supervisor would find it silly if I wanted to complete projects outside of my normal hours. Sydneysiders strongly value exercise, mental health, and social activities. It is comforting to talk to my coworkers about our weekends and lifestyles with ease, while still getting our work done.
One big difference from US workplace culture that I’ve noticed is that there is not as much of a hierarchy within companies here in Australia. I get to interact with the CEO and founder of the company just as much as volunteers who are there for one day. I love getting to hear different perspectives throughout the company. The collaboration-focused work leads to a dynamic and happy team.
One of the educators, Ella, presenting to the kids about how to plant at their school.
My Takeaways
As my first internship, it is going to be hard to beat this experience with PlantingSeeds. I have gained real-world work experience and realized that I feel more certain that I want to continue down the path I am on career-wise. Completing an internship like this is an awesome opportunity to understand if this is something you would actually enjoy doing in the future. Getting to participate in work that you are passionate about is incomparable.
I love how this internship gives me the opportunity to gain invaluable experience in a fun and meaningful way. Getting to do this with the sun shining on my face and kind people around me are extra positives!
