The Health of our Environment is Integral to our Future
The natural world is a wonderful thing but we need to work in ways that help to maintain it.
This course provides students with insights into different aspects of the natural environment from soils to plant physiology in the hope that they develop an appreciation for all kinds of habitats. It also helps students to nurture skills needed to manage natural resources.
Environmental Management at the heart of new businesses
Environmental sustainability is the way of the future. With the ever-increasing trend to reduce waste and emissions, increase energy efficiency and minimise practices that may threaten our natural resources, more and more organisations are realising the importance of environmental management and implementing environmental initiatives as core values into their business plans.
This course is different to many others, because it goes well beyond just teaching you basic management skills, but offers a solid foundation of the necessary science and environmental background.
It is an "experiential based" learning program; designed to get you involved with a variety of industry professionals, while exploring the nature and scope of managing environments.
For ongoing success, you need to become "connected". This networking within the industry will provide the basis to remain "connected", so that you can evolve and adapt to changes as your career moves forward.
The available course tutors are skilled professionals who are fully qualified in the various subject areas. The combination of their qualifications and many years of actual practical experience, will benefit you greatly as you work through the course.
What will YOU gain from this course?
A broad knowledge of the environment - more than most other comparable courses. Besides the core subjects, there are many options to choose from, for example:
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The biochemistry of plants - you can't understand the environment and how to manage it so don't miss out on these fundamentals.
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Botany - many environmentalists have no idea on plants and plant identification - this will put you ahead of the rest.
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Ecotour management - humans put stresses on the environment, well managed tourism helps to prevent this.
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Soil management - rarely offered in many other courses but fundamental to environmental health.
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Project management - a great area of study that helps you into management roles and also consultancy.
Modules
Note that each module in the Advanced Certificate in Environmental Management is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.
Everything You Do Has an Impact
Environmental managers are people who impact on the environment every day. This is what their job is all about: to understand the actions they take, and how those actions are most likely going to impact the environment -either in a positive way, or a negative way.
Your environmental impacts can either contribute toward the long term well being of the environment; or if ill conceived, they can damage the environment.
Consider Animals
When you change features in an environment you will affect the well-being and sustainability of animal populations, in many ways. Here are some examples.
Trees
Trees provide a range of uses for animals in supporting their needs. Even dead trees provide important habitat. Examples of the benefits animals derive from trees include:
- Canopy foliage provides a location for climbing animals and birds to rest and feed.
- Canopy flowers provide feed for insects and some birds (some eat insects).
- Branches provide a place for birds to nest and feed.
- Large tree trunks provide a place for birds to feed and reptiles to bask.
- Mistletoe clumps provide a place for birds and small mammals to feed and rest.
- Bark strips provide a place for mammals to feed and birds to collect nesting material.
- Flaking bark provides a place for lizards to shelter.
- Hollow branches provide a place for birds, reptiles, mammals and frogs to rest.
Under storey trees and shrubs also provide a number of roles for native animals including:
- Shaded areas below under storey provide a place for reptiles to shelter from hot weather
- Flowering under storey plants provide a place for birds and mammals to feed
- Under storey grass trees give birds and insects a place to feed
- Under storey trunks and branches allow birds a place to feed and make nests
Logs, Surface Rocks and Ground Cover
Logs, surface rocks and ground cover provide an array of roles for wildlife, as well as providing critical habitats for some animals. A list of roles as offered by each of these environments is as follows:
Logs and Fallen Branches
- Reptiles can use the inside or underneath of logs as a place to lay eggs.
- Hollows in logs provide a place for reptiles and mammals to shelter.
- Leaf litter layer next to logs provides a place for reptiles and insects to feed and shelter.
- The log and soil boundary provides a place where leaf litter and extra moisture collects and where reptiles feed.
- The log surface provides a place where reptiles can bask and birds perch.
Surface Rocks and Piles of Boulders
- Surface rock embedded in the soil provides a place for insects and earthworms to feed and shelter, as well as to be protected from bushfire and predators.
- Rock outcrops provide a place for reptiles and mammals to shelter and feed.
- Mosses and lichens on rocks are used by birds to line their nests.
Ground Covers
- Soil cracks provide a place for legless lizards to feed and shelter
- Native grasses and ground cover plants provide a place where birds can find food.
Creeks, Wetlands and Dams
Creeks, wetlands and dams offer an important role in wildlife management and conservation, even though they may only occupy a small part of a landscape. Most importantly, they all offer water, which is essential to the survival many animals. Each environment offers specific roles as follows:
Creeks
- Stream side remnants offer a place for frogs to hide and birds to roost and nest.
- Emergent vegetation offers a place for birds to nest.
- Cobbled areas along creeks offer a place for invertebrates and frogs to hide.
- Flowing water over rocks provides a place for invertebrates to live and reptiles to bask.
- Deep areas of water provide an environment for fish to live.
- Woody debris within the waterway provides an area for turtles to bask.
- Riparian vegetation offers a place for frogs to shelter.
Wetlands
- Floating vegetation allows a place for fish to hide and frogs to bask.
- Taller vegetation adjoining wetlands offer rookery and nesting sites for some birds.
- Low-lying vegetation in wetlands provides spawning sites for both fish and frogs.
- Act as a filter, providing cleaner water for flora and fauna downstream.
Dams/Lakes
- Still water allows a place for eels and turtles to live and for water birds to feed.
- Islands within the dam offer a place for water birds to roost.
- Shallow water at the edge of dams provides a place for tadpoles to breed and water birds to feed.
- Aquatic vegetation gives invertebrates a place to live and birds a place to nest.
What is needed to succeed in an Environmental career?
Environmental professionals lead change…
The environmental Industry is changing faster than ever; and will continue to change; and for ongoing success you need to adapt to recent changes, and ongoing changes as your career moves forward.
Success in the environmental industry is not just a matter of being able to do the job. It is also very much dependent upon the attitude you have and the decisions you make. A need to be multi-skilled, flexible and adaptable is the way of the future.
Where can this Learning Program in Environmental Management lead?
Job opportunities in environment will be highly varied in the future so current students need to "think outside the box". This course may deliver different things to different graduates. The following are just some of the areas where opportunities in Environmental Management may be found in the future:
- Land regeneration
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Energy activity (wind farms, energy from waste)
- Oil and gas and minerals
- Infrastructure
- Contaminated land (remediation, site investigation)
- Water
- Waste management
- Drought management
- Flood risk
- Environmental security
- Nuclear
- Fracking
- Biogas
- Supply chain management
- Energy management
- Energy auditors
- Resource management
- Climate change
- Climate adaptation
- Compliance management
- Reputational risk
- Training
- Land regeneration
In roles such as:
- Environmental Consultant
- Environmental Coordinator
- Environmental Assessor
- Environmental Advisor
- Environmental Officer
- Environmental Health Officer
- Environmental Engineer
- Environmental Scientist
- Environmental Compliance Officer
- Environmental System Technician
- Environmental Designer
- Environmental Project Manager
- Environmental Specialist
- Parks Ranger
- Environmental Educator
- Ecotourism Operator
- Zoo Keeper
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