The Guest speaker for the night was Dr Emily Roberts who has in her view The Best Job in The World and her enthusiasm for her role really showed through.
Emily is a Marine Biologist graduate from Swansea University. She spent time in Antartica studying plankton in frozen lakes for her PHD, unique environment.
She loves teaching, inspiring students she finds very rewarding
One of her students from University days she mentioned was studying Manta Rays at Great Barrier Island.
She came to Taranaki 10 years ago attracted by the unique mountain and ecology close to the sea (She's a surfer).
Her first 5 years at the TRC were as a Marine Ecologist studying the Taranaki Coastline. She's been involved with Curious Minds Taranaki( encouraging students to be involved with Science), Waitara Kaimona study, threatened species: penguins, orcas, dotteral.
In 2017 she accepted the job as Education Officer for TRC
She's been involved with sea grass reef studies with Primary school students using drones.
An interesting study was at Ngamatapouri School involving 13 students studying the quality of fresh water in the Waitotara River, also impressed by students at the school developing an early warning flood device.
Another study in the Waiwhakaio River with NPBHS and Sptswood Students has been of the threatened Large Swimming Mayfly (1 cm long) a macro invertebrate which native fish feed on.
More recently her focus has been on Predator Free Taranaki recognising the importance of involving schools in the use of Pest detectors and safe trapping.
She supports the latest Maori initiative for a Rahui banning taking shellfish from reefs for 2 years, allowing them to recover from reef stripping sometimes by gangs from Auckland.
A very interesting enthusiastic address endorsed by the thanker and fellow educator Judy Hanline