We meet passionate environmentalist and educator Danielle Roselt to find out how she’s working with communities to take care of South Australia’s precious River Murray region.
A dream job for a passionate educator
“It’s pretty much the dream job,” says Danielle Roselt, the new Regional Education Officer at the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board. “I love educating. And in this role, I get to focus on my absolute passion. It’s pretty amazing.”
With a double degree in Health Science and Education and a Graduate Certificate in Environment and Climate Emergency, Danielle has spent more than a decade teaching science and biology in South Australia. Now she’s come home to the place she grew up for a role where she can combine her love for teaching with her dedication to sustainability.
The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board: Guardians of the environment
The Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board plays a crucial role in managing South Australia’s natural resources. The board’s responsibilities include overseeing the Landscape South Australia Act 2019, which focuses on sustainable land and water use, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience. The region it covers is vast, extending from the River Murray’s entry into South Australia to the southern Mallee and Murray Mouth, encompassing diverse ecosystems and productive agricultural lands.
“What we do is predominantly educate and work with our communities to take care of our landscapes,” explains Danielle. “We have our ecology teams, which look at the flora and fauna, wetlands and native biodiversity. We have a sustainable agriculture team. We’ve got our district team that works with pests plants and animals. And then we have our education team – which is where I come in.”
Engaging the community
Danielle’s role is pivotal in bridging the gap between the board’s work and the community. “The landscape board understands that engagement with the community is really important. And in my education role, that’s what we’re doing,” she says. “We really want to get schools using us as a resource, so then we can link them with the experts and the scientists that are working here at the landscape board doing their amazing things.”
Danielle is particularly excited about the opportunities for hands-on learning and work experience for young people. “I can show them the different fields they can go into. It’s really interesting for them to see the types of technology that’s being used. I don’t think everyone understands the amount of drones and data measurement technology that’s involved,” she notes. “So not only can you think of being an ecologist, but there’s also the tech side of things and the data analysis side.”
The River Murray Youth Council: Empowering young voices
A significant part of Danielle’s role involves coordinating the River Murray Youth Council (RMYC), a group for high school students from the Murraylands and Riverland regions. The RMYC provides young people with opportunities to engage in environmental projects, develop leadership skills and have their voices heard on sustainability issues.
” Some of our River Murray Youth Council students had the amazing opportunity to meet Dr. Jane Goodall when she was in South Australia this year. Andas a result of that, we’re doing a tree planting in the Riverland as part of her ninetieth birthday celebrations.”
Younger students in years 5 and 6 can get involved in another program– the free Young Environmental Leaders program where students learn about their local environment and develop as school community leaders.
The special significance of the River Murray
The River Murray and its surrounding landscapes hold immense ecological, cultural, and economic significance for South Australia. The river supports diverse ecosystems, including the Ramsar-listed Chowilla Floodplain and the Coorong and Lower Lakes, which are vital for many native species. It also plays a critical role in agriculture, tourism, and providing water to the state.
Danielle emphasises the importance of educating young people about their local environment. “The more knowledge people have, the more power they have to make change in the future combating climate change and pollution. So getting young people educated and passionate about their environment and wanting to advocate for it and take charge to look after it is really important,” she says. “From there, they can spread the word to their families, friends and communities.”
Encouraging participation and collaboration
Danielle is keen to see more schools and young people get involved with the board’s programs and resources. “We just want people to get on board. We want to bring in others to work with us, within our community, and find out what’s important to them so we can make it happen with them,” she says.
“If someone’s got a passion and an idea for sustainability in the area, then they can start individually and bring others in around them. We have Grassroots Grants that can facilitate that kind of thing.”
Learning outside the classroom
“One of the beautiful things about being a teacher is really connecting that local knowledge to what you’re teaching, but sometimes it’s really hard to find that information. We develop resources that are specific to the landscapes, flora and fauna in our region.”
Danielle has always been a passionate believer in the importance of hands-on learning and taking students into the local environment for teaching that’s about “doing” rather than “telling”.
Through the board’s education program, teachers and students can access a wealth of resources that promote hands-on learning, which offers curriculum-aligned activities, fact sheets and guides designed to foster a love for the local landscape and sustainable practices.
Whether schools want to join the drive to save the vulnerable Regent Parrot or teach students all about the life and habits of River Murray Turtles, the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board website is the place to go.
Danielle’s team can also help make learning more fun through its calendar of local environmental events, class field trips and guest speakers, professional development opportunities, plus a catalogue of educational kits, equipment and books available to borrow.
Hope for the future
Despite the challenges our environment faces, Danielle remains optimistic about the future. “We’ve just got to make things happen, make that change, and not lose hope. It’s great to see that young people still see that. We can work towards a better future – we just need to be innovative and work collaboratively to make that happen,” she says.
For more information on how to get involved with the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board and to access their educational resources, click here.
