University today: courses to become an eco warrior

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Western Sydney Uni

Spending 100 days living in the jungles of Borneo would probably have a significant impact on most people in one way or another, but for Ben Dessen it was life-changing.

The main aim of the project was to rescue and rehabilitate displaced and orphaned orangutans, working closely with the local communities of West Kalimantan.

Ben came across the initiative back in 2011, the year after he graduated high school and had just started studying at WSU.  One thing led to the next and he ended up as one of eleven young people from around the world to lead the project on the ground in Borneo.

“Raising the funds, securing the land and coordinating the initial construction of the orangutan rehabilitation centre was a massive learning journey for me,” says Ben.  “Working in remote Borneo challenged me physically and emotionally, with very limited resources, everything was difficult. There were many times when our team felt like we weren’t achieving anything and that what we were doing was pointless, however we persevered and were proud of what we did accomplish despite the circumstances. I learnt so much from the experience, with the most treasured lesson being that every little action, regardless of how insignificant it may seem, does make a difference.”   

Since then he’s travelled back to Borneo many times, raised funds to continue important conservation work and spoken to thousands of people about the issue of deforestation in the region,  “I gained a deeper understanding of how desperate the situation is in Indonesia and how many things we can all be doing in developed countries to influence change and make a difference,” he explains.

“For as long as I can remember I have always loved animals and wanted to fill my life with wildlife. My parents gave me my first pet snake for my sixth birthday and a childhood spent exploring the Australian bush and learning to care for animals further fuelled my innate and ever growing passion,” says Dessan. 

“Dedicating my life to working with and protecting animals is all I ever wanted to do. Every aspect of my life, including my study, employment and volunteer work, has been driven by my dream to help protect the incredible wildlife we share the planet with.”  

A DEGREE IN ‘STEVE IRWINISM’?

After considering all science and zoology related courses available, the Bachelor of Natural Science at Western Sydney University was what Ben landed on.  The course covers a broad range of animal and environmentally related subjects and is extremely hands-on. “Knowing that I wanted to work with animals, but not exactly sure in what capacity, the degree gave me a great foundation to pursue a career working with animals in a number of fields.”

Not exactly the usual uni experience, Ben spoke about being, “able to get involved in so many extra projects and opportunities, including assisting with filming a BBC documentary about Dingos in the Blue Mountains and volunteering to be a part of Lace Monitor research, spending time out in remote bush locations, catching and tracking very large lizards.”

Narrowly avoiding the Mee Goreng / part time job cliche, Ben applied for and won the Vice Chancellor’s Leadership Scholarship, which gave him  the financial freedom to take on hands-on work experience throughout Australia and overseas. “My scholarship facilitated invaluable opportunities for me to pursue my passion for making a difference for wildlife by traveling around the world, visiting and volunteering for many conservation projects.” WSU even donated money towards establishing the orangutan centre in Borneo and recognised the value of Ben’s international conservation work as part of his degree, which directly led to committee member on the Bob Irwin Wildlife and Conservation Foundation . 

“Having heard about my conservation work in Borneo, Bob Irwin reached out to me and invited me along to the launch of his new Foundation in 2012. In 2014, I joined the board as a Management Committee member of his Foundation, which aimed to continue Bob and his son Steve’s lifelong commitment to wildlife conservation.”

“I’ve been extremely fortunate to travel around Australia with Bob learning about all kinds of incredible native animal species and meeting inspiring people along the way. I feel very fortunate to be mentored by the grandfather of conservation in Australia. Bob is a huge inspiration.”

OUT OF THE JUNGLE, INTO THE WORLD

When it comes to the future of his work, Ben says, “One of the single greatest threats to wildlife populations around the world is habitat destruction. While the need for our cities to be expanded and developed is necessary, we must manage these changes with much greater sensitivity to the environment to ensure less negative impact is placed on our wildlife.”

“Sydney is home to many unique wildlife species and it is critical that we must ensure that adequate habitat is preserved and protected to provide these animals with a safe future. People travel from all over the world to see our amazing native wildlife and natural landscapes, so we need to be smarter about protecting our natural wonders, developing ecotourism opportunities rather than our reputation as the nation with the highest mammalian extinction rate in the world.”  WHAT YOU CAN DO “Making informed choices and conscious decisions in our everyday lives can have a massive impact on our environment and wildlife,” says Ben. “From reducing red meat consumption in our diet, to minimising the use of plastic, or changing the light globes in our home, every little action can have a positive impact. I feel very hopeful as I am finding that people are now more conscious and aware of the environment and are willing to make the small changes in their everyday lives, if it means helping the planet.” He goes on to recommend that students wanting to get involved in animal conservation would benefit from developing their understanding of the complexities and challenges facing wildlife. “A natural science or zoology degree at WSU provides important foundational knowledge and skills to help you start your career working with animals. Volunteering and gaining as much practical, hands-on experience as possible is also invaluable in this field.”

“A combination of knowledge and practical skills will assist you in the long term. Taking every opportunity that comes your way, even if they are outside your comfort zone can take you places you never thought possible. I have found each opportunity seems to lead to another, through the inspiring people you meet and fascinating places your adventures take you.”

To find out the wild world of possibilities that you can achieve with a Scholarship at Western, check out their Open Day It’s their biggest event of the year and it’s happening on Sunday, 19 August, 2018

Originally published as University today: courses to become an eco warrior