Can you tell us a bit about you and your background in soil?
My working life has been full of dirt. From the moment I graduated in 1974 I have been involved with soil.
My first professional job was based in Darwin, carrying out land resource surveys for rural development in the Top End and urban expansion in the Darwin region. The work was very field oriented with fortnight long field trips doing ten to twenty soil cores each day and logging detailed soil profile descriptions, then setting up camp in the middle of nowhere. Some memorable camps on the Adelaide River yielded fresh barramundi for dinner every night.
After roughly ten years in the Territory it was time for a move to a less challenging climate, and I headed south to Canberra. I started with NSW Soil Conservation Service Queanbeyan Office in 1987. I was keen to apply my soil survey experience to more immediate issues of soil erosion and sediment control. I was fortunate to be involved in CSIRO programs researching erosion and sediment delivery processes in the catchments surrounding the ACT, and particularly developing an understanding of the link between land use history and erosion. In the process we perfected the measurement of sediment volumes in farm dams as a means of estimating catchment sediment yields.
I then moved into a collaborative project with the CRC for Catchment Hydrology researching soil erosion associated with integrated forest harvesting in southern NSW.
Using a large rainfall simulator we were able to measure erosion and sediment redistribution from tracks and logging compartments along with the effectiveness of management practices such as filter strips and rollover banks. It was here that I developed my interest in erosion and sediment movement from unsealed tracks and roads.
Armed with 11 years experience in SCS, and my previous soil survey experience in the Top End, I left to establish my own consulting company, Soil and Land Conservation Consulting based out of Canberra. It was a challenging and fulfilling experience with a wide variety of work ranging from preparing erosion and sed control plans, training and accrediting allied professionals, on-site wastewater management, subdivision planning, vineyard and other agricultural soil assessments, and essentially, anything that involved soils. In the process I was able to maintain my links and friendships within government agencies and CSIRO and always felt part of the soil science community rather than outside and on the dark side.
How did your interest in soil and extension begin?
My geography teacher at high school in Sydney was a wonderful teacher, and when the time came to teach about soils, he had dug a good sized pit in the back corner of the school grounds. As he explained to the assembled students about the properties of a yellow podzolic on Hawkesbury sandstone, it was love at first site. I continued studying physical geography at Macquarie Uni, combining soil, geomorphology and land management in a three year Arts Degree. At the same time I was indulging in my love of outdoor activities, hiking, canoeing, cross country skiing. Macquarie Uni had a well earned reputation for turning many of the traditional concepts of soil science and landscape formation on their head. After two years in the Top End I returned to uni, to UNE and completed a grad dip in Natural Resources. The more rural focus of the soil courses there was a sharp contrast to the Macquarie Uni approach. As for my interest in extension, working for SCS was largely focused on extension, and particularly as the decade of landcare unfolded in the nineties, landholders were becoming much more open to addressing the various forms of land degradation. Then working with the CRC CH, knowledge transfer was a big part of all research projects, so our team became very effective at communicating our work through field days in the forests when we could actually generate a storm onto a section of logged compartment and talk as we watched the runoff pathways develop. So I have always been a fan of hands on learning.
Why did you decide to join the SKN and what are you hoping to get out of it?
I was invited to join SKN in 2018, just as I was winding down my consulting business in soil and land management. It was an ideal arrangement to be able to maintain my involvement in soil science but still have time to do all those other things that make for a fulfilling retirement.
I felt honoured to be asked and am always conscious that I am with a group of very well respected and experienced fellow soil professionals, all keen to share their extensive knowledge and experience to improve the community’s appreciation of soil. And have a good time while doing it. Importantly, the activities that we engage in all help to keep us on our toes and keep the grey matter active. Whether it is talking to a group of farmers in a soil pit or standing in front of a video camera trying to find the right words, it is invigorating, mentally and physically.
What are your top tips for people wanting to work in community engagement?
Speaking from my own narrow experience, I always find a sound understanding of the basic science of the processes we are explaining to the community is a good starting point. It allows you to remain independent of some of the restrictive frames of reference that has permeated natural resource management. A case in point, I have always had an interest in erosion gullies, having researched them, and explored many kilometres of them. They give such an insight into the past with their often profound exposure of contrasting layers of sediment (and organics and even archaeological remnants). Despite their dramatic appearance, they are often relatively stable and are well past generating much sediment. And that is the story for many of the gullies on the southern tablelands at least. Regardless of whether they are currently generating large volumes of sediment, people have a tendency to want to “fix” them, which can be chew up a lot of dollars very quickly. An understanding of gully erosion processes based on published science, combined with an understanding of gully history can help guide appropriate interventions, and make good use of scarce funds.
What would you like to see changed or addressed to encourage new soil specialists?
Well, times are certainly much different from when we were early career soil scientists, when hands on training was provided by senior professionals in our respective organisations, and there were good opportunities for advancement within the soil science field. However, I think that now, many of the fundamentals are in place to encourage and assist young professionals in the current workplace environment, I am thinking particularly of the training and accreditation programs of Soil Science Australia and various affiliates. SKN has a role here with our experienced soil sages well placed to pass on their knowledge and experience to young professionals in forums such as field tours and soil pit workshops. And if our experience with the annual SSA soil judging competition is a guide, there is a very good crop of young soil specialists coming through.
Talking with participants at the 2018 National Soil Judging competition near Canberra. These competitions are such a great way to interact with the next crop of soil scientists.
Still dabbling, taking samples from a parna deposit exposed in a road cutting near Murrumbateman. With Richard Greene, Emeritus ANU academic and fellow retiree, we have been investigating the nature and distribution of parna on the eastern limits of its occurrence.