Erskine’s Megan Evans was one of six honours students at Murdoch University to receive a scholarship from the Harry Butler Institute to help protect the environment.
Ebony Cowan, Kyle Stewart, Lauren Peck, Monique Stafford-Smith, and Nicholas Watson also received scholarships.
The Harry Butler Institute is a research partnership between Murdoch University and global energy producer Chevron, to ensure the co-existence of biodiversity with business and community at different locations in Western Australia.
Presenting the six recipients with their scholarships at Chevron’s offices on Wednesday, Murdoch University deputy vice chancellor David Morrison said the Harry Butler Institute would guide and develop the next generation of leaders in conservation and environmental management.
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“Students within the Harry Butler Institute will have the opportunity to work directly with industry partners like Chevron and continue to demonstrate how it is possible to achieve outstanding environmental outcomes based on excellence in both scientific research and industry practice,” Professor Morrison said.
“As a translational research university, long-term external partnerships such as these are essential in helping us tackle global issues like sustainability and environmental protection.”
The six honours students will examine conservation challenges including the restoration of blue mussel populations in the Swan River estuary and improving the disease resistance of tuart trees in the south west of the state.
Three PhD students from the Harry Butler Institute who are studying projects relevant to Barrow Island, off the Pilbara coast, also gave updates on their research projects.
This included a talk from Mandurah’s Eugene Marco Coetzee who’s research is into the use of ethyl-formate/nitrogen as a fumigant for shipping containers.
It potentially could provide an alternative fumigant method which is more environmentally friendly, less hazardous to humans and cheaper than the options.
Additionally, fumigating containers in movement could prove a more efficient alternative to fumigating containers in a yard.
Chevron senior environmental manager Russell Lagdon said the Harry Butler Institute partnership was already proving to be a success.
“Murdoch has excelled in demonstrating its commitment to the Harry Butler Institute by investing in the leading and emerging scientists of tomorrow in this field,” he said.
“We want our scientists to be able to engage with us and communicate their ideas, and we look forward to learning more about the outcomes of their research in the future.”
