Studying and teaching at the top of the world

Spending four months working in the rugged peaks of the Himalayas may not be everyone’s idea of university study, but that’s just what UQ Gatton student Luke Fletcher did recently.

Luke, a Bachelor of Environmental Management student specialising in Natural Systems and Wildlife, completed industry placement requirements for his degree in Nangi Village, north-western Nepal.

“I was teaching science to children from grades one to 10 and the resources were far from ideal,” he said. “Fortunately I found some National Geographic magazines to use as teaching aids”

Luke also took part in village life, helping locals collect firewood and ploughing fields with yaks and wooden ploughs.

“I helped out in the village plant nursery where plants are grown for erosion control, beautification and commercial purposes. The villagers were also conducting trials on medicinal plants that they hope to sell on the lucrative alternate medicine market.”

Luke said he was surprised at how environmentally conscious the villagers were.

“They build temporary cow sheds which are dismantled and moved periodically, helping to fertilise the fields. When felling trees, they build retaining walls on the down-slope to stop erosion – the mountains are so steep,” he said.

Lecturer Greg Siepen, the Industrial Placement Coordinator, said placements made students very employable after graduation. The experience provided opportunities to learn practical, real-life skills and build career networks.

Other recent novel examples included a placement in Wolf Park, Indiana in the United States, where a student investigated the behaviour of leading females in wolf packs.

Luke Fletcher says the experience was life-changing and he plans to return to Nangi after graduating.

“I want to help the villagers develop an eco-tourism venture to increase income for themselves and their children,” he said.

Media: For more information, contact Greg Siepen (telephone 07 5460 1021) or Anthony Smith (telephone 0409 265 587).