I am a secondary teacher specialising in marine and freshwater science, ecology, conservation and sustainability. I have been teaching for 4 years, and prior to this I worked as a phycologist - identifying freshwater cyanobacteria. I researched freshwater and marine cyanobacteria and their viruses and fungi for a PhD in Environmental Engineering at Griffith University in Australia and in the Netherlands. I researched the effects of land use on microbial food webs in Otago wetlands for a MSc thesis at the University of Otago. I aim to strengthen my knowledge of the ecology of NZ species and their tolerance to environmental changes, with the purpose of educating students at Kārearea Environmental Centre.