Before Avisure, he undertook a bachelor’s degree majoring in animal science at the Waurn Ponds campus of Deakin University, but in 2020, in the final year of his degree, COVID-19 made his scheduled hands-on work experience impossible. Consequently, he decided to continue studying, enrolling in, and completing, a master’s degree in sustainability.
That academic background led to work with two different organisations simultaneously: the Bellarine Catchment Network (BCN) and the Borough of Queenscliff, focusing on environmental management and sustainability. ‘The BCN was a fantastic organisation to work for’, Conor says. ‘They served as a central point for all the environmental groups (in the area) acting as the go-between for smaller community groups and local government, on weed management and educational outreach.’ His experience with the Borough of Queenscliff, too, ‘learning about the more legislative and administrative sides of environmental management’ Conor says, ‘was invaluable’.
He was attracted to Avisure because the work ‘looked really interesting. It was not an area I had considered working in before, but I liked Avisure’s wider reach, having an influence in Australia and in other countries.’
‘The work is also a great mix of data management/research and hands-on, because I like getting my boots in the dirt and didn’t want to do just desk work. I am really enjoying the off-site surveys we do around the local wetlands, you see something new every time. There’s a flying fox colony nearby, and I am learning more about bird behaviour and bird ID.’ He confesses he is a ‘sucker for odd-ball species’ and names the currawong as his favourite bird. ‘Twenty or 30 of them live outside my house, and they have such striking yellow-ringed eyes.’
‘I knew nothing about aviation, too, so getting to know more about aviation operations and safety procedures has also been very interesting.’
When he’s not out and about at work, Conor maintains a close contact with family and friends, is a life member of the Sydney Swans, and is a keen jogger and nature walker. He enjoys writing, storytelling and reading speculative fiction – fantasy and sci-fi – especially novels which ‘explore worlds which have a natural feel to them’. The storytelling comes to the fore in table-top roleplaying games, where, as dungeon master, he creates fantastical scenarios to entertain friends.
Something about him many wouldn’t know is that ‘roped in by friends’, he has developed a taste for musicals. He recommends ‘In the Heights’ he saw recently in Melbourne: a Tony-award winning musical set in New York’s Washington Heights. According to Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre, where it plays until 6 September, ‘In the Heights’ is ‘a vibrant celebration of community, culture and the pursuit of dreams blending hip hop, salsa, and Latin rhythms into an infectious musical theatre score’.
