Two UWA Bachelor of Commerce students, Jo Yin Loo and Tajinderpal Singh Aulakh, recently interned with Nannup WA Geopark Association through the McCusker Centre for Citizenship, helping advance efforts to have the Geopark recognised by UNESCO.
Jo Yin and Tajinderpal travelled to the South West town for their internships, making a significant contribution with the association, while gaining insights into life and work in the region.
According to UNESCO, a Geopark uses geological heritage, in connection with all other aspects of the area’s natural and cultural heritage, to enhance awareness and understanding of issues including sustainability and climate change. Jo Yin and Tajinderpal worked on a vision document and marketing plan that will help the Nannup park increase visibility in the community and move forward towards UNESCO Global Geopark accreditation.
“Having Jo Yin and Tanjinderpal intern with us has provided a great boost to our dedicated management team, and their excellent work has saved our volunteers hours of time and puts us in good position for the future,” said Nannup WA Geopark Chair, Mark White.
Jo Yin reflected on the challenges and opportunities presented by working on a project in regional WA:
“This experience taught me about the different challenges faced by organisations in the regions. For example, the smaller population presents a challenge for collecting data for marketing analysis. One of the approaches I worked with was to analyse data from Tourism WA and come up with a strategy to link the Nannup Geopark with Margaret River and other popular tourist locations to increase visibility.”
“I presented on our work a few times for the community. Public speaking was not something I was comfortable with prior to the internship, but this experience has given me new skills and confidence,” she said.
Presenting publicly was also a first for Tajinderpal, and a highlight of the experience.
“It was incredibly rewarding to see our work well received and appreciated by everyone,” he said.
“The internship experience was a great opportunity to learn and contribute. I learned a lot about professional communication, meeting deadlines and workplace culture, while also gaining knowledge about the geographic and cultural landscape of Nannup, which added to the experience.
“While working in Nannup, I saw how deeply people care about their town and community, which was inspiring and eye opening.”
Main image: UWA student interns Jo Yin Loo (back left) and Tajinderpal Singh Aulakh (front right) with members of the Nannup WA Geopark Association team.