Environment Scholarships

Jennie Thomas established this series of scholarships in 2003 with the aim of providing financial assistance and mentoring to students entering University in an approved undergraduate environment oriented program. She wanted to help them to follow their dreams of improving our environment.

For over ten years, Jennie supported these scholars. She listened to their dreams, heard their stories and was privileged to follow the achievements of the recipients named in the column on the left. 

Jennie says, "I chose to establish this particular series of scholarships because the environment we live in has always been of great interest to me. I grew up in the country and my memories of that time are still strong. And, throughout the years, I’ve always enjoyed discovering the countryside, wherever I happen to be. I've been fortunate enough to walk in a wide variety of places in the world, walks on which I was able to enjoy and photograph the scenery, the fauna, the flora, and the birds along the way, absorbing the real essence of each place. Over the years, it has become very apparent to me that the concerns about climate change are true. They are real. One very obvious change I've seen, apart from the weather pattern changes, is the dwindling number of birds in many countries and the far fewer areas of woodlands, of wild flowers and of hedges that support so many small creatures, insects and birds.

Australia still has an amazing abundance of birds and it’s always a joy to come home to see and hear them... long may that be so! However, our growing population, our over usage and wastage of scarce resources, burning of fossil fuels, changing methods of farming and water usage have also impacted on the environment. We are beginning to be more aware of the problems we face for the future, as are people in many other countries. One such country is Costa Rica which has five percent of the world’s biodiversity in a very small country. The people there are very conscious of preserving what nature has provided. But they are a small nation and cannot be responsible for halting the environmental damage caused by the rest of us, especially those of us who enjoy the privileges of the ‘developed world’. 

Apart from Costa Rica, over the years I’ve been fortunate enough to visit some of the most pristine environments in the world including Antarctica, Galapagos and some of the New Guinea islands - and even they have their environmental problems. I'm not a scientist, but I am very aware of the need for us all to change the way we live our lives on this wonderful planet of ours. One role I've been able to play in bringing about change is to support those who will be our environmental scientists of the future. That’s the main reason I supported these scholarships for ten years."

Now, because of her growing involvement with the "Shaping Futures" program of UoN Scholarships, Jennie's role as donor / mentor in these environment scholarships has concluded. However, there are many excellent students who would benefit from some extra help now, and our community will benefit from their skills and dedication in the future. Jennie encourages other UoN alumni, businesses and members of the community to consider supporting a student in this important area of study. 

Donors can choose to support Environment Scholarships and Grants through the UoN Foundation.

Contact the University of Newcastle Foundation
T +61 2 4921 7453
F +61 2 4921 6889
Email: UONFoundation@newcastle.edu.au