Kobey Knight

2022

Horticulture

Sponsored by Mayfield Garden

I started my horticultural career doing work experience one day a week at Wittunga Botanic Garden, from the age of 15 until 17. Following this, I was fortunate enough to be successfully chosen for a traineeship offered at the BGSH which I completed in 2021 and have now secured a permanent position. Now my eagerness of learning within my industry has brought me to study a Diploma of Horticulture at TAFE SA to further my skills.  

Throughout my horticultural journey, I have been fortunate enough to have been awarded the Gwen Thomas Scholarship from the Friend of the Botanic Garden which enabled me to travel to New Zealand visiting several Botanic Gardens while attending the Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand (BGANZ) Congress in October 2019. Here I learnt about the importance of planning for the future and the ways the Horticultural industry and Botanic Gardens more broadly are preparing for global warming. This sparked my interest, and I began to question how gardens like the BGSH were planning for the challenges that climate change will bring. I was surprised to see that many organisations are really grappling at how to integrate this into their planning and the experience has left me wondering about the many innovations needed to address this issue. I believe our industry has so much more to learn and I want to be a part of the conversation and drive positive climate change action within my industry.

Kobey’s Global Footprints Story

From Kobey’s Application:

I want to broaden my network of professional connections and to use newly learnt knowledge, skills and techniques for the benefit of the horticulture industry. I hope to learn about techniques and practices of some of the leaders in my industry and return to my place of work and impart this knowledge to people in my industry. As a part of my role at BGSH I’m able to mentor trainee's and work experience student’s which enable me to inspire a new generation of horticulturists to appreciate the significant role that plants play in addressing climate change, and the critical issues such as biodiversity and ensuring long term sustainable horticultural practices.

Q: A Global Footprints Scholarship is your opportunity to do more of what you love. What have you done at work that you are proud of or passionate about?

My journey throughout my career as a horticulturist has given me so many proud and surreal moments that I’m glad I work within the plant world. I believe I’m able to be a part of history with the work I do at BGSH from planting out living collections, developing BGSH resourcing, making connections of networks, sowing wild collected seeds and being able to see those seeds turn into plants which later will be planted into the collection.

While working at the BGSH I have represented my industry winning awards such as Finalist for the Minister for Innovation and Skills Outstanding Apprentice award at the 2021 Channel 7 Young Achievers Awards; the recipient of Rising Star Award at the 2021 TAFESA Honour Awards; as well as being in SA Life Gardens & Outdoor Living for the 2022 Winter edition in the article ‘Follow your Dreams’.  I’m proud of where my horticulture journey is today and enthusiastic for the future.

Q: A Global Footprints Scholarship is for those who are passionate about creating a sustainable future. Describe something you have done at work or are working on, that helps the environment. Why is it important to you?

I feel very strongly that through the work I do, I am involved with the preservation of the genetic sequence of the wild providence species and ensuring that if a plant does become threatened or extinct due to deforestation or climate change the plant species can be reintroduced into the wild through programs and organisations such as the one I work for. For example, The South Australian Seed Conservation Centre is currently undertaking a program which has partnered up with 7 schools delivering to upwards of 250 students. The program is called the Stewardship of Endemic Endangered Species (SEEDS) project. Within this program they strive to save threatened South Australian plants from extinction while engaging and educating younger people to empower them to act as environmental custodians. All of this is important to help create a more sustainable future however I also believe that the best use of horticulture practices is just as important, and we need to understand plant selection when planning for the changing conditions of the environment and methods we may need to introduce to mitigate climate change.  For the last 4 years working at the BGSH I have been heavily involved in educating the younger generation with the annual schools Work Environment Day. This event is designed to teach the importance of sustainability and conservation and the critical role of a Botanic Garden.

Q: Everyday across the globe, people make breakthroughs for a more sustainable future. What have you seen or heard about that you find inspiring, and why?

Everyday there are new and innovative methods and projects in the horticultural industry happening around the world. From the way we plan for the future to the way we improve our horticulture techniques. I’m inspired by botanic gardens worldwide about the importance of their role to educate the public and bring awareness of world problems such as conservation, sustainable practices, and Climate Change. Not only do I believe botanic gardens embody this ethos, but they are a place where plant species can stay protected by the preservation of wild collected or seed collected and stored at sites such as the Millennial Seed Bank at Kew to keep the natural plant genetics intact in order for it to survive if it does become threatened.

Q: As a Global Footprints Scholar you can choose to go anywhere in the world. Where would you travel with your Scholarship and why?

With my scholarship I’d like to have the opportunity to work at the Eden Project in Cornwall. Not only has it inspired me as a young horticulturist, but I am determined to uncover the important learnings that we should be teaching in our industry.

The Eden project understands the importance of educating the world and they embody everything they teach. I wish to understand how they strive to deliver their programs, how they run a large project like this and how they integrate climate change into planning with their living collections. I’m wanting to discover more of how they use science to help them and the processes they use. We need solutions and we need to learn from each other.

“Kobey has a clear focus and plan, with a desire to contribute to make a positive impact on the industry and the world around him.”

- Tim Pickles, Global Footprints Assessor

“Kobey is an excellent allrounder with very strong potential.”

- Narelle Smith, Global Footprints Assessor