Micah Simmons-Smith

2023

Horticulture

Coming out of my apprenticeship, I feel as though I’ll never be done learning in the industry, and this scholarship will be the perfect opportunity to expand my knowledge and gain experience globally.

I look forward to gaining knowledge of different flora, and planting to suit different climates and environments.

I want to use this scholarship to gain experience working in nurseries and within horticultural companies, learning from people who have similar interests and who want to create a more sustainable approach to horticulture and landscaping.

I have always been inspired by gardens that blend beautifully into their surroundings while still managing to stand out and follow the story that the environment around them creates. Having the opportunity to travel and visit gardens and environments beyond Australia will give me a broader view and ideas on how others look after their countries own native environment and build their own cities, parks, and gardens, as well as their techniques and plans for preservation of this environment.

As a Global Footprint Scholar, I hope to go to Europe and Japan.

I would like to take this opportunity to network and learn as much as I can during the time I will be away.

Europe would be the most incredible place to visit and would provide the most opportunities for hands on experience in the industry, organisations, and places to visit with such a long history. Europe has some of the most beautiful gardens in the world. I would love to visit the Netherlands, despite its small size as a country, the Netherlands are a powerhouse in international horticulture, for both food production and ornamental horticulture. I admire their 'doing more with less' approach to the industry and would love to learn more about the way their greenhouses are run and their approach to vertical farming and artificial lights that make growing independent of the climate. It is amazing that plants are being cultivated on such a large scale with such a relatively low impact on the environment.

The Dutch model sets a great example for the rest of the world, showing that there are no obstacles when growing plants, something that I believe will be very important as our soils slowly become less usable for growing due to excessive pesticide and herbicide use.

As well as the experience and knowledge I believe I could take into work from amazing places like these in Europe, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit somewhere like Japan. The intent and designs so well thought-out in a traditional Japanese garden are so inspiring. The use of all elements - rocks, water, sand, etc. - in often a smaller space and techniques of pruning are something that I find so interesting and would love to visit. The opportunities this scholarship provides are amazing, and I want to be able to use this to its full potential to gain as much knowledge as I can, meet as many people as I can, and make a positive impact in the industry.