Daniel Ioannou

2024 | Horticulture - Landscaping

“I am passionate about the removal of invasive species and re-introduction of indigenous species. I understand how important this is to the identity of Australia and would like to do anything that I can to help the cause moving forward.”

At the age of 19 I started my apprenticeship in Horticulture/Parks and Gardens. I had been working as a full time office employee when I realised my passion for horticulture.

I started my apprenticeship at the City of Darebin and on completion was successful in my application for the job of Horticultural Officer. In my time working in local parks and reserves I have continued to upskill myself and jump at any possible opportunity to gain knowledge and experience. 

I have received a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment which I completed whilst working full time at Darebin. I completed this in the hope that I would be able to go back to Tafe as trainer and be able to pass on my knowledge and passion for the industry to other people. I am currently completing a Double Diploma of Project Management and Leadership and Management. I am working towards completing these as I am a passionate leader and am aiming to upskill myself to move into management roles in the near future.

I hope to travel overseas to observe and learn how people in other countries manage their parkland and reserve areas. It would be rewarding to bring back  fresh I am particularly passionate about weed management and identifying invasive species. I would like to observe other techniques in which people control weeds in their own environments.

In my own personal time travelling the world I have been drawn to the green spaces and the people that maintain them, observing and asking questions. I believe the amazing experience of this scholarship will be very valuable to my development as a leader within the industry.

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?

Reflecting on my most proud and passionate achievements at work I instantly think about the weed management and native revegetation works that I have been involved in. 

Over the past four years working at the City Of Darebin I have loved working with the Rewilding Darebin program. This began during covid working with re-deployed workers that were sent to parks to help with weed management and planting indigenous plants. It was rewarding to be able to work with people from outside the industry and to be able to pass on my knowledge and skills to them, in turn watching them become more passionate about the work that they were helping with. 

In the years following its conception the program involved mass planting of indigenous plants in parkland areas and converting turf areas into garden beds to help with biodiversity. For me this has been the most rewarding work that I have been involved in as I have loved being able to watch the areas that we have converted over the years and the way in which they develop for the community to enjoy.

The Rewilding Darebin program is important not only for native insects and animals, it is important to me as I am passionate about the removal of invasive species and re-introduction of indigenous species. I understand how important this is to the identity of Australia and would like to do anything that I can to help the cause moving forward.

As a BBM Scholar you can choose to go anywhere in the world. Where will you travel with your Scholarship and why?

As a Global Footprints Scholar I hope to learn from people that are working in  similar situations to myself and observe the ways in which they apply themselves. I  am open to travelling anywhere that has a program in improving biodiversity/  restoring native parkland that I could learn from.

One place I would like to travel to is the United Kingdom. I was able to travel there  last year and loved observing their public green spaces. I think this would be a very interesting place to learn from as they have a completely different situation to Australia in terms of the environment.

Recently I read an article from the Natural History Museum which described how  introduced species outnumber native species in Britain. It would be eye  opening to see how they are dealing with problems relating to introduced species.

"Weed management is an area of horticulture that currently changes as new 'weeds' are identified and the techniques in maintaining control. This candidate is passionate about this topic and shows real commitment to learning more."
– Global Footprints Assessor Panel