Katie Hulmes

When I was a kid I loved being outdoors. I loved rocks, the trees, the water, being with my mates, lots of good times. I've always had a passion for things like precious stones. And when I was about seven years old, I entered a competition to write a story about anything of my choice, and I chose rocks. And from that day on, I had a passion for minerals and anything to do with rocks. I was more interested about where they came from and how they came here. So that's what sparked my interest from the moment I knew what they were.

School's always a challenge for me. I struggled with maths, I struggled with chemistry. But a lot of hard work and perseverance and some great teachers, and I got there in the end. Once I got my grades and was able to go to university, the doors opened right up.

Nowadays, I work on a mine site in regional Australia. I love it. I'm working in the environment every day and I'm  doing things that make me happy. My role out at Prominent Hill is all about conducting flora and fauna surveys,looking after the waste management on site, the efficient use of water and energy, all the different impact studies that we undertake, and research into new developments.

What I love about working in the environment is I get to be outdoors every day. I don't have a desk, a window and four walls. I love being in the open air, the trees the birds, the fresh wind blowing. It hasn't just been work for me, I've been able to travel overseas, all over Australia. I've been involved in lots of projects and I know I'm making a difference.