Program taking Deakin researcher from the Riverina to Antarctica

Deakin University PhD candidate Anika Molesworth has an exciting year coming up, including a trip to Antarctica, after being selected to take part in Homeward Bound 2019.

Homeward Bound is a leadership outreach initiative for women from STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, medicine) backgrounds. Ms Molesworth is one of 95 women invited from around the world to take part in the fourth Homeward Bound program – HB4. It begins with an online program in November this year and culminates with a three-week intensive voyage to Antarctica in November 2019.

Based in Deakin’s Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Ms Molesworth describes herself as a passionate advocate for sustainable farming, environmental conservation and climate change action.

‘It was such a thrill to be selected for Homeward Bound,’ Ms Molesworth says. ‘To be selected to participate in this incredible leadership program gives me a fantastic opportunity to work on career strategy, visibility and how to make a positive influence on matters that affect the planet.’

Ms Molesworth’s research is investigating how to better recycle and reuse agricultural by-products (such as crop residues and livestock manures) to improve soil fertility and crop yields. Her PhD work involves field trials in the Riverina of New South Wales and the lowlands of Cambodia.

‘My interest in agriculture was sparked on my family’s sheep farm in Far West NSW, near Broken Hill,’ Ms Molesworth explains. ‘The landscape out there has a raw natural beauty to it that I love. It is a challenging environment and an extremely fragile one.

‘The harsh reality of drought and realising the projections of a hotter and drier future have driven me to learn everything I can about climate change – and more importantly, what action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to changes already occurring.’

Ms Molesworth says HB4 will give her the opportunity to expand her activities.

‘I am excited to join a global collaboration of women leaders in STEMM and expand my role in agricultural research, communication, and influence. Antarctica is a long way away from the familiarity of home – but I am excited to improve my capabilities and networks in order to promote sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.’

HB4 is the latest in what is an impressive list of achievements for Ms Molesworth. She was the 2015 Young Farmer of the Year, a finalist for the 2017 NSW Young Australian of the Year, and won the 2017 NSW Young Achiever Award for Environment and Sustainability. In 2017, she was a speaker at TEDx Youth@Sydney 2017 on the topic ‘Farmers are key to a better future’, and this year spent time in South America working with young farmer groups as part of a parallel program to the G20 Agricultural Ministers meetings.

Ms Molesworth is the second Deakin researcher to participate in the Homeward Bound program. Dr Ellen Moon from Deakin’s School of Engineering was a member of HB2, and travelled to Antarctica in February 2018.

‘The Homeward Bound program was an incredible experience for me, and I couldn’t be happier that another Deakin woman has been selected to take part,’ Dr Moon says.

‘Anika is already a leader in her field but I’ve no doubt that the skills she’ll learn and the connections she’ll make on the program will enable her to go on to even greater things.’

Like Dr Moon and other HB participants, Ms Molesworth is responsible for her own fundraising efforts to support her visit to Antarctica. You can read more about Ms Molesworth’s involvement with HB4, including her fundraising activities on her blog Climate Wise Agriculture.

Photo credit: Brendan McCarthy