About the designer

Peter at the Blue Hills wetland. Courtesy: Powerhouse Museum.

?I commonly refer to the environment industry as a juggernaut ? it's this industry that's just on the move to be a very big thing and I don't think we fully understand it and this wave, this environmental wave picked me up when I was a student. I wasn't prepared for it ? I didn't make a decision to go into the environment.?

Peter at age 14. Courtesy: Peter Adcock.

Peter owns and runs a wetlands consulting company called Australian Wetlands. He manages 20 people who work in wetland design, construction and landscaping as well as a nursery. His company works with other companies to design and build new wetlands or to restore and rehabilitate wetlands and streams. Peter loves working with people and also that his work has a positive effect on the environment.

When Peter was studying the science of wetlands at university he didn't expect he would make a career out of working on wetlands. While he was at university, the wetlands design industry began to grow and Peter jumped at the opportunity to get involved in what was a new area of environmental science and design.

Peter first became interested in wetlands because it was very practical.
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Peter's advice if you are interested in a career in wetlands design?

?Training and work experience is just a very large thing. I read once that half of the jobs are advertised and the other half are contacts and word of mouth and the ability to build relationships ? everything in the industry is relationships ? how you get a job, how you proceed through the company, how your career goes, everything is about relationships. So the more you can build up friendships with people in the industry, the more knowledge you will gain but also the more opportunities that will land on your doorstep and quite often that always starts with volunteering.?

 

      

Designer profiles developed by the Technology Unit, Curriculum K–12 Directorate and supported by the Vocational Education in Schools Directorate of the NSW Department of Education and Training in partnership with the Powerhouse Museum. © 2004