Source: Eastern Institute of Technology – Tairāwhiti
37 seconds ago
Growing up on a Twyford orchard and living an outdoor life fostered a love for the environment which led Jordyn Campbell to study Environmental Management at EIT.
This has proved to be a good move with Jordyn, who finished the NZ Diploma in Environmental Management (Level 6) last year, currently doing conservation surveying and monitoring work. She is working for SPS Biota| Biosecurity & Environmental Services, collecting data about the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug and Spongy Moth – both serious pests and risks to NZ fruit and vegetable industries. This project started in October and runs until April 2025.
Jordyn, 20, attended Iona College in Havelock North and won a Year 13 scholarship in 2022 to study at EIT. A Year 13 Scholarship, which is offered annually by EIT, covers one year of tuition fees. The Scholarship supports school leavers across the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti regions to study any one of EIT’s degrees or selected level 5 diploma programmes that lead into a degree by providing one year FREE study.
Jordyn Campbell completed the NZ Diploma in Environmental Management (Level 6) at EIT last year and is looking forward to completing her Bachelor of Applied Science (Biodiversity Management).
Jordyn entered the Environmental Management programme in 2023, completing her level 5 NZ Diploma in Environmental Management, and has loved every moment.
“I live on an orchard, too, so I decided to study more about the environment around me, because I’ve been growing up in a rural area.”
She says choosing EIT to study at was an easy decision, especially when she won the Year 13 scholarship.
“It was close to home and easier to study there, especially since I liked the sound of the programme. The scholarship also helped me make the decision.”
Jordyn says that her new job is working on behalf of the Ministry for Primary Industries and involves searching for evasive species of Spongy Moths and Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs in Napier, Hastings and Havelock North.
“We have an app called Field Maps and it has all the locations on it, which are indicated by dots on the map. You complete forms depending on if you get a sample or you’re just doing a trap clearance, and then it will change the colour of the dots on the map. There are 63 traps for the Spongy Moth and six traps for the Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs across Hawke’s Bay.”
This year Jordyn will be completing her final year of study to achieve the Bachelor of Applied Science (Biodiversity Management). As for the future, Jordyn is leaning towards working in biosecurity, but she does not rule out studying further.
She says that wherever she winds up, she will not forget what she has learned from EIT. She has no hesitation in recommending the institute to others.
“I like EIT because you get to know everyone on a very personal level, including the lecturers. You are not just a number to them, you’re an actual person and you get one-on-one help from them.”
Environmental Management Lecturer Dr Glen Robertshaw says: “I think this is a fantastic opportunity for Jordyn, who I know really enjoyed our level 6 Biosecurity course”.
“It is also a real validation of the value of our programme and demonstrates that what we are teaching can lead to employment locally. It’s great to think that one of our students is helping to protect the local horticulture industry from invasive species that could potentially devastate it.”
