Mentoring is like magic. Take some very special ingredients, like emerging experts in their fields, industry leaders, and charismatic facilitators, and combine them with some team-building exercises, valuable on-ground experience and one-on-one support, with a sprinkle of shenanigans and tomfoolery, marshmallows and spaghetti (yes, really) and hey presto: you’ve concocted precisely one emerging leader in the waterway management field.
Okay, okay — maybe it’s not quite that simple. And maybe the Waterway Management Emerging Leaders Program doesn’t actually use magic in our workshops (or do we…?). But ‘magic’ nevertheless remains one of the most apt descriptors for the experiences of our mentors and mentees, who year after year report a phenomenal experience filled with serendipitous moments and hard work in equal measure.
Matt Bowler and Henry Cooper, two alumni from the 2024 Waterway Management Emerging Leaders Program, are extraordinary examples of how ‘mentoring magic’ can strike when least expected. Matt wasn’t quite sure what he had signed up for at the beginning of the program, but by the end, the dynamic duo had mapped all the pools in the Woady Yaloak catchment, built a steadfast and prosperous mentoring relationships, and Henry had embarked on his first willow removal and revegetation projects.
In this episode of Take Me to the River, a podcast by the Australian River Restoration Centre sharing stories and inspiring hope with fascinating people who care for their rivers, Matt and Henry sit down with ARRC Managing Director Dr Siwan Lovett to discuss what their mentoring experience was like, and what they learned in the process.
Siwan, Matt and Henry discuss the value of having a mentor or mentee by your side; the ways in which the program challenged and surprised them; and how their mentoring experience has impacted their work after the program. They also discuss the challenge of willow removal, details about the Woady Yaloak system, and what drives them to do what they do.
You can listen to more Take Me to the River wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to be notified about new episode releases, and check out a full list of our episodes along with detailed show notes, at the Australian River Restoration Centre website.