Hi! Is this thing on?I'm Lee and I'm a freelance TV Presenter and science media creative!

I thought I'd (re)intro myself to the twittersphere. Hopefully this will tell you about some of my adventures you weren't aware of! Some you might even be keen to join me or work with me!

When you tell people you are a science TV Presenter (or a TV Presenter of any kind!) they often want to know HOW DID YOU GET THERE?

There is no one path into what I do and I have seen people come into TV and other screen work from so many walks of life!

I'll tell you my story!

Where does it all start?

It's hard to say but growing up as a farm girl during the millennium drought in Australia has definitely influenced my passion for topics like climate change, sustainability and ecology.

Here I was 4yrs old ready for school. I was 1 of 2 in my grade!

By the time I finished school I loved science + drama. Which to choose?

Why not both?
I enrolled in a double degree- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science at @ourANU! I had no idea what sociology was but it sounded cool. I majored in it too along with drama for my BA.

Me at 20

At first I naively thought my arts (sociology + drama) would stay in the arts basket and my sciences would stay in the science basket but the further I went through my degrees the more overlap I saw and ESPECIALLY how much science could learn from sociology and other social sci!

I think due to the small rural schooling I had and being first in family to go to uni, I missed out on learning the extent of fields and career paths out there.

Nevertheless during my science honours year I discovered this thing called #scicomm that brought my passions together!

Jobs I had during this time:
-Senior rez/enviro rep at my on campus college
-Lab assistant in a plant genetics lab
-summer research project at @ourANU
-summer research project at @CSIRO Plant Sciences
-Education ranger (giving night spotlight tours to schools) at @ANBG
-waitress

I'm tempted to go to what I see as my next step forward (my masters 6 months after I graduated from BA/BSc honours). But those 6 months in between were tough!

I had great grades and first class hons, I'd done lots of relevant work exp and volunteer stuff.

I couldn't find a job.

Moving back to the farm would have meant moving back to extremely slow internet and away from where the jobs and interviews were, quitting the one casual job I did have (it was sporadic and only 5 hours max a week).

I went straight from student allowance to unemployment welfare.

I applied for so so so many jobs in things relevant to my passions and completely not.

I thought having done a 4WD course for my field work and having 1st class plant science honours, I'd be a shoe-in for the florist delivery driver gig!

I was not. They didn't even reply!

I FINALLY got a gig on minimum wage doing office admin in a corporate office. Some of them were extremely condescending and rude but I worked so darn hard!

Then I applied for, interviewed and auditioned for a Master in Scicomm through ANU and Questacon Science Circus AND GOT IN!

I did my masters coursework in #scicomm through @ANU_CPAS in everything from science online to science media to exhibition design.

The practical element was touring remote and regional Australia as a live science show presenter in the Science Circus! I did a fire show! (obvi)

During my masters I kept up my Education Ranger gig and also made a radio show/podcast on the side called Soapbox where I interviewed people passionate about and working in sustainability and social justice for @synmedia and @2XXFM.

I also did something that grew into a public event I continued for the next few years for @Aus_ScienceWeek.

It's called Co-Lab: Science Meets Street Art. I intro street artists to scientists. The artists make live art based on the sci for the public who can read sci descriptions

The many aims of Science Meets Street Art!

1. Break down stereotypes of both scientists and street artists
2. Increase sciart collab
3. Attract arts audiences to sci + sci audiences to arts
4. Reach audiences who don't usually attend sci events
5. Scicomm skills for scientists

Check out the hashtag #scistreetart for more or my website (still building and need to add a lot to it) http://scistreetart.com 

Now! Back to my "How did I become a sci TV presenter?" story!

During my time in the science circus we had done a tiny bit of presenting to camera for one assessment and one of the camera guys at Questacon who had filmed that and some of our live shows, put myself and a couple of others forward to a friend of his in TV prod for a pilot...

They we're making a pilot for a kids science show... None of us (myself included) got selected to make the pilot, and I don't think the pilot came to anything either. BUT!
I did ask the Questacon camera guy if he had advice on making a presenter showreel and he offered to help!

He helped me put together some footage he had already shot from my time in the science circus as well as some stuff we shot specially (we even went to the botanic gardens where I was doing the night tours and filmed me talking about plants). So thanks to him I had a showreel!

Then I went straight into a job in waste and recycling education and comms for local government where I was giving tours of the landfill and recycling sorting facility to kids! I LOVE WASTE SCIENCE!

Did I do anything with the showreel? Reader, I did not... until...

A job came up for a TV Presenter on a kids show called Totally Wild which is all about animals, adventure and the outdoors. I applied... I got shortlisted... and then a MIRACULOUS THING happened!

Dr Rob (the host of kids science TV show, Scope) decided to hang up his lab coat.

After 11 years at the helm, from conception of the show, with Dr Rob moving on the people who were considering me for Totally Wild were suddenly also looking for a science presenter for Scope... and what do you think my showreel was FULL OF??

There was an interview and screen test but long story short, they offered me the gig. What made it happen? 3 things all at once (without any of these it wouldn't have happened).

1. Right time
2. Right place
3. Right experience

It could have very easily not happened. But it did.

Over the past 4rs I have grown and developed so much as a TV presenter and science communicator. I write scripts, self-produce, present in the field and studio, offline edit and more.

Sociology and drama are at the core of what pushed me forward, not just my science background.

Since becoming the host of a science show in 2016 I've had some big highlights that I am... PRIVILEGED... to experience. Like going to Antarctica.

I hope never to take my privilege for granted.

A few pics from Antarctica. Yes it's a homemade Captain Planet costume.

Last year I had one of my most rewarding experiences as a science communicator. I published my first book.

It's called 'How to Save the Whole Stinkin' Planet' ( @PenguinBooksAus). It's a hands-on, funny, superhero adventure through waste science! Meet Captain Garbology!

This year in Feb, between the horrendous Australian bushfires and the current pandemic, I took a huge leap!

I left my job hosting Scope to see if I could use my skills to have a bigger impact on helping to solve the planet's big issues through science on screen and social media.

In going full-time freelance I knew this year would be a challenge. But 2020 is a bigger challenge than we all thought!

I started a YouTube channel so I can begin to share my work there and develop my edit skills. I hope one day I can make digital doco series!

(Link in my bio)

So how can you help to support someone like me?

Follow me on here, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to watch my projects take shape!

People watching my YouTube videos will be a huge step toward showing big shot media execs I have something to say that people are ready to hear!

I am passionate about finding new and creative ways to reach audiences on these topics and the intersect BETWEEN them!

-science
-sociology
-sustainability
-climate change
-art
-equity
-social justice
-tech
-STEM education
-gender
-sexuality
-nature
-rural communities
-MORE

Thank you for coming to my tweet talk.

NEWS JUST IN: Everyone who has supported me and my work is an absolute champ and I appreciate you all!