Student Environmental Engineering Club Site Visit Recap

Last month, environmental engineering and environmental science students participated in the Student Environmental Engineering Club (SEEC)'s Semester 2 site visit to Alcoa’s Huntly mine and Pinjarra Refinery. The visit offered a unique opportunity to observe forest regrowth at various stages — from newly planted seedlings to 16-year-old growth (pictured), and mature forest ecosystems. Along the way, students learned about Alcoa’s operations and the global demand for bauxite, gaining insight into how large-scale mining intersects with environmental stewardship. SEEC would like to thank Tony Raudino, Cam Blackburn, Ben Miles, Nazli Gwynn and Tanya Patterson for sharing their expertise, answering student questions and unpacking the complexities of reseeding, long-term ecological monitoring, and success metrics. This visit helped bridge theory and practice, allowing students to see firsthand how environmental principles taught in class are applied in real-world contexts.