Natalie Barrow

BSc (Hons) Environmental Science, 2003

MSc Environmental Technology, 2004

Natalie’s passion for Environmental Science began while she was studying for her A-levels, and so a degree in the subject was the natural choice for her. During the course, Natalie participated in a University exchange programme with Tyumen State University in Russia.

“I spent a month carrying out environmental projects in the Krasnodar/Black Sea region alongside Russian, German and Spanish students from other universities,” she says. “It gave me the taste for travel and a hunger for more!”

Taking the next step with postgraduate study

After graduating from her BSc in 2003, Natalie was keen to continue her studies with a Masters in Environmental Technology.

“The MSc allowed me to explore the environmental impacts of pollution on water, air and land, and it focused on the application of technological solutions to such environmental problems.”

The course also gave Natalie the opportunity for another field trip, this time taking her to three of the four corners of America – Colorado, Arizona and Utah.

Building a career

In 2008, Natalie qualified as an Environmental Health Practitioner. Now primed for a career in Environmental Health, Natalie’s attention was caught by a unique opportunity that would allow her to pursue her love of travel while at the same time putting her new found expertise into practice – this time for a very special group of people.

She says: “I embarked on a trip to South America to work with impoverished communities in Peru. The trip was organised by Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Grupo GEA, which was established in 1992 and takes small groups of professionals to work with some of the poorest communities in squatter villages to improve the health of the people.”

Making a difference

Natalie’s role was to pest-proof one of the main kitchens that catered for the squatter village, eliminating problems with vermin and contaminated food supplies.

“There were many ways I knew I could help, such as talking about drinking water safety, basic hygiene and the importance of hand washing,” she says. “With this responsibility in particular, I knew that I would have a direct impact on all of the villagers.”

Joining Natalie on her mission were two water process engineers, six other Environmental Health Officers (EHO) and four jewellery makers.

“While my new EHO buddies and I worked on improving the communal kitchen, the water engineers explored ways of improving the village’s water system to make it more efficient,” she says. “The jewellers worked mainly with the women on developing their skills and ideas for new jewellery pieces so that they could raise income by selling more.”

After completing the project Natalie returned home with a great sense of achievement.

She says: “As well as having a lot of fun, I felt that I had done something worthwhile. It was an experience of a lifetime and one that will stay with me forever.”

On home turf

Since returning from Peru, Natalie now works in food safety, health and safety, environmental protection and private sector housing.

“It’s not just about enforcing the law; it’s about advising, educating and communicating good safety practices to business and members of the public,” she explains.

Looking to the future, Natalie has further international public health work on her agenda and is currently working with EHOs in the private sector in an attempt to increase and promote student training opportunities outside of local government.

Natalie says: “The degrees I studied at Wolverhampton introduced me to many new concepts, thought-provoking ideas and theories concerning the world in which we live. I sincerely thank Wolverhampton for setting me on a journey to a rewarding and fulfilling career.”