From the set of one of Australia’s best-known reality television show’s to the classroom at TAFE NSW Nowra, Wombat is working towards living and working more sustainably.

Season 13 of The Block contestant, Clinton Price AKA ‘Wombat’, is now working his way through a Certificate III in Horticulture at TAFE NSW Nowra.

A down-to-earth man, Wombat is comfortable to be considered “just another student” among his classmates. Though early on there were the initial ‘I recognise you from somewhere’ moments.

“After the show, it took some time for my life to go back to normal. I decided I would focus on working environmentally and locally,” he said.

“I’m learning a lot more than I expected and it’s very practical – the sort of thing you can put to use straight away. I’m also discovering all the things I’ve been doing wrong in my own garden.

“I’ve started growing my own food, so I have plenty of opportunities to put what I learn into action. One of the practical things I’ve learned is to make sure to choose the right plant for the soil and conditions.”

Wombat said that he has observed a growing hunger amongst the community for information about living more sustainably.

“In my experience, people are seeking ways to live more sustainably across a variety of areas. My idea on The Block was to try and show eco-friendly ways to build a house and garden, which was hard to do in that format. Now, when people ask me to give a talk, I angle it toward sustainable and eco-friendly practices.

“One simple piece of advice I give people is to think about what it took to make the thing you’re about to buy or use and where it will end up when you’re finished with it.”

The boom in reality TV programs has piqued an interest in gardening and landscape design, something TAFE NSW Horticulture teacher Nick Smee has seen direct evidence of in his classes.

He said reality TV had changed a lot about how we live and how we think about landscape design.

“The indoor/outdoor living concept is very popular and it makes sense, particularly for people living on the coast,” he said.

“It’s not unusual for people to spend 20 per cent of their building budget on landscaping and they’re keen to learn about designing gardens to supply fresh food, using gardens to create micro climates that cool down outdoor living spaces.

“At TAFE NSW, we equip students, like Wombat, with practical skills and experiences that relate to plants, pests, soils for commercial and personal use at home.

The Certificate III in Horticulture qualifies graduates to work in the industry as a horticulturalist, for councils or to open their own gardening-based business.

Enquire now about studying horticulture at TAFE NSW or for more information about semester one, 2020 courses visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.

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Media contact: Adam Wright, TAFE NSW Media Officer, 4421 9895, mobile 0466 375 552.