Proud Tiwi and Rambarrnga woman Kinjia Munkara-Murray got her love of insects growing up and exploring the lush tropical environment of Garramilla (Darwin) and the Tiwi Islands.

During National Science Week, the 27-year-old aquatic ecologist is promoting her love of insects and science and will appear as a panellist at a Melbourne Water Careers in STEM virtual careers expo on Monday evening, and a recorded version will be on the Melbourne Water website.

"My love of insects, science and nature came from my Tiwi and Rambarrnga culture, particularly from my mother and grandmother, who were my first science teachers," Ms Munkara-Murray said.

Having first gained a Bachelor of Science (Zoology, Animal Biology) at the University of Melbourne, she then gained a master's degree in Bioscience with a distinction from the same University.

After studying insect biodiversity on the Tiwi Islands, Ms Munkara-Murray has studied the health of waterways around Victoria by monitoring aquatic 'macroinvertebrates', such as insects and crustaceans.

"Testing water in a lab is just one way to see if a waterway is healthy," she said.

"Looking at what's living in our rivers and creeks is often the best way to gauge the health of the river. Macroinvertebrates are just one bioindicator of waterway health."

Her passion for combining Western and Indigenous knowledge has helped inform Ms Munkara-Murray in her role as a Traditional Owner Partnerships Officer at Melbourne Water.

"I am passionate about using Western and Indigenous knowledge to share information about how special the Tiwi Islands are, and I also want to be a role model for other young people to pursue a career in science," she said.

"After finishing university, I spent lots of time outdoors in nature as well as in a laboratory by working as an aquatic ecologist.

"I've been able to do field visits to waterways around Melbourne and collect macroinvertebrate samples, looking at bugs under a microscope, and then comparing the bugs to what we expect to find in a healthy waterway."

Reflecting on her science path, she said that having Indigenous community members represented in STEM roles can only encourage the future generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scientists.

"Being a scientist can look like many different things," Ms Munkara-Murray said.

"I've learnt that it's okay to change your mind about what you want to study. I started studying for a Bachelor of Arts, decided that wasn't for me, and then transferred to studying Science. And absolutely loved it!"

Melbourne Water is hosting a range of online and in-person science activities during National Science Week (11-18 August), including:

Careers in STEM virtual panel event : Monday 12 August, 5.30 pm

Virtual tour of Western Treatment Plant and Q&A: Wednesday 14 August, 7 pm

Western Treatment Plant STEMtastic Community Open Day : Sunday 18 August, 10 am – 4 pm (fully booked, wait list registrations currently being accepted)