Biologic recently swapped business-as-usual for a day of hands-on discovery as we welcomed families and friends to our new Perth headquarters in Osborne Park.
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At Biologic, we’re proud to have a team who genuinely love exploring all sorts of biomes for all sorts of reasons – and Mark Gresser is no exception. Mark, who has been a Senior Zoologist within our Vertebrate Fauna Team for the past six years, is currently trekking more than 5,000 kilometres across Australia to raise awareness and funds for youth mental health through organisation Batyr.
- He set out from Steep Point in WA (our most westerly point on the mainland) on July 6th and is on track to finish at Cape Byron (the most easterly point, in NSW).
- Mark’s journey could take eight to nine months or more.
- To prepare for the trek, Mark prepped and sourced hundreds of dehydrated meals, most of which will be posted for him to collect at various locations along the way. As Trekking across the middle of Australia means supermarkets will be few and far between!
- Mark is pulling a cart with provisions including food, water and first aid supplies, along with some gear to help him stay in touch and share his experiences.
- The cart is 1.9m long and generally weighs approximately 160 kg when fully loaded (and may weight up to 200 kg when water and food demands are greatest). It has brakes for navigating descents and will be pulled with the support of a harness.
- To support his journey, we’ve set him up with some essential Biologic kit. This includes a satellite phone and safety gear.
- This isn’t Mark’s first big adventure. Between 2015 and 2018 he cycled 29,600\km across Australia, Asia and Europe. Details at budgieescapee.com
Before he departed on his journey, Mark shared his reasons for taking on this challenge and his commitment to supporting mental health in Australia through Batyr. The organisation runs a range of programs in schools and universities to help remove the stigma around talking about mental ill-health, and creates platforms for young people to safely share their stories.
“At the core of Batyr’s work is a desire to empower young people with the knowledge and the confidence and skills to take charge of their own mental wellbeing,” said Mark.
Show your support
Mark is sharing his journey and stories from the trail. He’ll be reuniting with his pre-buried and posted supplies, setting up in remote campsites, sharing details of flora and fauna on his route, and reflecting on his physical exhaustion and mental wellbeing.
If you’d like to donate to support Mark’s journey, please visit https://www.batyr.com.au/fundraise/trek-4-youth-mental-health. 100% of donations go directly to Batyr to help them reach more young people across Australia.
Follow the adventure
If you’d like to follow along, find Mark on Instagram at @trek4youthmentalhealth where he’s sharing his journey or visit his regularly updated website https://trek4youthmentalhealth.com/
Biologic proudly supports its team members in achieving their personal and professional goals.
Mark’s journey reflects who we are: bold, values-driven, and unafraid to go beyond the norm.
