Merinda began her career as a botanist at Nature advisory in 2021. While at Nature Advisory Merinda has worked on a range of projects involving native vegetation and threatened flora assessments, conservation and land management plans, Matters of National Significance and bushfire planning reports. 

Merinda Day-Smith is a Bachelor of Science graduate (with H1 honours) majoring in Botany at La Trobe University. Her honours work involved investigating Northern Territory savanna grass species composition in response to fire regimes. Since 2020 Merinda has continued research in the Northern Territory in the form of a Masters degree.  

Merinda is driven by the urge to learn and explore effective ways to communicate the importance of ecological sciences to the wider community. She has also volunteered with various other environmental organisations locally, interstate and overseas which have included revegetation work, flora surveys, conservation and education. This active involvement has consolidated her continual drive to make a difference for nature.