In this episode, We Grow podcast host Aleisha Keating chats with Megan Ruby Lee a printmaker and community facilitator. We explore her inspiring journey from childhood experiences in nature, co-founding Intrepid Landcare to her leadership in collaborative artistic exploration. Hear about Megan's experiences in youth leadership, community engagement, and conservation. Discover how her art and environmental work intertwine, creating a powerful narrative of connection, purpose and action. In this uplifiting episode, we delve into themes of reconnection to nature, the importance of community and the impact of meaningful dialogue.
Connect with Megan
Email: megan@wilderessdesigns.com.au
Instagram: @wilderess.designs
Reflections Art ExhibitionWhen: November 1-16th, 9.30am - 4.30pmWhere: Arts & Ecology Centre, Maroochy Bushland Botanic Gardens, Sunshine Coast
Web: reflectionsexhibition.my.canva.site
Instagram: @exhibition.reflections
Read: Building global sustainability through local self-reliance: Lessons from landcare - aciar.gov.au/publication/lessons-global-landcare
In this episode, host Aleisha Keating delves into the essence of effective environmental leadership. Drawing on inspiration from past guests of the We Grow podcast, Aleisha explores the profound connection between nature and environmental leadership, arguing that everyone is a leader in their own right. Through personal stories and insights, discover how a series of small actions can contribute to significant outcomes and how a deep appreciation for nature can provide a basis for impactful leadership. Tune in to learn how you can fully embody effective environmental leadership. for biodiversity and local ecosystems.
In this inspiring episode, Aleisha chats with Kurt Jones, the dynamic founder and CEO of Co-Exist Australia, a groundbreaking youth-led conservation movement. Learn how Kurt transformed a high school business assignment into a national not-for-profit organisation that empowers young Australians to connect with nature and lead local conservation efforts.
While only a few years young, Co-Exist has now expanded to eleven local collectives (and growing) across the country, engaging over 1800 volunteers in impactful activities like tree planting and beach cleanups. With a mission to foster a love for nature and improve community well-being, Co-Exist has planted 16,000 trees and organised 100 cleanup events.
Join us as we explore Kurt's journey, the challenges he faces as a young CEO, the incredible growth of Co-Exist Australia and the critical importance of youth voices in shaping the environmental movement in Australia (and beyond!). This episode is a testament to the power of youth leadership and the positive change it can bring to our environment and society.
Get involved with Co-Exist:
🌳 Instagram: @coexistaus (National)
Find your local collective, e.g. @coexist_sunshinecoast
🌳 Website: www.coexistaus.org
🌳 Follow Kurt on Linkedin: @Kurt Jones
🌳 Sign up to the Next Gen Landcare Summit: nationallandcareconference.org.au/nextgen-landcare-summit/
In this conversation, Aleisha chats to Cindy Fielding-Smith, a beeswax candle maker and budding natural beekeeper, who shares about her passion for bees. Cindy talks about the unique qualities of beeswax candles, bees' natural cycles and how humans have been disrupting them and bee health and their decline. We explore the importance of bees to human survival, how bees are adaptive, resilient and are a brilliant example of nature's perfection.
Follow Cindy:
🐝Treehouse Candles website: www.treehousecandles.com.au
🐝 Treehouse Candles instagram: @treehousecandles
🐝 The Synergy of Bees instagram: @thesynergyofbees
Further information about bees:
🐝 Natural Beekeeping Summit 2025: https://www.naturalbeekeepingsummit.org/🐝Read Bees - Lectures by Rudolf Steiner
🐝 Read Song of Increase by Jacqueline Freeman
🐝 Read Honeybee Democracy, The Lives of Bees and Following the Wild Bees by Thomas Seeley
🐝 Beekeeping Naturally - Adrian Iodice - Website: https://www.happierbees.com/about-natural-beekeeping/
In this episode, Aleisha chats with Jarrah Small, a 16 year old conservationist, wildlife rescuer and environmental educatorfrom Noosa. From a young age, Jarrah has been passionate about protecting wildlife and the environment from plastic pollution and other human created threats. She is involved in a variety practical community initiatives, giving educational presentations in schools and creating engaging content across social media platforms to inspire and create change.
You'll hear about:
Useful links:
Jarrah is also:
Phil has been involved in natural resource management for over 30 years and is a passionate advocate for the environment. He recently retired from his role as General Manager at Noosa and District Landcare Group, where he oversaw 70 staff and a large volunteer base who carry out landcare activities throughout the Noosa region.
Aleisha chats to him about how his career progressed from hospitality management to conservation to leading a prominent landcare organisation in South East Queensland. Phil shares his perspectives on connecting business with environmental work, empowering youth and many of the lessons he’s learnt along the way.
Further information:
🌳 Noosa and District Landcare website: https://noosalandcare.org/
🌳 Noosa and District Landcare Facebook: @noosalandcare
🌳 Noosa and District Landcare Instagram: @landcarenoosa
🌳 Roving Restorers program: https://noosalandcare.org/programs/roving-restorers-noosa-chapter/
In this episode, Aleisha speaks with Linda Barnes and David Mackenzie from Queensland Koala Crusaders, both passionate advocates for koalas. Koalas, classified as endangered in several Australia states, are facing extinction due to a number of threats. Linda and David share some of their personal stories with meeting koalas in the wild and how the reality of their plight galvanized them into action.
While we do discuss the current situation of koalas, this conversation is uplifting and inspiring, as Linda and David share some of the success stories Queensland Koala Crusaders has had, how challenges with data and funding gaps is an opportunity to innovate and broaden perspectives and plenty of ways for you to get involved in koala conservation.
Further information
Support Queensland Koala Crusaders:
🐨 Website: www.koalacrusaders.org.au
🐨 Facebook: @QldKoalaCrusaders
🐨 Instagram: @koalacrusaders
👉 Log sightings of koalas on the QWildlife app
👉 Follow Malani @koala_family_adventures
In Australia, we are currently seeing a huge growth in renewable energy projects as part of the country's response to climate change, particularly the expansion of solar and wind generation. Alongside this, there are an increasing number of native flora and fauna species being identified as threatened. This episode explores Australia's commitments to addressing both climate change and biodiveristy and some of the links between these issues. We discuss Australia's aspiration to have net zero emissions by 2050, as well as meeting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Vision, which includes having no new extinctions and also encouraging positive impacts from climate action on biodiversity.
Further reading:
Australian Government Climate Change commitments, policies and programs: https://www.aofm.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-07-17/Aust%20Govt%20CC%20Actions%20Update%20July%202023.pdf
Renewable energy generation in Australia: https://www.energy.gov.au/energy-data/australian-energy-statistics/renewables
Australia's strategy for nature: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/summary-australias-strategy-for-nature-2024-2030.pdf Queensland Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) report 2021-2022: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/management/mapping/statewide-monitoring/slats/slats-reports/2021-22-slats-report/key-findings
Australian Conservation Foundation - Queensland’s deforestation shame: six Brisbane CBDs cleared every day: https://www.acf.org.au/qld-deforestation-shame-six-bris-cbds-cleared-every-dayAustralia State of the Environment Report (2021): https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/land/environment/native-vegetation
Jay Ridgewell is a nature and forest therapy (also called forest bathing), with an extensive background in education and science communication. Jay runs Held Outside at locations around the Sunshine Coast, faciliating opportunities for people to connect (or reconnect) with themselves, nature and community.
In this conversation, Jay shares about nature therapy and her role as a guide. We also discuss research on how nature benefits well-being including physiological, psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being, developing relationships with place, the idea of reciprocity with nature and being part of the bigger cycle of life. Themes of community, connection and ritual are sprinkled through the conversation.
You can find out more about nature therapy, Held Outside and Jay via these links:
In this episode I chat with Councillor Tim Burns, who is the Sunshine Coast Council Division 3 Councillor, for the Sunshine Coast Council in Queensland, Australia. Tim also shares the Environment and liveability portfolio. We discuss the recently released Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Report, its positive aspects and the challenges we face to support biodiversity in a region with a rapidly growing population.
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Read the Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Report here: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environment/bushland-protection/biodiversity-report
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Find out how you can get involved in promoting biodiversity your local area:
Join a bush care group: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environment/get-involved-in-conservation/bushcare-sunshine-coast/bushcare-community
Adopt a street tree: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/council/planning-and-projects/council-plans/street-tree-master-plan
Join Land for Wildlife: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environment/get-involved-in-conservation/land-for-wildlife
Check out your local native nursery: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environmental-advice/tree-and-vegetation-management/community-native-nurseries
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If you'd like to contact Tim (check out what he likes eating at the end of the podcast ;-)):
Email: tim.burns@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
Facebook: @Tim Burns
Instagram: @crtimburns
Biodiversity explained: Aleisha asks a few 'What if?' questions. What if we were to lose some or all of the species that are currently at risk of extinction?
This episode begins with Aleisha guiding a short grounding practice as an invitation to connect with the land beneath you and yourself.
Following this, she explores:
🌳The current situation - plant and animal species at risk
🌳What an ecosystem is
🌳What biodiversity means
🌳The significance of species becoming extinct
🌳Case studies: the moa and humpback whale
Further reading:
ABC article, 21 Jan 2025 "Forty-one new flora and fauna species added to Australia's threatened list"https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2025-01-21/what-made-it-onto-australias-threatened-species-list-2024/104830434
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List for Threatened Species: https://www.iucnredlist.org/en
Sunshine Coast Biodiveristy Report, 2024: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environment/bushland-protection/biodiversity-report
Welcome to the We Grow podcast, a podcast all about planting trees, restoring native ecosystems, community and making a difference in your local area. Meet your host Aleisha Keating, an environmental practitioner with almost 20 years experience, as she shares her vision for humanity to recognise nature as part of our community. We hope this podcast will leave you feeling inspired and empowered to help restore nature back to full health.