Who am I?

A conservation scientist, communicator and policy maker, who is committed to making a world of difference for people and planet. My mission is to reawaken biospheric value systems and achieve lasting environmental and economic sustainability for future generations.

Let’s collaborate

If you are inspired to work together and take action for wildlife, please contact me. I will endeavour to help you as best I can.

โ€œThe least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselvesโ€

โ€“ Dr Jane Goodall
In May 2020, Lonely Conservationists invited me to be their first guest speaker for their new webinar / workshop series in Conservation Psychology. In this podcast style webinar, we discuss my soon to be published research paper, ‘Conservation concern is associated with childhood socio-cultural experiences in Australian undergraduates’.
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Eco-anxiety is a word at crossroads between two defining elements of my life; the natural world and my mental well-being. It's the grief, anger and panic I feel at the mindless destruction of our planet, and the overwhelming responsibility that I feel to do something about it. It's burnout, fatigue, depression and hopelessness all mixed up into one tangled heavy weight that inevitably trips me up. Every. damn. time. Eco-anxiety is always rudely announcing itself in my life like an unwelcome visitor. Just when I think I have a grip on things and am making good progress, I stumble across yet another new narrative of ecological disaster and it sends me askew. Sometimes even reading about what everyone is doing to save the planet overwhelms me, and Iโ€™m scattered by the ever-growing list of actions: Be vegan, be zero waste, take public transport, buy second-hand, buy local produce, switch banks, plant trees, clean up the ocean, conserve water, reduce energy, attend protests, sign online petitions, educate others, donate money, compost, recycleโ€ฆ For me, the problem with caring so much is that I want to do everything, and I am inevitably failing. I self-flagellate my failures because they make me feel like a fraud. I question why I spend 40 hours a week working in a job that โ€˜isnโ€™t quite conservationโ€™, and I over-compensate by volunteering too much of my time to make up with it. I end up fatigued, disheartened and unable to make a difference. So I refocus on taking care of myself, and start the process over. With eco-anxiety, finding balance is essential. Taking action is an important part of healing ourselves and the planet, but I find I am much happier when I focus on actions that can incorporate into my hobbies like growing food, cooking and art. Spending time in nature helps me feel centred and energized. Switching off from the news and social media works too. Most importantly, I am learning to forgive myself when I slip up. I remind myself that its hard because the economy is purposely built for me to consume a certain way. I'm going against the grain, but more people are joining me everyday. Together, we will change the world. You'll see.

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