Local Environment Heroes

Dr Katherine Trebeck is a political economist, writer and advocate for economic system change. Katherine has Bachelor Degrees in Economics and in Politics (University of Melbourne) and holds a PhD in Political Science from the Australian National University. Julie chats to Katherine in this episode asking about what a wellbeing economy is and why it matters.

Scotty Foster is a solar powered, radio broadcasting, organic growing, co-operative creating, earth and people-protecting worker from Canberra, Australia. Scotty is powering CoCanberra, creating a co-operative commonwealth, through community groups, and on Community Radio- 2XXFM98.3 with the ‘Behind the Lines’ show. Julie and Fiona chat to Scotty about co-operatives, permaculture and society. Scot...

Elle Lawless is the Executive Director of the Conservation Council, Elle has environmental and climate advocacy experience at both the local and national level. A diversity of experience including growing up in regional NSW has formed a deep passion for ecological justice which has seen Elle campaign on the frontlines and with not for profit organisations. Fiona and Julie chat to Elle about her ex...

Ryan Mcgee is a Primary School Sustainability Teacher- inspiring her community to observe and respond to nature by living more sustainably. Fiona and Julie chat to Ryan about her experience communicating practical sustainability behaviours throughout a school community and beyond. Ryan reflects on the role of gratitude and active hope in creating change in a challenging world.

Dr Bjorn Sturmberg is a Research Leader in the Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program, as well as the author of kids book Amy’s Balancing Act. Fiona and Julie ask Bjorn about renewable energy and find out about some of the challenges and possibilities for a sustainable future.

Weedy AKA David Trood is a prize-winning travel and commercial photographer who pushes the boundaries of visual  storytelling. His passionate narrative of people and nature, shines through in his YouTube channel -The Weedy Garden. Julie and Fiona chat with David about his experience setting up an incredible permaculture inspired edible garden, and his movie documenting the process Down the Carrot...

Diego Bonneto- “The Weedy One” grew up on a dairy farm in northern Italy when it was still common practice to collect the wild produce of the land. Now living in Australia, Diego is passionate about telling the story of plants and runs regular walks and workshops on plant identification, role modelling what  valuing the commonly marginalised looks like in action. His recent book Eat Weeds, a Field...

Canberra Environment Centre (CEC) welcomes you to a whole new season of the Local Environment Heroes Podcast with Julie Boulton and new host for Season 2 Fiona Veikkanen. With guest Dr Holly Trueman- insect scientist and Executive Director of CEC.

Julie and Ryan reflect on what they have learnt from the incredible people they have interviewed in season 1 of the podcast and discuss some exciting developments for season 2.

Dan Fitzpatrick owns and operates Megaflora,  a boutique construction company based in Canberra.  He focuses  on the importance in the relationship between materials, the built form and our environment.  Dan takes sustainability seriously and chats to Julie and Ryan about how  best to design and build a sustainable home and why Australian singer John Williamson is an environmental hero.

Corey Tutt is a proud Kamilaroi man and the founder of Deadly Science, an organisation bringing science and technology to remote schools around Australia.  Corey works to inspire Indigenous children to believe in themselves and understand their environment for the benefit of Australia and all its people.  Corey sat down with Julie and Ryan to talk about his time spent working as a zookeeper and al...

Kelli Donovan is a Canberra based sustainable fashion designer and the founder and CEO of Pure Pod.  She designs ethical clothes and has a vision for a fashion industry that puts planet and people before profits.  Kelli has done her time in mainstream fashion and has seen firsthand the devastating effects that fast fashion has on both the environment and the people making the clothes.  Kelli sat d...

Sarah Reid is the ACT representative of the Australian Conservation Foundation Council and the newly elected President of the Conservation Council ACT.  Sarah is passionate about working with the local community to achieve the climate goals that will provide a better future for out children.  Sarah sat down with Julie and Ryan to chat about climate conversations and the importance of community env...

Hannah Moloney is a landscape designer, permaculture educator and bestselling author.  Her enterprise ‘Good Life Permaculture’ and her recent book ‘The Good Life’ focus on education for a better world and radical hope in the face of a climate emergency. Hannah chatted online with Julie and Ryan about the intersection of gardening and activism, permaculture as a way of life and the joy of goats. 

Olympia Yarger is the Founder and CEO of Goterra, an insect farm based in Canberra.  Olympia started Goterra with a focus on insects as a sustainable livestock feed and soon realised that the amount of food waste required to keep the insects provided an opportunity for the business to transition into waste management.  Olympia chatted online with Julie and Ryan during the Canberra lockdown (audio...

Siwan Lovett is the Director of the not-for-profit Australian River Restoration C entre, an organisation she established after undertaking a Winston Churchill Trust Fellowship in 2008. Siwan’s work focuses on research and science communication and developing future leaders. She has a PhD from the Australian National University in public policy, majoring in sociology and administration and is the f...

Rebecca Vassarotti is a member of parliament in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly representing the ACT Greens.  In 2020 she was appointed as the Minister for Environment and Heritage, Minister for Homelessness and Housing Services, and Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction.

Charles Massy gained a Bachelor of Science at ANU in 1976 before going farming for 35 years, developing the prominent Merino sheep stud ‘Severn Park’.  Concern at ongoing land degradation and humanity’s sustainability challenge led him to return to ANU in 2009 to undertake a PhD in Human Ecology.     Charles has authored several books on the Australian sheep industry including ‘Breaking the Sheep’...

Julie and Ryan catch up for a virtual Sunday afternoon hang out and chat about what they have learnt from the Environmental Heroes so far.

Karissa Preuss is the CEO of ACT Landcare, the peak body for Landcare groups in the ACT.  Karissa works with landholders wanting to manage their farm sustainably, community groups monitoring conservation efforts and stewardship groups improving ACT Government land.  She sees her role as supporting volunteers to care for country and is a firm believer that if we look after country it will look afte...

Mia Swainson is passionate about leadership and waste reduction.  She has worked in government, politics, international development and the non-profit sector and now runs her own boutique management consulting company. Mia is current Chair of the Canberra Environment Centre and of Zero Waste Revolution and her personal challenge to reduce the household waste of her family of five to almost nothing...

Fiona Buining runs Ainslie Urban Farm where she grows microgreens in green houses in her backyard for local restaurants and cafes. Fiona’s property has over 50 fruit trees, nuts, berries, vegetables, two beehives, chickens and working rabbits. Working with teenagers as a teacher she has seen first-hand the physical and mental health benefits of learning to grow food. As a grower she has observed a...

Brook Clinton is the founder and operator of Capital Scraps Composting, a not-for-profit social enterprise motivated by the direct climate benefit and wider social benefits of composting at the community scale.  Brook has a PhD in biodegradation and most mornings she can be found riding around the suburbs of Canberra collecting household food scraps before stepping into her day job as the Executiv...

Chris Dennis is the man behind Two Before Ten cafes.  From humble beginnings in Aranda Shops to a network of cafes across the city, Chris has made an effort to make business decisions that are in line with the UN Sustainable Development goals.  This has led to the purchasing of an industrial composting machine to deal with organic waste, a truly seasonal menu and a quarter acre urban farm providin...

Edwina Robinson is the founder of The Climate Factory, a social enterprise that is empowering people to plant the planet.  In 2020-21 Edwina created Canberra’s first urban community micro-forest which has transformed a dusty, weedy park in Downer into a dense pocket of native vegetation.  There are now community funded micro-forests popping up all over Canberra and Edwina’s mission is to build a m...