Local Environment Heroes

We couldn't fit all of Michael Mulvaney's stories and insights into our Local Environment Heroes conversation, so we're sharing his full Impact Hour talk, as bonus content. As part of our collaboration between SEE Change, the Conservation Council of the ACT Region & Canberra Environment Centre, this Impact Hour session reflects on what Mike has learned from spending so much time...

In this episode of Local Environmental Heroes , we talk with Emeritus Professor Mark Howden AC about the long game of climate action — and what it feels like to spend almost four decades working on one of the biggest challenges facing the world. Mark reflects on what's changed since he first became involved in the climate movement, what has stubbornly stayed the same, and the levers he believ...

We couldn't fit all of Mark Howden's insights into our Local Environment Heroes conversation, so we're sharing his full Impact Hour talk as bonus content. In this June Impact Hour session, Emeritus Professor Mark Howden AC takes a clear-eyed look at where we are heading on climate change — and where there are still genuine reasons for hope. Drawing on almost 40 years working across...

In this episode of Local Environment Heroes , we talk with long-time Red Hill Regenerator Dr Michael Mulvaney about the extraordinary transformation of one of Canberra's much-loved landscapes — and the Gang-gang Cockatoos that helped reveal just how special it is. Mike has spent more than 60 years playing, exploring, and learning on Red Hill, including four decades with the Red Hill Regenerat...

We couldn't fit all of Amy Carrad's insights into our Local Environment Heroes conversation, so we're sharing her full Impact Hour talk as bonus content. In this April 2026 Impact Hour session, a collaboration between SEE Change, the Conservation Council of the ACT Region & Canberra Environment Centre, Dr Amy Carrad explores how people, power and policy can work together to chan...

In this episode of Local Environment Heroes , we talk with Dr Amy Carrad about the power of food to create environmental and social change. Amy explores how the way we grow, produce, share and eat food is shaped not just by individual choices, but by the systems, policies, and communities around us. We talk about what it takes to build a fairer and more sustainable food system, the role of people-...

Join Julie, the founder of ACT for Bees & Other Pollinators, for a buzzing episode where we learn about our native bees. This video will focus on the importance of our native bees and pollinators and guide you on what to plant to attract them and provide the perfect habitat.  You can find more ACT for Bees & Other Pollinators expert tips on their website , Instagram , or our YouTube video...

Join Lish Fejer from Green It Yourself (GIY) and learn how to be in control of your household energy!  In this podcast, we chat with Lish about some simple but effective energy-efficient changes that you can utilise in your own home, which will make you more comfortable, save you money, and allow you to be in control of the energy you use in your house. You can find more of Lish's expert tips...

Join Paris from Canberra By Bike for a conversation on active travel in Canberra! In this episode, we chat with Paris about the benefits of choosing a bike over your car, acoustic and electric bike types and active travel groups in Canberra that you can join today. You can find more of Paris on his website , on Instagram or on our YouTube video . 

Fiona Buining and Michael Wilson have a background in permaculture and have over 30 years of experience growing their own vegetables and fruit. Their quarter-acre block has over 50 fruit trees, vegetables, chickens, bees and working rabbits. Join Fiona from Ainslie Urban Farm and learn how to grow your own food!  In this episode, Fiona covers starting plants from seed, what to grow and when, estab...

Join Cid Riley from Global Worming Canberra and learn how to establish a worm farm, how to improve your worm farming skills and how to use the product at the end, hopefully inspiring you to spend more time with your worms and more time in your garden! Note: This podcast was recorded on-site; some background noises can be heard during the episode. If you would like a second resource, please click h...

Have you got a favourite sweater that's starting to get holes? Perhaps you’re trying to save money on clothes and keep garments out of landfill?  In this episode, Visual artist Dr. Hanna Hoyne will show you some valuable tips and tricks for mending your clothes in a colourful and beautiful way! Visible mending consists of renewing imperfections using multiple hands-on techniques and revitalis...

Fiona and Julie are back with Season 3 of Local Environmental Heroes. This series is all about food. In this opening episode, Fiona and Julie discuss all of the amazing guests they have interviewed for this series

Lucy is a Canberra based food writer and qualified chef with a passion for food sovereignty and sustainability. SHe is currently finishing her first book which documents her year of internships all over Australia in the food industry. Julie and Fiona have a fascinating chat with Lucy about food sovereignty and learn about how eating seasonally is connected with knowing the growers and improving pe...

Philippa is the Garden Specialist with the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program at Majura Primary School. She is a trained horticulturist and supports students to grow, eat and enjoy fresh food. Fiona and Julie recorded this episode on site and were lucky enough to be taken on a tour of the garden and meet the chickens! This conversation was an amazing opportunity to hear (and see) firsthand...

Andy De Groot is a chef and the founder of Queer Food, a sustainable catering company and food retailer run by Trans* and Queer* People. Andy has an incredibly strong belief in the power of community inclusion and he works to celebrate and honour queer histories and stories through food. Andy chats to Fiona and Julie about the power of using food to tell stories and foster community connection. He...

Amy Blaine is a co-founder and volunteer for the Ainslie Community Pantry. She’s passionate about meeting the needs of the local community through building social networks that share and distribute food, seeing food as an integral part of our social fabric. In this episode, Fiona and Julie are blown away by Amy’s endless enthusiasm for the work she does. Listen to Amy talk about increased demand f...

Aaron is the owner operator of Dreamtime Connections a business he has built to share Indigenous Culture and native foods with the community especially schools. Aaron’s vision is for every school to have a bush tucker garden. Fiona and Julie chat to Aaron about the role of native plants within the local foodscape, and here all about his incredible education initiative in local school connecting st...

Josie’s primary role is co-CEO & co-founder of Food2Soil, an innovative circular economy business that makes biologically alive fertiliser from fermented commercial food and coffee waste, transforming waste destined for landfill into soil gold. Fiona chats to Josie about her journey as a dietician, her passion to reduce waste and how her life experiences have contributed to the formation of he...

Julie and Fiona managed to sneak in a quick visit to Sam’s farm for this recording. This meant they met the magical fig tree which you will hear Sam speak about so fondly in this episode. 

Be inspired by listening to Naomi talk about how community gardens future proof our food systems and why more support for urban localised systems is so critical.

After a career in film, theatre, television and radio, Gabby Millgate has put all those communication skills to work in Early Childhood Education. She is now the Nature Pedagogy lead educator at Woden Valley Early Learning Centre, the first role of its kind in the ACT. Julie and Fiona chat to Gabby about the role of nature (and chickens!) within’ learning environments, and hear from Gabby about wh...

Zoe and Fred are young farmers at Majura Valley Farm. With the support of their families, they practise regenerative farming techniques with impressive yields. Fred and Zoe are local food advocates, both with farming and art backgrounds, together they create, grow and nurture sustainable farming practices in Canberra and beyond. Fiona chats with Fred and Zoe about what regenerative farming actuall...

A wiradyuri woman, Kate grew up in the creek behind the family home and still spends lots of time in streams, even if many of them are now storm water channels. She completed her PhD in Indigenous water sciences (decolonising streams: a confluence of Indigenous and western sciences) at the Fenner School of Environment & Sustainability. This research required extensive time in the local storm w...

Kate Flood AKA @Compostablekate is a compost coach based in NSW. Through social media and a new book, Kate shows people how to compost effectively in the comfort of their own home. Julie and Fiona talk dirty with Kate, chatting about why composting is such excellent climate action.