Local Environment Heroes

Naomi Lacey

Naomi is a permaculturalist passionate about promoting healthy food systems, sustainable lifestyles and cultivating community. She helped to establish the first community garden in the satellite city of Palmerston near Darwin and from there became involved with Community Gardens Australia (CGA) in 2015, taking on the role of President in 2019. 

Naomi believes that community gardens have a pivotal role to play in ensuring better health outcomes for Australians, building community, addressing the climate crisis, reducing waste and educating people. 

She has even completed a Churchill Fellowship on the topic!
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.

“A lot of people do really rely on their community gardens to put that extra bit of food on the table  for their families to share with friends and so on. But probably the main thing that people get  - and we get this in our survey every year - and the main reason why people participate in community gardening is for the community aspect. The food's a bonus.”

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 why our children’s environments should be more than plastic entertainment and containment complexes. (Series Final)

Gabby with one of her beloved silkie chickens at Woden Valley Early Learning Centre

Find out more about Gabby and her nature based programs Here.

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 actually is, and how we can support local farmers. She hears all about what’s growing a stone's throw from Canberra’s city centre.

Fred and Zoe at Majura Valley Farm Photo: Abbey Halter

Find out more about Majura Valley Farm On their website

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 water system, trialling Indigenous science-based infrastructure. She is now incorporating Indigenous water knowledge and practices in her work- boldly decolonizing water management approaches, particularly in terms of streams.

Fiona and Julie ask Kate about modern day (dis)connection with where our water comes from and goes to- and what that means for our natural environment.  A fascinating Indigenous perspective on Canberra’s waterways.

Read more about Kate Harriden in this great article.

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.

Kate’s new book The Compost Coach- highly recommend!

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. Scotty reflects on the importance of getting organised and cultivating imagination as keys to finding some of the solutions for a better, fairer future.

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 experiences campaigning for the environment, her environment heroes and find out what her favourite animal is!

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.