Local Environment Heroes

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 Hole.

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 Guide to Foraging is an excellent resource for those interested in learning more. Julie and Fiona chat with Diego about his experiences foraging, his book and ask him what is his favourite weed?

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 alpaca shearer, what inspired him to start Deadly Science and why we shouldn’t be in such a rush to fill the sky with satellites.  

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 down with Julie and Ryan to explain the ins and outs of ethical fashion, the difference between a fashion victim and a slow fashion enthusiast and her fashion centred environmental heroes.  

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 environment groups.

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 quality warning!) and talked to them about maggot farming, the problems with food waste, her environmental heroes and what insects actually taste like.