In this inspiring episode, Aleisha chats with Kurt Jones, the dynamic founder and CEO of Co-Exist Australia, a groundbreaking youth-led conservation movement. Learn how Kurt transformed a high school business assignment into a national not-for-profit organisation that empowers young Australians to connect with nature and lead local conservation efforts.

While only a few years young, Co-Exist has now expanded to eleven local collectives (and growing) across the country, engaging over 1800 volunteers in impactful activities like tree planting and beach cleanups. With a mission to foster a love for nature and improve community well-being, Co-Exist has planted 16,000 trees and organised 100 cleanup events.

Join us as we explore Kurt's journey, the challenges he faces as a young CEO, the incredible growth of Co-Exist Australia and the critical importance of youth voices in shaping the environmental movement in Australia (and beyond!). This episode is a testament to the power of youth leadership and the positive change it can bring to our environment and society.

Get involved with Co-Exist:

🌳 Instagram: @coexistaus (National)

Find your local collective, e.g. @coexist_sunshinecoast

🌳 Website: www.coexistaus.org

🌳 Follow Kurt on Linkedin: @Kurt Jones

🌳 Sign up to the Next Gen Landcare Summit: nationallandcareconference.org.au/nextgen-landcare-summit/

In this conversation, Aleisha chats to Cindy Fielding-Smith, a beeswax candle maker and budding natural beekeeper, who shares about her passion for bees. Cindy talks about the unique qualities of beeswax candles, bees' natural cycles and how humans have been disrupting them and bee health and their decline. We explore the importance of bees to human survival, how bees are adaptive, resilient and are a brilliant example of nature's perfection.

Follow Cindy:

🐝Treehouse Candles website: www.treehousecandles.com.au  

🐝 Treehouse Candles instagram: @treehousecandles

🐝 The Synergy of Bees instagram: @thesynergyofbees

Further information about bees:

🐝 Natural Beekeeping Summit 2025: https://www.naturalbeekeepingsummit.org/🐝Read Bees - Lectures by Rudolf Steiner

🐝 Read Song of Increase by Jacqueline Freeman

🐝 Read Honeybee Democracy, The Lives of Bees and Following the Wild Bees by Thomas Seeley

🐝 Beekeeping Naturally - Adrian Iodice - Website: https://www.happierbees.com/about-natural-beekeeping/

In this episode, Aleisha chats with Jarrah Small, a 16 year old conservationist, wildlife rescuer and environmental educatorfrom Noosa. From a young age, Jarrah has been passionate about protecting wildlife and the environment from plastic pollution and other human created threats. She is involved in a variety practical community initiatives, giving educational presentations in schools and creating engaging content across social media platforms to inspire and create change.

You'll hear about:

• Her early inspiration to take conservation action
• How collecting data can drive conservation initiatives
• How educating young people is empowering the next generation of changemakers
• Her wildlife rescue experiences
• Why engaging youth in conservation is important for the future
• The power of every individual and each individual action to create change

Useful links:

• Follow Jarrah on Instagram: @jarrah._j_j
• Australian Marine Debris Initiative with Tangaroa Blue Foundation: tangaroablue.org/database/
• Log koala sightings on QWildlife app
• Contact your local wildlife rescue group if you see sick or injured wildlife: auswildlife.org/find-a-rescue/

Jarrah is also:

• Youth Advocate for the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation
• Youth Ambassador for the Sunshine Coast Environment Council
• Ambassador for Ten Little Pieces

Phil has been involved in natural resource management for over 30 years and is a passionate advocate for the environment. He recently retired from his role as General Manager at Noosa and District Landcare Group, where he oversaw 70 staff and a large volunteer base who carry out landcare activities throughout the Noosa region.

Aleisha chats to him about how his career progressed from hospitality management to conservation to leading a prominent landcare organisation in South East Queensland. Phil shares his perspectives on connecting business with environmental work, empowering youth and many of the lessons he’s learnt along the way.

Further information:

🌳 Noosa and District Landcare website: https://noosalandcare.org/

🌳 Noosa and District Landcare Facebook: @noosalandcare

🌳 Noosa and District Landcare Instagram: @landcarenoosa

🌳 Roving Restorers program: https://noosalandcare.org/programs/roving-restorers-noosa-chapter/

In this episode, Aleisha speaks with Linda Barnes and David Mackenzie from Queensland Koala Crusaders, both passionate advocates for koalas. Koalas, classified as endangered in several Australia states, are facing extinction due to a number of threats. Linda and David share some of their personal stories with meeting koalas in the wild and how the reality of their plight galvanized them into action.

While we do discuss the current situation of koalas, this conversation is uplifting and inspiring, as Linda and David share some of the success stories Queensland Koala Crusaders has had, how challenges with data and funding gaps is an opportunity to innovate and broaden perspectives and plenty of ways for you to get involved in koala conservation.

Further information

Support Queensland Koala Crusaders:

🐨 Website: www.koalacrusaders.org.au

🐨 Facebook: @QldKoalaCrusaders

🐨 Instagram: @koalacrusaders

🐨 Foster a koala

👉 Log sightings of koalas on the QWildlife app

👉 Follow Malani @koala_family_adventures

In Australia, we are currently seeing a huge growth in renewable energy projects as part of the country's response to climate change, particularly the expansion of solar and wind generation. Alongside this, there are an increasing number of native flora and fauna species being identified as threatened. This episode explores Australia's commitments to addressing both climate change and biodiveristy and some of the links between these issues. We discuss Australia's aspiration to have net zero emissions by 2050, as well as meeting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Vision, which includes having no new extinctions and also encouraging positive impacts from climate action on biodiversity.

Further reading:

Australian Government Climate Change commitments, policies and programs: https://www.aofm.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-07-17/Aust%20Govt%20CC%20Actions%20Update%20July%202023.pdf

Renewable energy generation in Australia: https://www.energy.gov.au/energy-data/australian-energy-statistics/renewables

Australia's strategy for nature: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/summary-australias-strategy-for-nature-2024-2030.pdf Queensland Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) report 2021-2022: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/land/management/mapping/statewide-monitoring/slats/slats-reports/2021-22-slats-report/key-findings

Australian Conservation Foundation - Queensland’s deforestation shame: six Brisbane CBDs cleared every day: https://www.acf.org.au/qld-deforestation-shame-six-bris-cbds-cleared-every-dayAustralia State of the Environment Report (2021): https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/land/environment/native-vegetation

Jay Ridgewell is a nature and forest therapy (also called forest bathing), with an extensive background in education and science communication. Jay runs Held Outside at locations around the Sunshine Coast, faciliating opportunities for people to connect (or reconnect) with themselves, nature and community.

In this conversation, Jay shares about nature therapy and her role as a guide. We also discuss research on how nature benefits well-being including physiological, psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being, developing relationships with place, the idea of reciprocity with nature and being part of the bigger cycle of life. Themes of community, connection and ritual are sprinkled through the conversation.

You can find out more about nature therapy, Held Outside and Jay via these links:

Held Outside website

Held Outside events

Jay's LinkedIn

Held Outside Facebook

Held Outside Instagram

In this episode I chat with Councillor Tim Burns, who is the      Sunshine Coast Council Division 3 Councillor, for the Sunshine Coast Council in Queensland, Australia. Tim also shares the    Environment and liveability portfolio. We discuss the recently released Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Report, its positive aspects and the challenges we face to support biodiversity in a region with a rapidly growing population.

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Read the Sunshine Coast Biodiversity Report here: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environment/bushland-protection/biodiversity-report

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Find out how you can get involved in promoting biodiversity your local area:

Join a bush care group: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environment/get-involved-in-conservation/bushcare-sunshine-coast/bushcare-community

Adopt a street tree: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/council/planning-and-projects/council-plans/street-tree-master-plan

Join Land for Wildlife: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environment/get-involved-in-conservation/land-for-wildlife

Check out your local native nursery: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environmental-advice/tree-and-vegetation-management/community-native-nurseries

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If you'd like to contact Tim (check out what he likes eating at the end of the podcast ;-)):

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @Tim Burns

Instagram: @crtimburns

Biodiversity explained: Aleisha asks a few 'What if?' questions. What if we were to lose some or all of the species that are currently at risk of extinction?

This episode begins with Aleisha guiding a short grounding practice as an invitation to connect with the land beneath you and yourself.

Following this, she explores:

🌳The current situation - plant and animal species at risk

🌳What an ecosystem is

🌳What biodiversity means

🌳The significance of species becoming extinct

🌳Case studies: the moa and humpback whale

Further reading:

ABC article, 21 Jan 2025 "Forty-one new flora and fauna species added to Australia's threatened list"https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2025-01-21/what-made-it-onto-australias-threatened-species-list-2024/104830434

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List for Threatened Species: https://www.iucnredlist.org/en

Sunshine Coast Biodiveristy Report, 2024: https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environment/bushland-protection/biodiversity-report

Welcome to the We Grow podcast, a podcast all about planting trees, restoring native ecosystems, community and making a difference in your local area. Meet your host Aleisha Keating, an environmental practitioner with almost 20 years experience, as she shares her vision for humanity to recognise nature as part of our community. We hope this podcast will leave you feeling inspired and empowered to help restore nature back to full health.