I grew up in a rural area of so-called Victoria. The Black Saturday bushfires were a catalyst in my life and the first time I grieved the wildlife and bush that I loved. I moved to Melbourne to study environmental journalismwhere I learnt about the human rights impacts of climate change and became passionate about climate justice, feminism and refugee rights. While covering a story about mining in the Takayna/Tarkine rainforest, I met campaigners from The Wilderness Society who inspired me to embrace activism. My first experience with community organising was during my five years as a Wilderness Society staff member, when I participated in Movement For Life program.
In 2019 I visited Camp Binbee, the frontline blockade camp to stop Adani. I fell in love with anti-hierarchical, decentralised organising here, while volunteering Frontline Action on Coal. As a volunteer organiser I now support grassroots environmental, anti-capitalist, and First Nations sovereignty campaigns.
Last year I helped organise non-violent direct action, training, solidarity work, facilitation and consensus workshops, and Beyond Mining: Protecting Land, Water and Life conference with groups like FLAC Kulin Nation/Melbourne, BBF, Blockade IMARC, and a broad coalition of local forest groups in so-called Victoria. In 2020 I also attended the wonderful ChangeMakers Organising School, which solidified my role as an organiser. This year, my primary focus will be growing grassroots campaigns to protect the ecologically significant, carbon dense forests on Taungurung and Wurundjeri country (the Central Highlands) where I grew up. I’ll also be working on mobilising music and arts communities in support of frontline climate justice, anti-racist, and First Nations sovereignty initiatives.