Beyond The Green Line

On today's episode of Beyond the Green Line, Shonelle Gleeson-Willey talks with Trent Romer, author of the books 'This is Our Home: A Sustainability Story to Help You Start Your Own Eco-Friendly Journey' and 'Finding Sustainability: The Personal and Professional Journey of a Plastic Bag Manufacturer'. Trent is a 3rd generation co-owner of his family's business Clear View Bag Co., Inc founded in 1961 by his grandfather. In this episode he talks about what inspired him to turn to more sustainable options. Trent knew the changes he made needed to be good for the business and good for the planet. He shares the changes his company made, such as reducing waste, hosting educational events for employees, and implementing the company vision of 'Healthy Planet. Healthy People. Healthy Company'. Trent offers a number of ways consumers can make a real impact, and reminds businesses to keep in mind the cost of inaction. Trent's latest book 'This Is Our Home: A Sustainability Story to Help You Start Your Own Eco-Friendly Journey' is written for people who want to move in a sustainable direction, but feel overwhelmed, wondering 'How do I begin my journey and what do I do after I start?'. Progress is better than perfection, and Trent hopes to inspire those he reaches that we can each make choices, no matter how small, that move us in the right direction. Learn more about Trent's work and buy his books: https://trentromer.com/

Today on Beyond the Green Line, Shonelle Gleeson-Willey talks with Kurt Laboyrie, an area manager at the Soil Conservation Service. Kurt is also a past member of the International Erosion Control Association Board, and recently received a Change Makers achievement from the organization Future Women. Kurt has always lived on the coast and spent time in nature, where he developed an understanding of how sediment and water moved. He earned his masters' degree in Coastal Planning and Management, then began his career in erosion control in sand dunes. He worked on dune stabilization and natural area management, fire trail and asset protection, zone construction and maintenance, creek line remediation projects, contaminated land rehabilitation, and design and construction of drainage structures. He also held advisory roles as a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control. Kurt now manages numerous civil and environmental construction works, serving local landholders, state, federal and corporate clients. Maintaining his focus on coastal environmental management, Kurt has kept a passion for environmental legacy, always striving to contribute to lasting change. The Soil Conservation Service is a government contractor and also deals in the public space. Kurt shares his insights on how to build good teams for highly varied jobs, and how those diverse teams enable the company to fix problems for clients and take on challenges and risks that not everyone would be willing to. Kurt and Shonelle also chat about Kurt's desire to see gender parity and equal pay in the construction industry. Many top companies have a measure of equality at the highest levels, while the construction industry is behind in this and has been traditionally very male-dominated. Kurt shares what a single individual in the system can do to encourage more diversity and equity in their work culture. Kurt recounts a contaminated land rehab project that his team recently completed, which comprised of both terrestrial and aquatic rehabilitation. Older boat paint containing lead and other harmful metals was effecting a populated area's oysters, fish and potentially humans, and it was Kurt's job to come up with a way to get all the harmful material out of the harbor and send it to a registered site. He talks about the importance of the staging equipment they used, how they implemented two sediment curtains into the process, why they used a dredge, and how they pumped contaminated water into dewatering bags, sealed to limit human exposure. We'll hear Kurt speak on the unique challenges of working in the coastal environment, and share how he'd love to see better alignment on Best Practice across states and legislations in order to see LGA's working together for the most efficient solutions. Learn more about Soil Conservation Service: www.scs.nsw.gov.au/ YouTube https://www.bing.com/search?q=soil+conservation+service+youtube&qs=n&form=QBRE&msbsrank=6_6__0&sp=-1&pq=soil+conservation+service+cs+youtube&sc=636&sk=&cvid=9EE4426D9FCD43B48E8BF22659F0DE1F&ghsh=0&ghacc=0&ghpl= Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NSWSCS/ LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/company/soil-conservation-service?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ebing%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=au More about the Gender Parity Take aways: Understand Yourself- so you can help. Do you have unconscious Bias, do this test? Select a Test (harvard.edu) Choose the Gender-Career IAT. Understand the problem- https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/selectatest.html The Lift- What is the gender pay gap? https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+lift+gender+youtube&&view=detail&mid=143F5413B212A71023E7143F5413B212A71023E7&&FORM=VRDGAR&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dthe%2Blift%2Bgender%2Byoutube%26qpvt%3Dthe%2Bli

Today on Beyond the Green Line, Shonelle Gleeson-Willey talks with James Hammond, founder and CEO of 4Pillars Environmental Consulting. James manages a 14-person team that provides a wide range of services in environmental management and compliance, contaminated waste solutions, and impact assessment. James has a scientific and professional background, and a love for strategic environmental management. Shonelle asks about his journey to becoming an environmental consultant, and what his advice would be to young professionals that may want to enter into the field of consulting. Getting his business off the ground included starting in a garage office, relying on grassroots word of mouth leads, and plenty of hard work. James made a decision to avoid being a sub-contractor under another companies, because he saw the advantage of only offering services directly to clients. James describes the importance of building a support team and knowing your limits as a business owner, as well as patience and level-headed decision-making during the grind of building a business from scratch. He implemented software and systems that would work even after the company grew, and always attempted to envision the end from the beginning. Whether a business owner's end goal is passive income, getting acquired, or building a family legacy company, these differing end goals will effect strategic choices in the beginning stages. James named his company 4Pillars because it operates under the presupposition that there are four pillars to sustainable development: environment, society, economy, and intergenerational equity. The pillars must be considered altogether in order to operate in ways that are responsible for tomorrow. Shonelle and James discuss how some of 4Pillar's current impact assessment projects are gathering their data and developing strategies for their clients. James shares that within cities, air, noise and water are usually the three focuses, whereas in more remote areas there are different priorities. They reference the ongoing issue of asbestos contamination in soil, and the hope that policy consistency across different agencies and levels of government will move this important work in the right direction. He talks about the times his assessments have resulted in avoidance recommendations, and how to present those types of recommendations effectively. Volunteer work is often a part of the most effective environmental scientists and consultants, and James shares about his enthusiastic involvement with the Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand. Today's conversation also touches on the topic of green accounting and how it's effecting the environmental consulting field. This helpful interview with James Hammond is sure to be a source of inspiration for a lot of listeners, especially those who are starting out in the environmental consulting space.

Today on Beyond the Green Line, Shonelle Gleeson-Willey talks with regenerative agriculturist Dr. Charles Massy. Charles became an advocate for regenerative agriculture after the infamous four-year draught of the late 70's and early 80's, when he transformed his personal approach from conventional farming to regenerative holistic management of his property on the Monaro. He has now written three books, received an OAM, and maintained a chemical-free property for decades - one that boasts native grass in an area where surrounding farms have turned to dustbowls during recent droughts. We hear all about his life-altering decision to transition to regenerative farming, the keys to his success in the process of restoring his soil, and his PhD research on some of the catalysts and destabilizing events that cause regenerative farmers begin to adopt the approach and turn their landscapes around. Shonelle and Charles discuss the crucial topic of fertilizer, and how natural alternatives to chemical herbicides and pesticides - like worm juice and compost extract - can result in better nutrition and healthier soil. Dr. Charles Massy defines regenerative agriculture succinctly by saying, "it's working with biology and not against it." He clarifies that every farmer's biggest asset is the land, even above their animals or crops, and reminds us all that there is indeed a way to successfully utilize natural soil and graze animals in a sustainable and healthy way. He asserts that nature's self-organizing processes are far superior to our simplified, chemical-driven modern approach. By maximizing solar energy, protecting soil health, tending to the water cycle, ensuring biodiversity, and refraining from interfering nature's timing, humans can become better stewards of land while harvesting more nutritious crops. Charles explains that during the scientific revolution, humanity shifted to a "mechanical mind," and distanced ourselves from nature. The combination of that more arrogant mindset with the invention of chemical fertilizers, big farming machinery, and motive for profit after World War II is what created the modern human ecosystem of farming in the form it exists today. But, now that we're more aware than ever of our climate and soil's vulnerable state, a swing back to regenerative agriculture would have a huge positive impact on the planet as well as human health. Charles skillfully teaches us about the biology and carbon impact of different approaches to farming, and casts vision from where we can, and must, go from here.

On today's episode of Beyond the Green Line, Shonelle Gleeson-Willey chats with Warwick Giblin, a veteran in the environmental management space, and one of her personal mentors. Warwick has 40 years of senior executive experience in environmental management in both government work (with National Parks and Wildlife Service and Sydney Water) and various corporations (such as Waste Management International and Waste Management NZ Ltd). He is currently the Managing Director of OzEnvironmental Pty Ltd, which provides high-end technical, legal and strategic advice to farmers, Councils, Traditional Owners, and businesses when development projects come to their town (or farm, as the case may be). This was a fascinating, insightful, and extremely necessary conversation about helping communities maintain a voice during land development projects. Many of the impacted areas Warwick supports involve multigenerational farms, tight-knit communities, and various other types of landholders. Becoming aware of a large project in the approvals process in their area can lead to much uncertainty and distress. Landowners can become aware of pending development plans through a variety of different avenues including, a mailed letter, a social media post, or a knock on the door. Often, Warwick's clients then experience physical and mental wellness challenges because of resulting worry. They begin to wonder what will happen to their piece of paradise, whether they will receive compensation, and how they will retain a voice in the daunting power dynamic of dealing with developers. Warwick encourages people in this situation to rally community, build a support network, and utilize professional advice from an environmental practitioner who is familiar with the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and the assessment and determination process. Recently, the Sydney Morning Herald published an article explaining how the NSW state government planned to fast-track transmission line projects for renewables in the regions. While rapid decarbonization of our energy system is important, it's also imperative to examine how these projects' rapid assessment processes will affect communities with substantial change and disruption. Many landowners have limited economic capacity compared to developers, and Warwick's presence helps farmers and communities in this situation retain influence throughout the development process. Shonelle and Warwick share stories about their mutual desire to see communication between developers and affected communities be more balanced. Too often, meetings seem to involve developers telling communities how the process will go, and Warwick believes a change in this dynamic will only happen when developers are truly convinced that it's in their best interests to take the voices of the community into account, even in the early planning stages. Warwick also relays much wisdom and experience around creating openness and transparency, even in tense conversations with developers, and ensuring real accountability during the land development process. Podcast — Sydney Environment Institute Renewables & rural Australia - The Australia Institute

We've all heard of the glass ceiling: the idea that there are barriers to women achieving executive and leadership roles in male-dominated industries. But in addition to that, the sector of environmental science poses greater ratio imbalances than average. So today it's our pleasure to chat with Kristi McLachlan, Iinfrastructure Director at Hatch Australasia. Kristi grew up loving biology from a young age, and graduated with a Master's Degrees in Biology. She started her career in research and development, focusing on the use of bacteria to break down soil contaminants. Kristi then moved in to contaminated land consulting in Australia, where she was promoted to handle operations management, and eventually oversaw various construction projects for over a decade. Then landing at Sydney Airport (brought there by Chris Evans from John Holland who she would consider a sponsor in the story of her career), Kristi became the only female she knew to hold the title of General Manager on a construction project. She discovered the importance of the advice she passes to us today: find your people. It will take good friends, mentors, and sponsors to achieve your goals as a female in the environmental space, so don't be afraid to ask someone to mentor or sponsor you. Kristi then joined Hatch, where she now helps the company maintain its high reputation of forward-thinking and ceiling-breaking. Throughout her ongoing leadership roles at Hatch, Kristi has studied Neuro Leadership and obtained quality leadership coaching, which she credits for her ever-increasing ability to communicate with her teams. She shares how we can strengthen our science-based thinking by cultivating a curious mind: committing to learn more data before making our conclusions. Ever-motivated, Kristi practices Jiu Jitsu along with her two children. She reveals that this discipline has taught her when to sit back and observe, as opposed to always being on the attack, and how to learn where the other person is coming from. This too has enhanced her leadership approach over the years. Combining her training in science-based thinking from her studies at Uni with the delicate balance of non-violence and healthy self-defense in the Jiu Jitsu model, Kristi emphasizes understanding what others around us need and value. When gender stereotypes pop up at work, she's committed to pointing out moments that others may not see, but always in a spirit of growing together. Kristi encourages women in male-dominated spaces to remember that many men on their team may be very open to conversations about changing the system together. Her solution-oriented approach is honest and inspiring. Even though she has moved away from a career in environmental sciences, sustainability is still very close to Kristi's heart. This can be seen in her intentional personal life, where she doesn't own a dryer, keeps supply chain standards when purchasing furniture or clothes, and doesn't drive whenever there is access to public transportation. We know you'll be inspired by Shonelle's enlightening talk with Kristi McLachlan

Today on Beyond the Green Line, Shonelle Gleeson-Willey talks with Paul McDonald. Paul established the Animal Behavior and Ecology Lab, was the president of the Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behavior, and sat as Chair of Bird Life Australia's Research and Conservation committee. He is a Professor at the University of New England where he works on woodland environments, researching woodland areas' threatened birds and studying factors that may cause the decline of specific bird populations. We learn about some of these factors from him on the episode, including the behavior of other species, local and human behavior, and the decrease in biodiversity in the environment. Paul's expertise in the field of bioacoustics assists his team in collecting data. They use sound recordings to analyze environments, capturing and sorting the sounds of everything from wind to vehicle traffic. The team can listen to recorded bird sounds to understand their activity, observe how fragmentation has effected the birds' life experience, and even assess the biodiversity of their homes. Recently, the coronavirus, fires, and floods have prevented researchers from being on the grounds as freely, so bioacoustics measurements are proving more crucial than ever. Paul's research into vocal communication in birds also feeds into conservation practices and can be applied to environmental impact assessment. Shonelle's organization, Moss Environmental, likewise performs ecological assessments that include recordings, so she asks Paul how they can expand their assessments. He explains that by deepening the acoustic data being gathered, and smartly analyzing the hours of audio using computer power, they can add invaluable information to what they're already surveying on the ground. This acoustical data will assist in looking at what's left, and in trying to identify areas of concern. In addition, various other environmental groups can apply these techniques in ways that make sense for their unique areas. Paul reminds us to learn from each other and utilize collaboration in our continued conservation efforts. Through his research, Paul has learned about multiple factors that shape the sociality in complex bird societies. His team has identified vocal communication and vocabulary including signal detection of a predator, recruitment calls for help, territory-claiming calls, sounds that indicate conflicts in the society, and even markers that are recognizable in each bird's voice. We also hear about the difference in the interactions of sub-Saharan African animals verses Australian animals - which include larger scale, mammal-dominated ecology, and different types of productivity in different ecological systems. The general population can help Australia's bird societies by getting involved in local bird groups, supporting national parks, and planting diverse foliage in their own back yards to promote the survival of endangered birds.

On today's episode of the Moss Environmental Podcast, we meet Shonelle Gleeson-Willey, founder and director of Moss Environmental. Shonelle was born and raised in Sydney. Later feeling drawn by her since of adventure to a more rural Australia setting, she moved to Tamworth. We hear how to tell the difference between certain Australians that just say they're rural, trying to fit stereotypes, and the truly rural cattle farmers and country folk that she looks up to around her and loves being nearer to now. After being made redundant by her employee, and then having her second child, she decided she wanted her family to stay there. Her job standards now higher because of her growing family and level of experience, she found it was a better fit to freelance environmental consulting than to take a job at a larger organization. Then, Shonelle soon channeled her experience and expertise in the field into the generalist environmental consulting company Moss Environmental, which she founded in 2015. Staring a company in the smaller city of Tamworth presented some unique challenges such as limited (and very expensive) commercial space. Her home work environment of course included her three family members and a four hour window of internet blackout almost daily, so Shonelle felt lucky to soon be offered a spot at the University of New England's Incubator space for small companies and entrepreneurs. After this, she had what she needed to hire an employee and contract additional knowledgeable consultants. She designed Moss Environmental to be able to provide expertise in environmental and natural resource management, agricultural science and ecology. Now 7 years in, the company consults corporations in the areas of construction, project management, environmental education and mining. Shonelle reflects on how her previous training and accreditation in erosion sediment control led her to pursue it as a specialty within her area of expertise in the environmental science space. She was later given a seat as a director on the board for the International Erosion Control Association Australasia, which equipped her with more business knowledge and insight into operations. She now sits as president of the association, and shares how that opportunity has shaped some of her decisions in creating Moss. This episode is a great reminder of how we can steward the training and opportunities we've come across in life, think outside the box, and often invent something a little bigger and better than we might currently be daring to believe. https://mossenviro.com.au/

In this episode, Shonelle Gleeson-Willey and Fiona Evans have a conversation about women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers. Historically, gender stereotypes have led to women being under-represented in the sciences. Fiona has an extensive background in the sciences including horticulture, land management and conservation, and working in an environmental laboratory as a chemist. She is now the founder of a program that works to change inequity in STEM in Australia called Step into STEM Northern Territory. Step into STEM invites high school students to engage in science, and connect them with current university students who are studying in STEM. Fiona was strongly encouraged by her dad to pursue learning in the sciences, and later had an excellent boss who was available to answer questions, value her contributions, and encouraged her to become a great chemist. She came to a point in her life and career where she began to deeply reflect on how to make the greatest impact, and on who exactly she wanted to be. This season led her to build the program, which quickly gained momentum and was featured on ABC Australia in November. In this enlightening episode, Shonelle and Fiona talk about what it takes to work towards gender equality in STEM and discuss examples of Fiona's impact as she provides students with increased familiarity, more role models, and exciting opportunities in design and innovation. www.stepintostemnt.org [http://www.stepintostemnt.org] https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-21/northern-territory-step-into-stem-school-students-science-gender/100632338

Did you know that flying a helicopter over glaciers causes them to melt at a faster rate? Today on the podcast, Shonelle Gleeson-Willey talks with artist Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger, who shares her insight and expertise on climate change. We hear all about this accomplished artist's methodology, and how she effectively shares information about the environment to motivate change. It's vital to deliver educational material and information on climate change in a way that can best be absorbed by the audience, and Lea has been successful at dispersing and amplifying information in a way that promotes interest, inquiry, and ultimately action. As an environmental artist, Lea examines topics such as human consumerism and its effect on islands. She uses print, photography, video and sound installations to create meaningful conversation about environmental topics, exploring and expressing her impressions through her profoundly moving art. Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger studied at University of Sydney Australia, reviewing a Master of Contemporary Art as well as a Master of Fine Art. She's an "artist at large," embedding herself in various environmental frameworks instead of creating all of her art in a studio. Her work has been exhibited all over Australia, the U.S., and Taiwan. She also shares about getting to workshop with Al Gore in 2019. We're privileged to hear the personal story behind some of her art on today's episode. Her past works include observing and depicting humans' behavior while they're on holiday on various islands. She creates visceral memories with immersive installations, which is a very effective way to raise awareness about environmental issues and concerns in those observing her art. Lea's heart and passion for environmental change is evident as she tells of her copious time sailing the oceans with environmental justice groups and seeing the effect of pollutants and chemical plastics in the waters. She paints a picture of nets, gloves and film canisters littering a beach near a penguin colony, and pulls us into her zeal for restoration as she describes the emotions that inspired her art during a visit to Antartica. With no single governing body limiting tourism to Antartica, and vessels carrying upwards of 500 tourists at a time now regularly venturing to the area, her urgent concern is contagious, relevant and inspiring. Lea's amazing goal of creating art in order to spur discourse is beautifully described in her talk at the Royal Society of NSW, one of many lectures she's been invited to give around the world. Be sure to follow her important work as she continues to spread the message of conservation. https://royalsoc.org.au/events-news/news-2021/recent-events-now-on-youtube-april-2021 https://www.leakannar.com

In this episode, Bronwyn Brennan, from the Moss Environmental team, talks to Dr Rebecca Thistlethwaite who works at the University of Sydney Plant Breeding Institute and literally puts bread on the table for all Australians. She spends her time with the Plant Breeding Institute looking into developing innovative new breeds of wheat that are more resilient to our changing climate. Rebecca and Bronwyn discuss the challenges in completing a PhD straight after your prior studies, and how a stint of work experience might help you stick it out for good in the end. Rebecca shares her personal experience on how she adapted moving from the bright city lights of Sydney, to the regional towns of Narribri and Armidale – and how country life meant a range of different social circumstances, including the delights of discovering small town hospitality over big city night life. Finally, she then shares insights into their breeding programs, from how seeds are sourced overseas (from a diverse array of countries, including Mexico, India and Sudan) to how these seeds are then combined with Australian wheat species to produce the best of the best lines for changing Australian climates. Socials and Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-thistlethwaite-19426354

In this episode, Shonelle Gleeson-Willey talks with Dimity Smith about a career pivot and using your STEM skills to try new and wonderful things in different industries. Our guest, Dimity has done exactly that. She studied psychology then went to work in the work health and safety industry, before pivoting to events management, and empowering country women with the launch of Savvy Birds and then Gro Events Group. We explore how Dimity's roots in psychology have helped her to adapt to her career changes and add that extra sparkle to what she delivers as an events director and engagement psychologist advocating for rural and regional women, and now board director of Dairy New South Wales Dimity shares her personal experience in the importance of finding your passion and engaging in a career that fill your cup, as well as the importance of work-life balance and being mindful of burnout. She shares how her involvement in local board roles helped her to land a board-level position with Dairy New South Wales and shares some top tips on how anyone that dreams of joining a board can take actionable steps towards that goal. Dimity also speaks about her involvement with STEM Q through the University of New England – a one-of-its-kind program that is bringing awareness of the many opportunities in STEM careers to young people in regional NSW and improving the diversity of skill retention in rural areas. Finally, Dimity and Shonelle discuss her venture to bring networking events to women in rural areas, and to overcome the main obstacle women in regional areas often face – feeling isolated. She shares how her diverse career has equipped her to give women the perfect excuse to get out and quench their need for face-to-face connections. Links and socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/smithdimity LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimity-smith-gro/ Website: https://www.groevents.com.au/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groeventsgroup/