Beaming Green: Recent Episodes
Hosted by Jeremy Melder
A podcast that puts eco-living at the heart of your life. Each episode we showcase sustainability superheroes who share their knowledge and tips that you can implement immediately to experience the joy of living simply and sustainably every day.
In this the final episode of three with Stephen Armytage, he discusses what it means to live a rich and purposeful life. Stephen explains that his goal in sharing this course, and his overall mission, is to leave the world in a better shape than he found it. He reveals the secret to achieving this is coming from a place of abundance and connection.
Stephen believes that living a rich and purposeful life means being the best husband, father, son, and community member possible, together with acknowledging the enrichment that this creates.
Stephen discusses the common misconception that people who have a good start in life don't struggle and are happy. He says that everyone starts somewhere, and we all have different starting places. He understands that some people don't believe they have the power, permission, or deserve to live this way. Stephen emphasises that improving yourself is possible, regardless of your starting point.
To learn more about how to live an abundant and fulfilling life retreat, beginning May 31st, 2023, head to LARPL to register or sign up to the mailing list to hear about future events. You may also want to check out Gymea Eco Retreat, the stunning spot in Northern NSW where Stephen is holding the retreat. I'll be attending and hope to see you there for what promises to be a powerful and transformative five-day experience.
In episode two of Beaming Green, we learn about the next chapter in Stephen Armytage's journey towards Living a Rich and Purposeful Life (LARPL). Stephen shares what brought on his self-described 'spectacular midlife crisis', which was a growing discomfort about the direction in which the world was heading, particularly around how humans were treating the earth.
While working in high-level government consulting, Stephen talks about his need to explore further, or dig deeper into himself to feel his own authenticity. This led him to embark on his own version of the hero's journey to become a sustainable man, father, husband, and community member, which involved spending six months traveling around Australia with his wife and two kids, living in a small camper trailer. On this trip he connected more deeply with his family and learned how to live an abundant, enriched life with minimal impact on the environment.
This prompted his decision to move to Northern NSW and some of the challenges and choices he and his family needed to make to be more sustainably authentic.
Stephen reveals how from that space he and his family manifested the perfect place to live and work at Gymea Eco Retreat where they were able to further develop and explore their connectivity with the land, themselves and their wonderful community.
We also delve a little deeper into his passion for LARPL and what to expect at his upcoming retreat starting on the 31st of May 2023.
Are you ready to to live a rich and purposeful life?
In this episode of the podcast, I sit down with Stephen Armytage to discuss his upcoming program, Living a Rich and Purposeful Life. Stephen has spent the last 15 years developing a universal approach to helping people live a fulfilling and thriving life. During the conversation, Stephen shares his personal journey of hitting rock bottom and how it led him to reinvent his life. He also discusses how COVID-19 has presented an opportunity for deep reflection and how his program can help people move into a new phase of their lives. Living a Rich and Purposeful Life is a four-night retreat, aimed at those who feel disconnected and are asking questions like "Is this all life's about?"
The program is designed to assist people in living a rich and purposeful life, which for Stephen, is a thriving life. We also delve into the importance of taking purposeful steps towards the kind of life you want to live, and how his program can help people do just that.
The episode concludes with Stephen sharing a snippet of how his program came about and how he has evolved over the years. We delve deep in a three part interview that will provide you with an insight into how he got to where he is now.
If you're feeling a little off-color or disconnected, then this episode is a must-listen. It's a great opportunity to learn about how you can start living a more purposeful and fulfilling life. For more information about the upcoming retreat visit. https://larpl.com.au/
Educating our children and making them aware of how to live their lives sustainably is no mean feat. In this episode, I speak with Katie Norman about her business called the Sustainable Schools Network (SSN).
Katie is the chief steward for the organisation that has been in operation for almost two years. The SSN philosophy on Education for Sustainability (EfS) is to engage in an ongoing reciprocal dialogue that explores playful possibilities in our collective educational spaces. As much as this is an inward, and at times, personal journey for us all, it is very much about creating a shared path and a shared vision that engages curiosity, critical thinking and creative expression. Although they started this organisation with a focus on sustainability, the more they lived the experience of sustainability, the more they realised that sustainability is about learning.
In this interview, we discuss how:
- the Sustainable Schools Network came about
- sustainability requires a whole-of-school approach that involves everyone from the kids to the teachers, school staff and parents
- the journal that they produce quarterly to educate students on a wide array of subjects around sustainability is becoming a great success and a useful tool
- this program is available to all schools throughout Australia
- children can influence change, not just for themselves, but for the people around them, including their parents
- schools that engage with this program and educate children about sustainability has a ripple effect, with 9,100 schools throughout Australia using it, shaping our future leaders
- change starts with us as individuals
- sustainability wasn't included in curriculum for student teachers as part of their core subjects.
I really enjoyed this interview with Katie and am sure that you will too.
Links
Sustainable Schools Network
Facebook
Linkedin
In this week’s episode I am excited to welcome guest presenter Andia Cally. Together, we interview Hermione Elliot, who shares her wisdom and wealth of experience and knowledge on a subject that eventually impacts us all—death. Based in the UK, Hermione is an End of Life Doula and the Director of Living Well, Dying Well, an organisation that pioneered (and continues to offer) the only certified end of life training in the UK, since 2009.
It was a rich and very rewarding conversation. Hermione’s compassion, experience and insight around the importance of preparing for, and creating, a positive end-of-life experience was humbling.
We touched on many topics, including that:
- the role of a End of Life Doula is to create a calm, comforting, safe and loving space to help the dying person and their family let go
- death itself is brief and much of their work is around supporting the preparation for death and what comes after
- for the dying it is often important to tie up loose ends and let go of attachments to things and people
- every death is unique and often reflects how a person has lived
- end of life can be harder for the ones being left behind than the one dying
- we can rehearse for death by regularly ‘stopping to listen to the whispering of [our] soul’ rather than waiting for deathbed regrets
- death is a human, rather than a medical event, which is why hospitals and institutions don’t do death well
- the end of life is treated differently in various cultures
- death and permanent brain injury can affect people at any age, so it’s worth creating an advanced health care directive a.s.a.p
- Covid-19 has made people more aware of the importance of having loved ones with you as you die
- every person that does their training is doing a public service as they normalise and expand the conversation around death
- including children in the conversations and experiences of death will help them to face the inevitable in the future
- healing rituals, like washing the body of a loved one, or bringing them home for a few days can be very healing.
Death is a challenging topic for many of us, including me. I hope that like me, you find this interview enriching and feel reassured that it is possible to die well.
Bio of Hermione Elliot
After a career in nursing, midwifery, palliative care, training, health coaching and mentorship, Hermione brought all her interests and experience together to develop the End of Life Doula Training in 2009. She established Living Well, Dying Well as a not-for-profit organisation to further this work. She is passionate about engaging with people from all walks of life, encouraging them to become more informed and confident about being with death and dying – recognising it not as something to be feared, but as a natural and normal part of life.
Links to training and information
Home | Living Well Dying Well – End of Life Doula Training (lwdwtraining.uk)
Home End of Life Doula UK – Death Doula in the community (eol-doula.uk)
To mark Plastic Free July, we go a little deeper and look at waste and recycling in New South Wales, Australia and beyond. I speak with Justin Bonsey who works in the waste industry.
Justin is the Strategic Lead of Resource Recovery at the Southern Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC), overseeing regional projects on infrastructure planning, waste data, regulatory reform and circular economy markets and has a long history working in various waste and recovery sectors.
Justin isn't one to stand still and is passionate about finding waste solutions, having co-founded Responsible Runners and Responsible Cafes.
In this interview, Justin speaks about how:
- helping a friend in Northern Thailand sparked his interest in how to live more sustainably
- his experience of seeing a lot of waste while running on Bondi Beach gave him the idea for Responsible Runners, encouraging runners and walkers to pick up any litter they see on Sydney's beaches
- he campaigned with Boomerang Alliance to introduce the container refund scheme in NSW
- the impact of banning exported plastic waste and tyre waste to South East Asia meant local authorities had to find another, more sustainable solution
- in NSW glass is being recycled and used for building roads
- consumers not knowing what is and isn't recyclable can contaminate a whole truckload of waste
- the Responsible Cafes movement grew from 800—5000 cafes in a couple of months after the ABC's War on Waste aired.
I really enjoyed the discussion with Justin and was grateful that he gave some of his time and shared his considerable expertise on a Sunday, proving how committed he is to reducing our waste consumption.
Bio of Justin Bonsey
Justin Bonsey is Strategic Lead, Resource Recovery at the Southern Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (SSROC), overseeing regional projects on infrastructure planning, waste data, regulatory reform, and circular economy markets. Formerly a Boomerang Alliance campaigner for container deposits and bans on single-use plastics, he co-founded sustainability initiatives Responsible Cafes and Responsible Runners to address litter and marine debris, and help businesses improve their sustainability practices.
Links:
Responsible Runners Facebook
Responsible Cafe's
Justin Bonsey Interview Transcript
This month we celebrate Plastic Free July, an important initiative that Rebecca Prince-Ruiz (the founder of the Plastic Free Foundation) started in Australia with the help of a small local government team in 2011. In this episode, I speak with Nikki Beckinsale about her business Plastic Free Alternatives, which promotes the idea that if we all take small sustainable steps, collectively, we can make a big positive impact. Plastic Free Alternatives offers a range of products that 'do not harm the planet or our bodies'.
During the interview Nikki and I chat about her personal journey towards plastic reduction and how:
- the film A Plastic Ocean, along with the amount of waste her family of five was generating, inspired her to make personal changes around their waste management and eventually led to offering more sustainable alternatives to the public through Plastic Free Alternatives, a business she started with her Mum
- her and her Mum trialled every product they sell on their site so customers can be assured they work
- we can start with changing one behaviour in Plastic Free July, such as having a plastic-free kids party
- micro plastics are appearing in our soils and our foods
- she regularly shares recipes on her blog for DIY cleaning products that are really effective in cleaning toilets, washing clothes and cleaning surfaces
- returning to some of the things our grandparents used, like soap savers, can better support the planet
- part of the problem is seeing ourselves as separate from nature
- it can sometimes take a while to transition to some sustainable products, like shampoo bars, but that it's worth persisting when you think about the amount of plastic saved.
SPECIAL OFFER FOR JULY
We are running a competition for Plastic Free July - go to Beaming Green for the details
In honour of Plastic Free July here are some little known facts about plastic:
- Since the 1950s, around 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced worldwide.
- In some parts of the world, using plastic is already illegal.
- 73% of beach litter worldwide is plastic.
- A million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute.
- Worldwide, about 2 million plastic bags are used every minute.
- 90% of plastic polluting our oceans is carried by just 10 rivers.
- Plastic is killing more than 1.1 million seabirds and. animals every year.
- The average person eats 70,000 microplastics annually
- The average time that a plastic bag is used for is … 12 minutes.
- Over the past 50 years, world plastic production has doubled.
I really enjoyed this very important discussion with Nikki and believe we all can do something to make a difference in our purchasing decisions and behaviours to help reduce our consumption of plastic. Remembering that there is no AWAY when it comes to plastic.
In this episode I speak with Matthew Harris about his first book, The Way of the Courageous Vulnerable – How to Find Meaning and Purpose From the 7 Stages of the Hero’s Journey in your daily life. The book centres on the hero's journey, the underlying template in stories from all around the world, as a way for people to understand and achieve their purpose in life.
"The book brings a hopeful message, enabling one to more easily bear and even value the hard times. It is an approach that teaches patience, humility and the 'long view'. Matthew explains the steps in detail and shows how they have applied in his own life, which has involved a journey often marked by depression, illness and poverty. This enables the reader to see how the stages can apply in their own lives. The book includes exercises and questions at the end of each chapter to help you apply the'journey' to your own life." (Review by H Smart)
The hero's journey is a subject I'm really passionate about and I enjoyed hearing Matthew's take on:
- the creative process of writing this book from a place of vulnerability, initially expressed in a collection of his personal Facebook posts
- how he transformed obstacles, like depression, into opportunities and inspiration for the hero's journey and the book
- the unsung everyday heroes, like his Mum, who have inspired him
- the importance of eldership acknowledgement culturally in Australia and the role elders can play in holding space for young people
- the feminine version of the hero's journey, as something more internal and how both genders experience the masculine and feminine expressions of the hero's journey
- Matthew's future plans for workshops, seminars and retreats on this topic.
I really enjoyed my discussion with Matthew, and I hope you enjoy this interview and reading his new book.
The book is available: www.courageousjourney.com.au or via Amazon for E -book
Go to Beaming Green to see more info about the author.
RiverTracks is a new Northern Rivers venture, inspired by the very successful BackTrack program that Bernie Shakeshaft created in Armidale, New South Wales to keep young boys 'alive, out of jail and get them back on track'.
Like BackTrack, RiverTracks will take an innovative approach to working with young people, 13-16 years giving them the skills and support so they can reach their full potential and have a positive impact in the communities they live in.
Despite limited government funding (5%), BackTrack is recognised across Australia and has an 87 per cent success rate of participants gaining full-time employment, training or education. The Tweed Valley community members who have established RiverTracks want to emulate the same community sponsored model to support their new program for young men.
RiverTracks will begin its local offering with a program that will run 1-2 days per week targeting disengaged young men in the Murwillumbah area. the program will connect them to a safe, supportive and inclusive community of mentors and peers who offer opportunities, including animal therapy, practical education and work skills development. The program will partner with training providers and focus on collaborative relationship building with participants to co-create the program.
In this interview I speak with a member of the RiverTracks team Roland Fraval, who talks about how:
- the idea for the local project came about after local youth worker and co-founder, Ahri Tallon found out about the BackTrack program from a young fellow in living in residential care who said it was the best thing he'd ever done
- the program is an early intervention program targeting young people that have disengaged from school and who are at risk of entering the juvenile justice system
- one in four young people are dealing with a mental health issue and one in five are disengaged from school in some way and 28,000 are homeless or sleeping rough
- successful the BackTrack venture has been, reducing severe psychological distress by half in young participants, reducing suicide ideation by 40%, resulting in a 70% drop in school suspensions and increasing school attendances by 66% and lowering drug use
- beneficial animal training and therapy has been in the BackTrack program with dogs and how the local arm will use equine therapy to create similar outcomes
- they want to ground the project within the local community and have already attracted support and interest from many local community members and some high-profile local businesses, including the Scouts, the Rural Fire Service, the Surf Lifesaving club, as well as the Murwillumbah bike shop
- the program aims to be a social enterprise that creates real-world opportunities for young people to do things that interest them and make money in the process
- the program will start with young men 13-16 and expand out to other age groups and girls once it gets more established
- you can contribute to their fundraiser or through donating your time to skills like grant writing, cooking, mentoring etc.
Visit RiverTracks website for more information.
To contribute financially or in kind to their fundraiser to get RiverTracks started click link here
Be inspired by the success of the BackTrack project through this inspiring documentary about the program https://backtrackboys.com.
I heard Karen Lee Downes in an online interview a few months ago where she shared some of the work that her organisation — the Flourish Initiative, together with and Femme Q, were doing around bridging the gap between the masculine and feminine energies in the workplace. This subject appealed to me because I believe there needs to be more of a balance between the masculine and feminine in many spheres, especially around our current paradigm of plundering and pillaging people and the planet to make a profit.
In this episode, I speak with Karen about the work her and her partners are doing to bridge the gender gap and how we can create a better world for future generations and the planet.
During the interview we speak about her experience:
- working in Bangladesh and India in the Hunger Project for women
- being a student of Anthroposophy (works of Rudolf Steiner)
- starting out in Australia and how her and her sister set up a multimillion dollar essential oil business (In Essence) with distribution in five countries
- working in the UK with some of the biggest male-dominated mining organisations to create conscious-leadership programs
- taking 1,600 leaders from a leading airline to uncover a collective experience of "burn out"
- with her father that inspired her to do the work she does.
We covered a great deal more during the interview. If you have the inclination and are able to travel, I highly recommend the Femme Q course. If you can't travel, you can do it online as well.
Bio -
Karen Downes - Social entrepreneur, Spiritual Activist, Business Consultant and Facilitator (Australia / UK / Costa Rica)
Currently projects Costa Rica | Lead for Deep Collaboration | FemmeQ
Over her 35-year career Karen has built successful companies, supported civil society organisations to transform entrenched cultural norms, worked with global business leaders, designing and delivering culture change and development programmes around the world. Karen began her career as an alternative healthcare practitioner and a student of Anthroposophy. Over the course of time she has translated spiritual practices, principles of healing and systemic change into everyday life and business. Back in the 80s & 90s she built a multi-million dollar business in alternative health care, from kitchen table-top to a exporting training programmes and product to 5 countries. At the same time working on the ground in India and Bangladesh to transform the subjugation and marginalisation of women, seen as the key to end the chronic persistence of hunger. In 2002 she moved to London, developing and leading transformational programmes and retreats. She is the founder of The Flourish Initiative a consulting and advisory service to business, co-founder of FemmeQ: Feminine Intelligence, is a member of Gender Equality in Catalyst2030 and Lead for Deep Collaboration in Bounce Beyond. Her commitment is to catalyse the necessary shift from the current system of domination to partnership and to embed the feminine principle that has been missing, into all aspects of leadership, to create a flourishing future for all.
Websites:
https://www.theflourishinitiative.com
https://femmeq.org
https://www.costaricaregenerativa.org
Jannine Barron created her first eco product in 1998. Over the next 23 years she launched more than 33 zero-waste products. In 2000, she coined the phrase, “change the world, one purchase at a time” to express her brand activism, a phrase that many industries have since adopted. Now, two and a half decades later, and based in the UK, Jannine is on a mission to change business for generations to come, through mentoring a new generation of product makers and climate-conscious business owners.
In this episode Jannine shares her experience:
- as an activist at Macquarie University
- creating her first eco business with one product in her garage
- starting and selling four businesses over 20 plus years
- in helping aspiring ecopreneurs
- helping women through the "B experience"
- around the importance of having a business mentor or coach if you want to succeed.
I can highly recommend Jannine as a mentor, after all she helped me get Beaming Green started and has helped countless other businesses. She has a genuine interest in making a difference and provides a lot of enthusiasm and guidance in a constructive way.
Visit her website https://www.theproductmentor.com.au/
In this episode I speak with Morag Gamble who is a global Permaculture and Eco Village Ambassador. She has lived in the Crystal Waters Eco Village for more than two decades. She runs permaculture courses online, serving a wide audience that spans six continents. Morag covers a wide array of topics and is such an knowledgable and engaging speaker this one-hour interview will fly by.
Morag speaks with me about:
- Permaculture's roots and evolution
- the Permaculture Education Institute's online courses that promote permaculture on 6 continents
- Perma Youth, created by her daughter Maya, which has hubs around the world
- how her daughter's program is helping refugees set up permaculture in the camps
- her experience of living in an award-winning Crystal Waters Eco Village
- how the village supports its 220 residents
- how they manage and share the work load
- how music legends the Grateful Dead came to support the village's music studio
Bio of Morag
Morag Gamble is a global permaculture and ecovillage ambassador, designer, teacher, writer, YouTube, blogger, podcaster, homeschooler and founder of the Permaculture Education Institute. For over 2 decades share has lived in a UN World Habitat Award winning ecovillage acknowledged for 'demonstrating low impact and sustainable ways of living’. Morag offers a practical permaculture course, The Incredible Edible Garden, and through her online Permaculture Educators Program (a combined Permaculture Design Certificate and Permaculture Teacher Certificate), Morag teaches people on 6 continents how to design regenerative human habitats and mentors them to become leading educators in the transformation of the places and neighbourhoods in which they dwell.
Morag creates a practical youtube channel that has been watched over 4.5 million times and free monthly permaculture masterclasses that have over 3000 people booked in each time. She has an extensive blog, Our Permaculture Life, with over 400 articles with permaculture tips, and a popular podcast, Sense-Making in a Changing World, where she talks with leading ecological thinkers and doers.
Morag's practical application of systems thinking and ecological design principles extends from home and community spaces to refugee settlements in East Africa. She is a cofounder of Northey Street City Farm and the Australian City Farms and Community Gardens Network and many community food projects. She ownerbuilt her own ecohome surrounded by an award-winning natural and edible landscapes. Through the Ethos Foundation, her permaculture charity, she offers support to women and youth in the global south to access free permaculture education and create regenerative farms and communities. Alongside her daughter, and other teens, she recently launched a Permayouth network which has received a global Youth in Permaculture Prize. She also runs camps for teens and mentors global youth with her Ethos Fellowship Program - a youth systems thinking learning community - collaborating with leading thinkers like Fritjof Capra and Nora Bateson.
Morag lives and breathes permaculture.
Morag Gamble https://moraggamble.com
Courses: Permaculture Education Institute https://permacultureeducationinstitute.org
Blog: Our Permaculture Life https://ourpermaculture.life.com
Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/moraggambleourpermaculturelife
Podcast: https://sense-making.buzzsprout.com
Ethos Foundation https://ethosfoundation.org.au
Permayouth https://permayouth.org
Libraries are traditionally associated with borrowing books. These days, with an increasing awareness that once a product reaches its used-by date ‘there is no away’, many waste-conscious communities are creating tool libraries. This is a great way to pool resources, borrowing, rather than buying tools, camping goods, PAs, party equipment and man other household items. Tool libraries are a great way of sharing resources, saving money for individual households and saving the environment from more waste.
In a world where we are consuming so much and exploiting the worlds resources, tool libraries offer a win-win solution. Here are a couple of statistics from the story of stuff to make you think a little more about our consumption. The average U.S. person now consumes twice as much as they did 50 years ago, for every one garbage can of waste you put out on the curb, 70 garbage cans of waste were made upstream to make the junk in that one garbage can you put out on the curb and lastly, if everybody in the world consumed at U.S. rates, we would need 3 to 5 planets. So here are a couple of reason why a tool library may help reduce consumption.
In this episode on Beaming Green I speak with Sasha Mainsbridge, who with the help of other volunteers, has created a tool library in the Northern Rivers town of Mullumbimby, called the “Library of Stuff”.
In this episode Sasha and I discuss:
- what the “Library of Stuff” does and its philosophy
- how long people can borrow items for
- what types of products people can borrow
- why volunteers are essential to make these initiatives work
- what a membership fee of $50 per annum gets you
- how the Library of Stuff is structured
- what you need to start your own tool library.
Weblinks:Library of Stuff
Mullum Cares
Salvage Culture
Bio
Sasha Mainsbridge is a Behavioural Scientist and Operational Efficiency Specialist who left her corporate life in 2012 after 13 years in personal insurance to forge a new path focused on her passion for reducing consumption to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
In 2014, after studying Conservation and Land Management, Sasha moved her family from Melbourne to Mullumbimby and started Mullum Cares Incorporated in 2015. The Library of Stuff began informally in April 2017 then launched officially two years later. Sasha is currently looking for subsidised real estate to scale the Library’s operations and start a second project, a Reverse Garbage for the Northern Rivers.
The tiny house movement has been growing steadily for more than a decade. It offers an affordable alternative to buying a conventional house and an alternative way of living. Many home buyers are choosing to downsize and simplify their lives due to economic hardship, housing affordability and environmental stress. This conscientious collective are choosing to live off grid and leave a smaller footprint on our struggling planet.
In this episode, I speak with Fred Schultz the founder of Fred’s Tiny House workshops about:
- what motivated him to build a tiny house
- what to consider when building a tiny house
- why design and weight planning are vital in creating a successful small space
- what batteries to use for an off grid tiny house
- why buying or building on the right trailer is essential for a portable tiny home
- what are the pros and cons of building with new materials vs recycled
- what courses Fred offers and how they can help you create your ideal tiny house.
Bio:
Fred Schultz is a thought leader, innovator and advocate in Australia’s Tiny House movement. He designed, built and lived in his own off-grid (fossil-fuel free) tiny house with his family and now teaches builders (DIY and professionals alike) how to build safe, compliant and comfortable tiny houses for the different Australian climates. He designs and sells tiny house trailers that are super strong and allow for the strongest attachment between tiny house and trailer. Fred is always up for a chat about tiny houses and the philosophies that underpin them. You can find him in Castlemaine, pouring over the technical details of trailer-design or making in his back yard.
To view more YouTube videos visit Beaming Green website and go to episode 21 or visit Fred's Tiny Houses website
Welcome to episode twenty. I'm excited to welcome back Victor Pires to learn more about Syntropic agriculture and his new training course — Syntropic Gardener, based in Uki, Northern NSW, Australia.
Victor was born in Brazil where he trained extensively in this field, learning from some of the founders, including the Syntropic agriculture creator, Ernst Gotsch, a Swiss farmer who moved to Brazil in the early 1980s'.
Fans of Beaming Green will remember Victor from our first episode. Seven months on it's great to catch up again and see what he's learned and achieved in the past 7 months.
In this episode Victor discusses:
- how important it is to understand your land, particularly how the water flows, wind patterns and soil conditions
- what you can do to improve soil conditions
- what successional planting is, how to manage it and what the benefits are
- why having a plan for planting, harvesting and beyond is vital
- why there is a growing interest Syntropic agriculture around the world
- what content and format his new Syntropic Gardener, launching over Easter will take.
I always learn so much from my conversations with Victor and I'm sure you will too. Remember to check out the links below for more about how to book into his upcoming course.
Click on highlighted links to:
Syntropic Gardener and find out more.
Livingness journey Youtube video
Find out about the immersive course
Course tickets - register now
Indigenous Australians are the first-known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. The term includes both the Torres Strait Islanders and the Aboriginal People, who together make up about 2.5% of Australia's population.
Scientists believe Indigenous Australians arrived in Australia between 40,000 and 70,000 years ago, but Aboriginal history says "we have been here since time began".
Non-Indigenous Australians can learn a great deal from these ancient custodians. Their deep connection to country, with thousands of years lived experience on the land, provides unique expertise in managing Australia's land and water in a more sustainable way.
In this episode I speak with Paul Burragun (Uncle Boomerang), who is a Birrinburra, Bundjalung, Wangerriburra & Yuggera Turrbal man. Paul has been developing and delivering cultural workshops in schools and early learning centres for the past 20 years in South East Queensland and North Eastern NSW.
Paul shares his journey as an Aboriginal man, his ancestry and some of the traditions and customs that have shaped his life.
We talk about how:
- sharing songlines keeps valuable information from the past alive
- stars connect to the songlines
- many languages and Aboriginal dialects there were and some of the interpretations between clans
- Aboriginals were listed under the local Flora and Fauna Act until 1967
- Aboriginal people traditionally used bush tucker
- in Paul's country there are six seasons, rather than four
- sharing Aboriginal customs and traditions with communities in his region is his passion.
I really had a great time speaking with Paul and would recommend you listen to this podcast and share it with your friends and family to raise awareness of Aboriginal traditions and customs.
If you would like to get information about the programs on offer visit https://www.burragun.com.au
Farmers' markets promote individual health, environmental health and healthy communities. These weekly markets support local farmers, stimulating local economies and building direct relationships between the growers and buyers.
They offer a place where the consumer can ask questions about how their food is grown, creating consumer trust and encouraging sustainable farming practices that reduce exposure to toxic fertilisers and pesticides. Consumers are guaranteed fresh, locally grown, (often organic) seasonal produce that is low in food miles, has minimal packaging and is highly nutritious. The environment also benefits, with consumers bringing their own bags or baskets, cutting down on unnecessary single-use plastic bags. It's also a great place to connect with friends and family, listen to music and let the kids play.
Murwillumbah Farmers' Market springs into life every Wednesday morning from 7.00 – 11.00am, allowing consumers to purchase super fresh, seasonal local produce from small family farmers and artisanal local producers. Situated at the Murwillumbah Showgrounds, visitors can enjoy stunning views to Wollumbin (Mt Warning) and the surrounding Caldera.
In this episode Sue Beckinsale, the Manager of the Murwillumbah Farmers Market chats about the market's humble beginnings 10 years ago and its transformation into a wonderful gathering place for surrounding villagers to catch up with family and friends over a cuppa and delicious food, while relaxing to beautiful music local music. April 2021 marks the market's 10-year anniversary and Sue reflects on how the market has expanded into a rich offering of local fruit, vegies, meat, dairy and much more, becoming a destination for locals and tourists to enjoy.
In this episode Sue talks about:
- what makes the market such a special destination
- why its important to shop locally and support our farmers and artisans
- how markets are a special weekly community event
- why our local market is thriving, attracting 1500 visitors each week
- what is planned for the upcoming celebrations for the 10-year anniversary
- why they are hosting a stall welcoming our new residents to the 2484 on the 24th of March 2021
- how these markets support local environments by reducing the number of kilometres our food travels from the farm gate to plate.
Wanting to find out more about the Murwillumbah Farmers Market?
Their website is https://murwillumbahfarmersmarket.com.au
Social media click on the following links Facebook or Instagram
In this episode I speak with Ursula Wharton, the founder of Deep Listeners .
Ursula shares her personal story about the loss of her son to suicide. As a result of her loss, she created a free community offering called Deep Listeners that aims "to up-skill and empower community members and organisations to be prepared and willing to listen compassionately to each other."
In this episiode Ursula shares how:
- she coped with the tragic loss of her son Josh to suicide in September 2017
- she felt the shame of being a parent that lost a child to suicide
- a local program 'Pitch for Change' allowed her to launch Deep Listeners and realise Josh's final wish for "love, peace and help[ing] the world"
- she used her grief to create a positive impact
- important it is for a community or village to participate in raising children and to support a community with deep listening
- compassion and listening without judgement are integral in helping and healing
- loneliness, isolation or alienation can impact on someone's mental health and how important social connection is
- you can access some of the upcoming free courses available through Deep Listeners (which I highly recommend for local listeners).
I was alarmed at the daily number of suicides (see statistics below). However, as a result of talking with Ursula I was left with a sense of hope. I feel we can all benefit from improving our listening skills, which may in turn help someone close to you and prevent them from self harming or harming others. This is why I decided to take part in Deep Listeners Safe Talk half-day training and signed up to do their two-day foundational course. After an unsettling 2020, I believe deep listeners could provide compassionate support to communities all over the world.
To contact Ursula about the programs she offers through Deep Listeners or to arrange to speak with a Deep Listener call 0487 638 124 (Northern Rivers only)
If this story has raised any issues for you, or you are in immediate danger of harming yourself or others, please contact emergency services on 000 or contact one of these outreach services:
Lifeline on 13 11 14
Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36
Headspace on 1800 650 890
Suicide statistics
- Eight Australians die every day from suicide, which is more than double the road toll.
- 75% of those who take their own life are male.
- Over 65,000 Australians make a suicide attempt each year.
- In 2018, 3,046 Australians took their own life.
- Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians between the ages of 15 and 44.
- The suicide rate in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is twice that of their non-Indigenous counterparts.
- People in rural populations are 2 times more likely to die by suicide.
- LGBTI+ community members experience significantly higher rates of suicide than the rest of the population.
- up to 135 people are affected, for every life lost to suicide, including family members, work colleagues, friends, first responders at the time of death.
- Same-gender attracted Australians are estimated to experience up to 14 times higher rates of attempted suicide than their heterosexual peers.(Source Lifeline Australia)
I am really excited to be speaking with Frederick Marx, an internationally acclaimed Oscar and Emmy nominated director/writer and producer of many films over 40 illustrious years, (inc. the award-winning Hoop Dreams, 1994). Today, I speak with him about his new book Rites to a Good Life - Everyday Rituals of Healing and Transformation.
Frederick shares his journey that started as a 9-year old boy having to deal with the loss of his father, who was 41, and the impact this had on his world view and his experience of post traumatic stress. When his Uncle declared "Freddie you are now the man of the house" he took it seriously but, as a nine year old, didn't have the capacity to fill those big shoes. it wasn't until the he found the Mankind Project 20 odd years later that he found the initiation into manhood that he desperately wanted.
In this episode with Frederick we explore:
- the importance of Elders and mentors in helping shape the lives of young men and women
- his devotion to living in his own truth, passion, and mature masculinity, which he says has helped him with the development of his films
- how Harold Ramis (Actor, director, writer, comedian) mentored Frederick for 10 years during his film career and how he treasured his sincerity
- the role of archetypes
- our shadow selves
- engaging in community
- the plight of returned soldiers and the films he has produced on the subject
- the importance of celebrating his partner Tracy before she died.
At the end of this interview I was left with a feeling of gratitude, Frederick has selflessly made a life-long contribution to the betterment of himself and his fellow human beings, through his dedication to making meaningful films and writing this book, among other things.
I encourage you to read this book, which for a limited time is available through Amazon for $1.00 US. I also recommend you have a look at his not-for-profit, Warrior Films (link below)
Worthwhile linksBuy the book - Rites to a good life
Warrior Films
Mankind Project AustraliaRites of Passage Institute
This week I talk Turkey with my (vegan) partner Andia about how we can celebrate Christmas sustainably. In Australia alone, it's estimated that our festive waste is growing by 30% yearly because of all the thousands of tonnes of wrapping paper, food, decorations, empty bottles and unwanted presents.
We spend about $11 billion a year on Christmas gifts annually down under, so it's important that we spend wisely and think sustainably to make sure we're part of the solution, rather than the problem.
Our listeners also chime in with some excellent ideas about how to lighten our collective load this festive season with some great gift ideas. We also explore how we can be less wasteful in what we eat, buy and how we decorate .
There are so many great ideas on how to get creative, connect with friends and family in sustainable ways that won't cost the earth, including:
- shopping and supporting local
- making your own gifts, tree and table decorations
- freezing or upcycling your leftovers
- composting, the gift that keeps giving
- finding plastic-free wrapping alternatives
- environmental, in-kind and charitable gifts, like Kiva
- gift swaps
- taking time out to remember the true gifts of Christmas, real connection
- thinking carefully before giving a pet for Christmas.
So, you want to become a beekeeper
I'm excited to be speaking with Leonie Schwarzel, who is a fellow beekeeper with extensive experience (more than me).
I met Leonie when I joined the Gold Coast Amateur Beekeepers Society three years ago.
There is a lot beekeepers need to know, so I thought it would be useful to discuss the basics before starting a hive.
In this interview we speak about things to consider before you start beekeeping, including:
- deciding if beekeeping is right for you
- finding out the benefits of joining a bee club
- doing a beekeeper training course
- determining if your environment is suitable for European honey bees
- questioning why you want to be a beekeeper
- registering your hive with Department of Primary Industries (NSW Australia)
- reporting and logbook requirements to monitor and prevent pests.
Bio: Leonie Schwarzel
“Bees are like oxygen: ubiquitous, essential, and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds”.Thor Hanson
Growing up in rural areas between Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Leonie developed an avid interest in honeybees when a beekeeper would bring his hives to her parent's orchards and horticultural properties during the flowering/pollination season each year.
At their large farm-shed stall, her family stocked and sold a wide variety of honeys, in addition to the fruit ∧ flowers they produced. That bees were vital in producing abundant fruit and rewarded us with honey, sealed Leonie's lifelong gratitude, love and fascination for these industrious little insects.
Fast forward forty years; after a successful career teaching at schools and university, Leonie returned to her rural roots by settling on a small farm near Mt Warning in the beautiful Tweed Valley, northern New South Wales, Australia. She immediately established several honeybee hives and opened a farm-gate stall to sell the exquisite honey her bees produce in the rural & World Heritage listed Mt Warning environs.
Leonie is a committee member of the Gold Coast Amateur Beekeepers Society (GCABS). She trains and mentors new beekeepers and in addition to her own hives, she manages another small commercial apiary in the Tweed Valley region.
Sustainable School with humanist values
My partner Andia and I started a not-for-profit called “Lets Waste Less” in 2017. We wanted to reduce the use of single plastics in our town and began sourcing second-hand materials and support for fortnightly Boomerang Bag sewing bees.
Friends suggested asking the Sathya Sai School if we could use their hall. We had a great meeting with them. They not only agreed to let us use their hall, they also advertised our events and many of the staff, including the Principal, regularly came.
The school's commitment to sustainability is impressive and includes some great ongoing projects, like onsite composting and nude lunches. We were really impressed when the students successfully petitioned our local Coles to install a Redcycle bin. It was a great comfort knowing that some of our soft plastics would be recycled and repurposed into furniture and infrastructure.
In this interview I speak with Isabela Kesli-Frantti, the Sustainability Coordinator from Sathya Sai College in Murwillumbah, NSW.
We speak about the school's:
- environmental practices
- promotion of positive change
- support from the community
- core principals
- cultivation of a rich inner life among students
- waste reduction program
- edible gardens, including bush tucker and composting.
The school also has other out of hours conservation programs, like the birds eye view program, a NSW Government initiative to promote more outdoor learning.
Want to know more after listening to the podcast?
Links:
Sathya Sai Website
Facebook
Contact
Bio of Isabela Kesli-Frantti
Isabela loves working with youth. Her background in education and psychology helped her develop resources and programs with a focus on self/group/environmental awareness. Isabela is originally from Brazil, where she worked as an English language teacher for more than ten years and got her degree in Bachelor of Psychology with a major in analytical psychology. Living in the Northern Rivers since 2004, Isabela has been an active member of the community through her work and hobbies. She is the sustainability coordinator, student support officer and school chaplain at the primary campus of Sathya Sai College, a Human Values based school. Isabela’s work involves ongoing collaboration with her colleagues, students, parents and the wider community to promote positive changes through ‘litter literacy’, waste management and wildlife conservation. Her passion for dolphins has inspired her to raise awareness about these fascinating animals and the environment through education and conservation. In addition to her education role, Isabela is currently furthering her study in marine science at Southern Cross University
In this episode I speak with Samantha Jones, the winner of It Takes A Town's program – 'Pitch for Change'.
Samantha is offering budding gardeners an opportunity to learn the basics of gardening and growing their own food with her program 'Vegucation'
at the Murwillumbah Community Gardens.
In this interview we speak about:
- her passion for organic gardening
- how and why she started
- the lessons she learned living in Indonesia
- some tips to get planting in summer
- the importance of composting and mulching.
Samantha's passion is contagious. After seeing how she has transformed her own garden, I'm sure you will learn a lot and feel inspired.
Bio
Samantha Jones is passionate organic gardener inspired by self sufficiency, sustainability and community. She has empowered herself with a grounded grass roots way to have a positive impact in the world. Through her new program ‘Vegucation’ at Murwillumbah Community Garden, she aims to guide and inspire others to start growing their own organic food at home. She has a certificate 3 in Horticulture and 10 years gardening experience. Led by her enthusiasm for holistic healing for humans and the earth she believes growing your own food has a diverse range of practical healing benefits.
Want to know more or visit social pages, click the links below
Email: info@vegucation.com.au
Vegucation Website (Coming Soon)
Facebook
Instagram
I feel honoured to speak with UK-based Jo Ruxton this week, who is the producer of the film "A Plastic Ocean" (A film my partner and I screened when we launched our not-for-profit Let's Waste Less in 2017 that forever changed the way we viewed single plastic and our throw-away culture). View the trailer
Plastic is accumulating across the planet at an alarming rate and adversely affecting the health of wildlife, wildlife habitat and humans. Because plastic takes decades to break down, experts predict that there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050.
In this interview I speak with Jo about what she observed while making this documentary and some of the challenges they faced.
We also speak about:
- how Jo has observed a change for the worse in her 40-year career documenting our oceans, with plastics having a devastating effect on so many ecosystems and species
- why plastic in the ocean has a negative effect on animals, the environment and us, once it gets into our food chain
- how micro plastics journey from land into the ocean, taking around 20 years to break down
- how the problems of plastic in the ocean are compounded by BPA leaching and its absorbent properties that trap chemicals, like agricultural run off and DDT
- how pristine environments like Lord Howe Island and its sea birds are affected as a result of the plastic we (often) unthinkingly throw away
- why recycling offshore is not sustainable and recycling alone is not enough to resolve the problems that plastic create
- how her organisation Plastic Oceans Foundation is making a difference and why there is hope for a better future.
It was an engaging and sometime emotional interview for me as I realised that there was so much more I could be doing to make a difference.
Bio - Jo Ruxton
Jo Ruxton is a passionate campaigner for the oceans, her career in conservation began in the ‘80’s when she started the first marine programme for WWF in Hong Kong, where she lived for 14 years. During that time, she was a key advocate for the establishment of the first marine protected areas there.
She was a lead member of the BBC Natural History Unit’s diving team for many years and has been producing and directing underwater sequences since the first days of filming on the award-winning Blue Planet series in 1997. During her 12 years at the BBC she was involved in numerous underwater films from Antarctica to the pristine reefs of the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean for the BBC and the Discovery Channel.
Disappointed in the lack of conservation messages in the BBC films she worked on, she decided to leave to work independently and when she started to hear about the problem of plastic waste in the oceans, she knew she had to tell the story as it was. She began to raise the funds needed to make the documentary feature, A Plastic Ocean and it was 2 years before there was enough to begin filming. The more she learned about the subject the more determined she was to tell the story as research was revealing a much bigger problem than she had ever imagined. It was 8 years before her multi-award-winning film, A Plastic Ocean, was finally released in 70 countries and in 15 languages.
Jo co-founded the Plastic Oceans Foundation as a registered UK charity nearly 11 years ago to help the fundraising process and to continue the legacy of the film with evidence-based education programmes for schools, business and public awareness. (want to know more visit beaming green.com)
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I am really excited to be speaking with Henrike Schreer, a qualified Life Coach, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner and Hypnotherapist. I asked her what she would recommended for people who are experiencing difficulty in their relationships and in particular how COVID-19 seems to have exacerbated the situation.
In this episode Henrike shares how she used the techniques she'd learned to:
- deal with a relationship break up two years after moving from Germany to Australia with a young child
- create a vision for her future
- create support systems
- negotiate a mutually beneficial outcome for herself, her son and ex partner
- support her clients through tough times by drawing on her own experience.
We also speak about some of the challenges people are facing during COVID-19 and some of the support and tools they can access to overcome them.
BIO
Life Coach and Hypnotherapist Henrike Schreer teaches her clients how to harness their conscious and unconscious mind to create meaningful change. As co-creator and former manager of a busy yoga school and retreat centre, she draws on modern coaching tools like Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Hypnotherapy as well as ancient yogic philosophy and insights from Ayurveda, archetype work and related topics in the field of personal development.
Want to get in touch with Henrike?
Get in touch via Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIN
Find my latest Coaching Videos on Youtube
Book a free Discovery Call to find out if Coaching is for them
It Takes a Town — with Carmen Stewart
It Takes a Town (ITAT) started in 2017 in the 2484 postcode area, which includes Murwillumbah, Northern New South Wales and surrounding villages. It operates under the premise that we all — residents, services, clubs, churches, businesses, schools and government—have a role to play in creating change. With 1 in 3 children below the poverty line in 2484, children and families have become ITAT's primary focus. ITAT focuses on nurturing the qualities of collaboration, generosity and responsiveness, with the understanding that if we get the culture of community ‘right’ and provide support for the seeding of new collaborations and initiatives then it will benefit of children, families and individuals.
In this episode we ask Carmen how the project is progressing how the community is engaging with it.
In this interview we discuss how:
- natural disasters, like the 2017 floods, impact local communities and help build resilience
- to tap into the generosity of a community willing to help those in need
- ITAT attracted funding to support the movement
- ITAT's managed to respond more quickly to people in need during the floods than larger organisations subject to bureaucracy
- the community gathered together to determine how they could be more self sufficient.
Bio of Carmen Stewart
Carmen has a Masters in Applied Science (Social Ecology) and a background in government, education, community and not-for-profit sectors. For the past 17 years she has worked as a consultant, specialising in community engagement, project design and management, the facilitation of workshops and strategic planning.
Carmen’s key role at present is the design and activation of ‘It Takes a Town’. This is a collective impact project focused on the 2484 postcode area. It aims to grow a culture of trust, generosity and responsiveness, in order to create opportunities and environments for children to thrive.
Prior to this she designed and managed the award winning Making Places project, an initiative to imagine safer, healthier and more sustainable futures in communities across SEQ and Melbourne.
Carmen has worked extensively as a consultant with organisations in the Northern Rivers, including Social Futures, The Family Centre, Momentum Collective, Tweed Ballina Byron Community Transport, the NNSW Local Health District and the (former) Tweed Valley Women’s Service. She has also worked for multiple government agencies including the Tweed Shire Council, Logan City Council, City of Gold Coast and the Queensland State Government.
Carmen is a highly skilled and engaging facilitator. She is passionate about inspiring and activating change to create futures we would all love to live in. Right now she is particularly interested in how we can collaborate post COVID-19 to NOT return to business as usual.
You can find out more about Carmen’s present work at www.thrive2484.com
Connect with It Takes a Town
Facebook
Instagram
It takes a town
Email: Carmen@thrive2484.com
In this episode I speak with skilled planners and strategic engineers, Nilmini De Silva and Steven Liaros, who have more than 25 years local government and consulting experience. They share their vision of pioneering "Circular Economy Villages" (CEVs) in Australia . A CEV lowers living costs, covering the basic needs of residents, including water, food, energy and shelter. CEVs also integrate sustainable and innovative ideas and infrastructure, reinventing how 'residents and entrepreneurs' live and work together.
The couple have spent the past few years travelling Australia in their motor home and connecting with communities and councils to get important feedback that will inform their vision of sustainable, affordable and connected living.
In this interview they share:
- what their research findings on CEVs are, including anecdotal and academic research from Steven's PHD
- which local councils support the idea and are interested in developing it further e.g. Bellingen Council
- what the master plan of a CEV could look and how it might work
- how CEVs save on commute time
- what shared community amenities will be available, such as electric vehicles, entertainment rooms, pool, gyms etc
- how shared spaces like community gardens and meeting places create connection and enhance mental health
- what E changers are
- how CEVs offer nomads a home and a place in a community for as long as they want.
For more information about CEVs and Nilmini and Steven's vision, visit the links below.
Want to learn more click on the following links:
Link to Fifth Estate Article: Circular economy village Life: Pipedream or solution to all our woes
Social Media & Websites:
FB Page: Circular Economy Villages
Publication on Medium: Ecoliving Journeys
Web: Beautility Developments
Steven’s PhD: Circular Economy Villages: Local Nodes in a Globally Networked City
Vision for Wellness Sanctuaries
In this interview Sebastian Hilbert shares his story of moving to Australia from a small rural town in East Germany, with a population of 200 people.
He discusses how he and his partner, Theresa Armytage, created Wellnesspreneur after realising there was a gap in the market in how effectively wellness businesses were creating and using their online presence. Seven years on, Sebastian and his partner have become leading authorities on wellness business growth training.
When the world took a collective breath during the Covid-19 lockdown, Sebastian started to question whether he was following his true passion. He spent a few days alone in nature feeling into what he'd love to create if there were no limits and Wellness Sanctuaries was what emerged.
Still in early development, Sebastian shares his dream of creating Wellness Sanctuaries around the world that integrate farming, community, sustainable building and off-grid living. He is working with Gymea Eco Retreat to create a model for a space that provides more than a temporary escape. Sebastian is determined to create an experience that is truly transformative for the individual and their community.
Sebastian shares about the following in the interview:
- how he discovered his passion for wellness and how it has developed over the years
- his tips in helping health professionals to engage with their customers and grow their businesses
- how his moments of crisis and change have been the biggest catalysts for positive growth and transformation
- his vision for Wellness Sanctuaries and the importance of collaboration.
Bio:
Sebastian is the Co-Founder of Wellnesspreneur, speaker and author of ‘Wellness Influence'
After finishing with honours and as dux of one of the most prestigious hotel schools worldwide, Sebastian learned from alternative and holistic health professionals that ‘the big three’ diseases: diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, which had such a profound effect on his friends and family, can , in many cases, be prevented.
This inspired Sebastian to micro-niche and co-found ‘Wellnesspreneur’ with the vision to move the world to ‘Sustainable Wellness’, helping health and wellness professionals to triple their revenue in 6 to 12 months.
After a 7-year entrepreneurial journey, Sebastian wants to build a more conscious, harmonious and abundant world, by building foundations and the capacity to grow for businesses in wellness, health and sustainability.
Links:
Wellesspreneur
Sebastian@wellnesspreneur.com.au
LinkedIn:
Gymea Eco Retreat & Spa
Sebastians Book: https://www.wellnesspreneur.com.au/book (You find the video there too)
Operation Crayweed
Operation Crayweed is a flagship project from the Sydney Institute of Marine Science. The project focuses on the restoration of underwater forests that disappeared from the coastline of Australia’s largest city decades ago. It combines science, practice, community engagement and art to reach its goals as well as raise awareness about the importance of underwater kelp forests that are experiencing global decline.
At Beaming Green we want to shine the light on people that are doing great things in the community, this is one of the projects that we feel deserves some recognition.
In this interview Derrick discusses:
- the blue economy
- how sewage has impacted the beaches in North Malabar and North Bondi
- how Crayweed supports biodiversity
- the scope of the project, which spans between Port Macquarie and Sydney.
Once COVID is under control, if anyone wants to help by volunteering in the Sydney area, please go to the website and register your interest. Links provided on Beaming Green website.
Bio - Derrick Cruz
Derrick grew up snorkeling and exploring the estuaries and seagrass meadows of NSW. He is now a passionate fish ecologist and holds particular interests in range-shifting species, habitat restoration and the enhancement of wild fisheries. He has worked with DPI, UNSW and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science on various field-intensive projects and enjoys promoting sustainable practices to younger generations.Want to find out moreGot to the following links and look at the beautifully created videos.
http://www.operationcrayweed.com
https://www.sydneysciencetrail.net.au/map/plants/7-operation-crayweed
You can also view videos via Beaminggreen.com
In this episode with Arne Rubinstein we will be discussing the key elements of having sustainable, meaningful relationships with your children through the various stages of their life and the importance of elders in the community to guide you in your adult life. There is also a special offer for the Rites of Passage Institute's transformational parenting online course.
In this interview Arne discusses:
- Four steps to having better relationships with your children
- The importance of the relationship with grandparents
- How elders in the community can play an important role
- The courses available through the Rites of Passage Institute.
I am sure that you will get something out of listening to this interview with Arne, he puts a lot of energy into his interview, as he does his life.
Please feel free to drop us a comment on the episode or via our social media sites.
Don't forget to look into the special offer on the transformational parenting course and have a look at the five minute Youtube - Bringing Back the Butchulla (See below)
Bio - Dr. Arne Rubinstein (mbbs, fracgp)
Founder & CEO, The Rites of Passage Institute
Arne Rubinstein is an internationally recognised expert on childhood development and rites of passage.
His programs have been attended by more than 200,000 people in more than 20 countries around the world and are now a part of over 50 schools around Australia.
Dr Arne is a medical doctor and specialised first in family medicine and then spent 15 years in emergency medicine until he moved full time, creating programs for parents and their children.
He is the author of the best-seller The Making of Men and has won multiple awards for his work, including being nominated in 2008 for Australian of the Year for his groundbreaking work with youth, providing much-needed answers and tools to support a generation of young men and women be happy and motivated about life.
Dr Arne is the proud father of two wonderful young men and a mentor to many others.
Links and free offer
To got to Rites of Passage website
Click on link to watch this fantastic Youtube video titled Bringing Back the Butchulla
Transformational Parenting Ecourse can be found through the link below:
https://ropi.teachable.com/p/transformational-parenting/
Coupon information available from Beaming Green website under episode notes
Michael Leung - Architect from Balanced Earth
Michael Leung has had a passion for architecture since the age of sixteen, when he started working in an architectural firm in the UK. He then went on to university to study architecture.
Michael became a UK registered architect in March 2000. He has 30 years experience in architecture and project management.
For 8 years, his primary focus was property development and project management for commercial, residential and hospitality projects in Australia and the South Pacific.
During this phase he started Lausanne Property's Sydney office and headed up Andrew Forrest's Private Minderoo Property Group in Perth building over $300m of projects.
Michael has worked at prominent architectural practices like TP Bennett, KSS in London and Hassell Architects in Sydney designing and delivering a variety of interesting and exciting commercial projects.
He has also run his own design and building businesses for many years and completed a variety of quality design projects over the years.
Michael has been involved in commercial, residential and hospitality projects in Australia, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands and Vanuatu. He has worked alongside high profile clients and prominent hotel brands, including building Andrew Forrest’s Minderoo Property Group, Paspaley Projects, GHM hotels, Hilton Hotels, Hyatt, Alila Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International and Malmaison Hotels. Many of these projects have won design awards and been published. (Listed below in Awards)
Michael brings leadership and design experience with a wealth of construction delivery knowledge to all his projects. He has recently delivered major projects like the international award winning Musters Residences; The Indian Ocean Suites MBA award winning; The Baynton Residences; Minderoo Homestead all in WA, Further afield The Fiji Beach Resort and Spa, The Rottnest Island and Ningaloo reef resort design projects have taken his work and experience to new levels.
Michael now prefers designing and building more healthy and sustainable homes with their team at Balanced Earth and has set up home and business in Byron Bay.
Balanced Earth have won awards for designs of Skyfarm, Goninan Hemp houses, Cape Byron Steiner School as well as many other unique residential projects.
Balanced Earth provide end to end project management from the design of your project to the build.
Please click on the links to visit the websites of Michael's and Balanced Earth for examples of their work.
For more information on this episode please visit the Beaming Green website
Building with hemp a way of the future
In this episode I am excited to be interviewing Klara Marosszeky who is the Managing Director of the Australian Hemp Masonry Company, Australia’s lead organisation in hemp building materials research. The company sources hemp from Australian farmers, manufacturers that are BCA-compliant Australian hemp building materials in Sydney. They supply hemp building materials to more than 180 construction projects across all states, including two commercial projects.
Homes using the company’s products have won the 2018 Housing Industry Association National GreenSmart Award, several Master Builders Awards and several sustainable design awards.
Klara is also a qualified educator, delivering training in hemp building for builders, owner builders, as well as advising architects and building designers. She’s been involved with hemp fibre farming since 1999 and with hemp construction research since 2000.
Her work has included supporting the development of a mobile hemp processing unit that she believes has the potential to transform where and how hemp building materials are processed for the Australian market.
Here is a link to the Hemp Masonry Company and their upcoming workshops.
Klara has also provided Beaming Green with a list of recommended builders and architects in Northern NSW, this information will be on our website under episode three.
Remember to go to the Beaming Green website to register your details to go into the draw to win a bottle of Tooth Tonic.
Pioneering permaculture in Borneo, Indonesia
Australian born Community Development Worker, Frederika’s inspiration for Indonesia came from her love of the cultural arts. This saw her participate in a cultural music scholarship and led to her meeting her now husband, Indonesian actor and Permaculturist, Jayadi Paembonan.
17 years and 4 lovely daughters later, the two started Permakultur Kalimantan Foundation (in close collaboration with the local community) after volunteering as permaculture practitioners in India and Australia.
The couple are passionate about embracing and acknowledging how local indigenous wisdom can merge with permaculture strategies.
This is a core motivation of their work based in Indonesian Borneo, Kalimantan.
If you would like more information about their project or to provide support (via PayPal) click on this link Permakulture Kalimantan Foundation
Have a look at this great Youtube that demonstrates the wonderful work they are doing in Kalimantan.
Permakultur Kalimantan Foundation also work in partnership with the Borneo Institute and Fair Ventures in central Kalimantan, Indonesia. They have been in this partnership since 2016 till now as part of the one million trees project. This work has focused on working alongside indigenous farming groups, teaching permaculture farming techniques and supporting them combine these with their sustainable indigenous farming practices.
Visit Beaming Green to view some amazing photos under this episode.
I would like to introduce you to Syntropic Agriculture, a concept I learnt about 3 years ago with Victor Pires.
You may ask, what is syntropic agriculture?
Syntropic agriculture is an intensive, successional form of agroforestry that tries to imitate natural forest dynamics through several principles and practices, aiming to maximise photosynthesis at all times and optimise productivity through all spaces. Thus, it not only produces food, timber and fibre crops but it is also able to generate its own fertility, while building stable humus, improving the water and energy cycles and nurturing soil biology.
Victor is a Brazilian that has lived in Australia for the last 20 years, and together with a friend is responsible for planting the first Syntropic Agriculture seed in Australia, in April 2016, when they brought Patricia Vaz and Namaste Messerschmitt and held three in-depth courses near Byron Bay.
Syntropically, Victor has immersed himself in its theory and practice for the last 5 years, where he not only travelled many times to Brazil to train with the most experienced practitioners, including Ernst Gotsch, but he is also a co-founder of the first syntropic farm in Australia – Gabalah Farm – and for the last 20 months he and his partner have been experimenting with the syntropic powers of regeneration in a severely degraded land in Uki, NSW.
Victor is now in the process of embarking in another exciting initiative which he calls “A Syntropic Gardener” where he aims to share all his experiences and passion for subsistence syntropic practices with the world, and hopefully help many individuals and families to move towards self-sufficiency, resilience and regeneration.
Check out this film of Life in Syntropy https://vimeo.com/146953911
If you want to contact Victor about doing a course his email is victor@syntropicgardener.com You can also go to his website www.syntropicgardener.com
These are photos taken at Victors property in UKI that he is in the process of transforming.
A brief introduction to the Beaming Green podcast.
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