Illawarra environment movement finds a home

From planting trees with local Landcare groups to electrification pilots, waste reduction initiatives and renewable energy demonstrations, Illawarra residents and businesses are coming together to protect their local environment and address global challenges affecting the region.

The Illawarra environment movement is alive and well, with passionate advocates to be found everywhere from Coledale to Kiama. However, we are more powerful together than we are apart, which is why one Illawarra youth has made it his mission to connect the many branches of this evolving movement and facilitate cross-pollination across a centralised Illawarra Environment Network (IEN).

Introducing Luke Gelder, an environmental law graduate and passionate community organiser. Luke is not new to the world of environmental advocacy. You might have met him through Good for the Gong or youth-led groups such as the Tomorrow Movement and the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. In addition to his environmental expertise, Luke is a mythology and history buff, which inspired the IEN’s beautifully symbolic logo:

“It’s based on the Norse mythological tree called yggdrasil, which is the world tree. The world tree is meant to hold all the nine realms of the universe together. The aim of the Illawarra Environment Network is to hold all the different environmental groups in the Illawarra together in one place”.

In this way, the IEN is poised to address collaboration and event promotion gaps that alienate passionate locals from the ideas and actions that can grow their cause. It will also raise awareness of the breadth of opportunities for environmental action that exist within our region.

“The Illawarra Environment Network wants to show that the environmental movement is broad, but interconnected," Luke explains.

"By promoting diverse groups working across numerous topics from bush care to recycling, sustainability, renewable energy and climate, we are also bringing them together. We are helping these groups find each other and work together on larger events, because doing this work can be tough, but doing it alone is even tougher. Many hands make light work.”

The Illawarra environment movement has found a home in the form of a website as aesthetically pleasing as it is useful, thanks to IEN creative director Avril Ferguson. The IEN website is a one-stop shop for environmental groups, advocates and volunteers, with two primary functions.

“The website lists all the different groups in the Illawarra alongside the topics they broadly fit under," Luke says. "Several groups work across several topics, but our drop-down format makes it easy for the general public to choose a topic they are passionate about, then find a group that does a lot in that space. Contact details are provided too, so you can just click and find out more.

"On social media, we're doing fortnightly calendars of all the environment-themed events going on in the Illawarra. That way, rather than having to follow 30 different accounts and 20 different newsletters to stay up to date with what's going on, you can see them all in the one place.”

The IEN includes around 15 organisations, but Luke is working hard to grow the network.

“A lot of the groups already within the network are those that I've made connections with. Through a mixture of general promotion like this article and by connecting with community, I hope to meet more people and groups that are keen to be a part of this exciting movement.”

Even if you have never engaged in environmental campaigns or attended a local Landcare event, there is a place for you in the Illawarra Environment Network.

Many would be surprised by how much challenges such as climate change and pollution affect our day-to-day lives. If you are worried about the cost of living, the quality of our suburbs and local livelihoods, there are solutions to be found through collective environmental action.

“A lot of young people just want to get by," Luke says. "So questions about the cost of living and in particular energy then come up. That’s why renewable energy is an important issue for local youth, not just because we care about climate action, but because it is one of the cheapest forms of electricity, and we want to see the benefits on our power bills.”

Luke offers this advice to readers seeking to join the Illawarra Environment Network and be a part of this inspired community: “Find what you're passionate about, and then see what group exists. If there isn't one, then maybe look at starting one up yourself. It's a lot easier than you'd think.”

Join the Illawarra Environment Network

• If you are an individual, you can get involved by visiting the website
• If you are a community group or organisation wanting to join the network, reach out to illawarraenviranetwork@gmail.com 
• Follow IEN on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn