Giving back is an integral part of our philosophy at Boody, engrained in our culture and our people. We are passionate humanitarians and environmentalists and place sharing and compassion at the centre of our mission.
That's why we've decided to support Greening Australia: a non-profit dedicated to restoring and conserving Australia's unique landscapes. Through our 1% for the Planet membership, a share of all online sales contributes directly to their restoration projects, creating positive change for people and nature.
This month, we caught up with our friends from Greening Australia and asked them about their involvement with the environment and how you can help.
If you had to describe Greening Australia in one sentence?
Greening Australia is a national not-for-profit organisation that works to create healthy, productive landscapes where people and nature thrive.
Tell us a bit more about the causes you support:
We work with the best science and the best people to deliver practical solutions to Australia’s biggest environmental challenges such as habitat loss and fragmentation, decline of native species and climate change. From restoring Tasmania as an island ark for Australia’s most threatened mammals, to improving water quality in the Great Barrier Reef, we return life to landscapes and restore balance to the natural environment in ways that work for communities, economies and nature.
What do you find most challenging about the causes you support?
The scale of the problem in some areas, like the Great Barrier Reef, is massive. With appropriate funding we can have a significant impact but we need the whole of Australia to throw their weight behind these causes.
Could you please provide some examples of ways you make things happen?
We partner with local communities, landholders, organisations and government to create real change on the ground through simple actions, like revegetating land to relink native forests and protecting the nests of vulnerable Fitzroy River Turtle hatchlings to give them a safer passage into adulthood. Our broad experience in the field and scientific knowledge enable us to design projects that serve to reverse decline rather than just conserve.
What did you wish other people knew about (whether it’s about your cause or your organisation)?
That the environment and people are inextricably linked. Our economy, mental and physical wellbeing all depend on a healthy environment. Ultimately people thrive when nature thrives. This is something that we often forget or take for granted, particularly those of us living in one of our rapidly expanding urban centers.
As a non-profit actively engaged in the protection of the environment and its people, what sort of trends do you see? (around environmental sustainability and managing change and habits for example).
With social media, people are more aware of some of the threats and pressures on their local environment. Environmental protection appears to be becoming more mainstream rather than being viewed as the domain of conservationists and advocates. I think that people are starting to realise and see the impact that an unhealthy environment has on them and their families. We still have a long way to go but we are heading in the right direction in some areas.
How can someone help support Greening Australia?
By donating to support our work at www.greeningaustralia.org.au, becoming a business partner or volunteering to assist on one of our many projects across Australia.
What would you tell someone who is thinking about (donating, volunteering…)?
Everyone has a role to play in helping our environment. Whether it be by making a donation, purchasing a native plant from one of our nurseries for your backyard or volunteering with us, every bit makes a difference. These actions may seem small but combined they can create real change that will benefit people and nature now and in the future.
What do you think will change about Greening Australia in the next five years? How are your projects and missions going to evolve?
We are taking a more holistic approach to our work, developing large-landscape scale programs that incorporate a diverse range of projects which together help to achieve a grander vision. Conservation is not just about protecting the environment, it is also about preserving our culture, heritage, economies and way of life.
What else could you tell me about Greening Australia?
We started conserving and restoring Australia's landscapes in 1982 and haven’t stopped since. With teams in 30 locations around the country and over 150 staff we’re a proudly independent not-for-profit organisation. Our team uses the latest science to guide what’s best for our landscapes and the people and wildlife that live in them. We have been involved in some of the largest and most ambitious large-scale landscape restoration projects in Australia, including the National Trees Program and One Billion Trees Project. We achieve our work through a commitment to conservation through collaboration. We believe together is better!
We are so proud to partner with Greening Australia and donate a share of the 1% for the Planet Initiative to this great organisation. This donation wouldn't be possible without our customers thoughtful purchase of Boody, so on behalf of Greening Australia and the planet, we want to say thank you.
If you'd like to know more about the charity's we support, read more about how we give back.
