CURRENT MISSION

Learn and share environmental ideas with people around the world

ABOUT ME

I am a bubbly, excitable ecologist from Australia who love sunflowers, community gardens, 'skill-sharing', bees, picniks, cooking/baking a fresh healthy delicious Gluten Free/Vegan storm with new friends, bike-riding, bananas, chai tea, reading, camping in and saving forests and organising around environmental and social justice with local, rural and indigenous communities... Som

Im passionate about the power of community participatory science as a form of local empowerment- science for social justice. I believe science, if done with community and driven by their research questions, can change how we interact with the world... Im also interested in peri-urban agriculture, Satoyama principles, and the power of rural- urban agriculture for ecosystem services (e.g. pollination)....and so I've just started a phd on this topic:)

I can be chatty and bouncy but also love to listen to people's stories and appreciate quiet reading time amongst the birds, bees and trees. Sometimes my cheeks usually hurt from smiling too much. I get excited by the littlest of things- like interesting insects and recognising new kanji at a train station.

I love sharing skills and ideas with people from around the world- especially those around people's connection to place and environment:)

I've got experience in community organising around forest campaigns as well as a niche knowledge of insects and Australian ecology. I love biological science but also value indigenous perspectives with respect to nature and 'place' in the highest regard.

Last year i helped found a cross-cultural community garden at uni where not only plants but friendships between international and domestic students at Sydney university have blossomed! It's passion and participation in projects like these that define me i think:)

PHILOSOPHY

I believe in social and environmental change at the community level. When we share experiences and skills at the local level- and genuinely listen to different cultures and approaches with communities across the world, we can make a social and environmentally equitable world. I believe I have much to learn from people's perspectives and cultures around the world. I live everyday hoping to listen and learn from you- find commonalities and expand my understanding of what environmental justice really is:) When people have autonomy and community we can create positive change:)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I first joined couch surfing when i moved to Hokkaido and wished to to travel Honshuu, Japan. Couchsurfing was an incredible way to practise my Japanese and share culture, food and smiles with people:)

I have hosted people from around the world on my couch for years before i began 'couch-surfing' myself. People who visit forest campaigns often stay in my share house when they come to Sydney. We hope to have created a beautiful welcoming house (and garden!) where people can come cook, play music and share stories together:)

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

My first introduction to couch surfing was in 2010 in Rio, Brazil at a couch surfing meet and great on Copacabana beach. Id never heard of thsi global comunity of people wanting to share culture, life experiences, languages and travel before! My eyes were opened to new adventures and friends:) My friend and host, Louiza took me dancing every night- to local Brazilian dj's and eat incredible feasts all night long!

My most incredible Couch-surfing experience was with my couch "sister" Cate in Paris in 2012. Together we picnicked with fresh salad, strawberries from the local markets and vegan/Gf brownies (which we made together) under the Eiffel tower and talked about movies and french authors in both french and english. We then went on an adventure to watch the tower "sparkle" at midnight from up the hill- but missed our last train home! So we hired the "velub"- the public parisian bicycle to cycle home together! It was the most incredible adventure- and something that we could only have shared with a new local friend- and couch sister forevermore!

Interests

Ecology, gardens, bees, Forests, hiking mountains, trekking, Ocean, Environment, Environmentalism, Environmental Justice, Community Gardens, Riding and fixing bicycles, DIY ("Do it yourself") making, painting, craft, Baking (Vegan + Gluten Free), Making salads, Cooking, Organising environmental conferences, patch making, singing around campfires...

• birds
• insects
• culture
• singing
• diy
• dancing
• environment
• dining
• cooking
• baking
• vegan
• gardening
• politics
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• painting
• music
• cycling
• camping
• surfing
• ecology
• languages
• science
• beaches
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

David Suzuki and Vandava Shiva are my favourite authors:) I also watch a lot of Miyazaki anime and David Attenborough documentaries. Anything with an environmental message and strong heroine is brilliant!

Teach, Learn, Share

My skills? Community organising, Starting and maintaining a cross cultural community garden at Sydney University, "facilitating" meetings, student politics experience, forest blockade experience, conference organising, Vegan and Gluten free baking/cooking...

What I Can Share with Hosts

Smiles, ideas, conversations, music, food making....

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Japan, Spain

Countries I’ve Lived In

Australia, Belgium, Japan, Malaysia