Who am I?

I am a research scientist with a passion for science communication.  In my spare time, I run an outreach program about climate change for kids called “What do penguins and coral reefs have in common?”  I was an award-winning University lecturer for a decade before transitioning into researching the impacts of climate change on coral reefs full-time in 2010.  I won the ‘Women in Environmental Action’ Award in 2020 from 350 Perth for my work running the 2018 “Kids care about climate change” drawing contest which got 1,246 entries from 11 countries and 120 schools (see the 2018 giant banner).  The follow up drawing contest I ran in 2021 got 2,629 entries from 33 countries and the 2021 giant banner has been seen by nearly 9000 kids in 15 countries and 60+ schools!  Videos of kids interacting with the 2021 giant banner have been shown at four UN Climate meetings (COP26, 27, 28 and 29).  Listen to a podcast where I explain how and why I teach kids about the climate crisis.

I am also:

  • An alumna and active participant in Homeward Bound, a global transformational leadership initiative for women and non-binary people with STEMM backgrounds to ensure the sustainability of our planet
  • A trained leader and mentor in Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, which aims to empower millions around the world to use their voices and their everyday choices to tackle the climate crisis.
  • An international fellow (2022-2023) of Our Kids Climate, a global family of changemakers working together to protect our kids from climate breakdown.
  • A ‘learning destination’ for kids around the world as part of the Children’s University, an innovative program that engages children and young people in exciting, out-of-school learning opportunities to increase their chances for educational achievement and rewards them for taking responsibility for their own learning
  • The mother of April (18), Daniel (13) and Connor (13).

What is happening with this campaign?

Earth’s climate is changing.  Kids need to know what is happening, why, and how it will affect them in the future.  This initiative offers you a chance to take action to help slow climate change – because TOGETHER we will raise attention to the fact that kids (and everyone) deserve a safe Earth to live on with clean air to breathe! YOU are vital to this effort. The more tree hugging photos you send us, the more media attention we can get for the tree hugging marathons that will take place starting 10th Nov during the next United Nations climate meeting (COP30).  Onsite in Brazil at COP30, Truphena Muthoni of Kenya will break her world record for marathon tree hugging and hug a tree for 72 hours (3 days).  At the same time, I will hug a tree in Perth, Australia that was originally planted by the late Queen Elizabeth of England in 1963 (#5 on this map).  I will do this for at least 72 hours, but I may keep hugging up to 1 week if you send in enough tree hugging pictures!

The Earth is heating up because carbon dioxide in the atmosphere acts like a blanket, trapping the sun’s energy (hear it from a kid).  Most of this heat is going into the oceans.  The warming that has already happened is easiest to see in the melting ice of the polar regions (where penguins live) and among coral reefs that die when the water is too hot for too long.  Penguins and coral reefs are like the Earth’s ‘early warning’ system!

Watch the video below and practice being a scientist to discover in more detail why penguins and coral reefs don’t like warming seas from climate change.

Trees help slow climate change by taking carbon dioxide pollution from the air and turning it into sugar (via photosynthesis) to feed themselves.  Learn why trees are important in the video below!

No matter where you live on planet Earth, the Earth’s warming climate will affect you.  That is why this initiative is open to any kid or adult, anywhere around the world.

 

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