Gypsy Wright, a Bachelor of Environment and Society student at RMIT University, reflects on her student placement with Regen Melbourne.

In an age where environmental challenges often feel overwhelming and all-consuming, we must create diverse avenues for people to engage with issues of environmental degradation and sustainability. My time at Regen Melbourne has allowed me to focus my energy on the differing ways in which environmental and social issues can be discussed, communicated, and therefore dealt with.

Far too often, we see issues of environmental degradation, climate change, and sustainability communicated by means of complex scientific language and through mediums that hinder engagement from the entire community. Various members of society are then isolated from critical conversations regarding environmental destruction and management. Throughout my time with Regen, I was able to branch out from the conventional ways in which these issues are conveyed, engaging with various mediums, such as photography, poetry, and storytelling to present these social and environmental issues via different means. Through Regen Melbourne’s City Portrait Stories platform, I was guided, mentored, and encouraged to explore various creative ways in which different issues, both social and environmental, can be expressed. 

“[Regen Melbourne is] not just concerned with producing immediate solutions for immediate problems; they are envisioning a sustainable future and actively working towards it.”

This time allowed me to produce two new stories, both engaging with different mediums to best do so. The first piece explored my personal experience beginning university, including the many challenges associated with this within Australia’s educational system. The second piece allowed me to showcase my photography and poetry to express the beauty and awe of the trees that dot Melbourne’s cityscapes. Through both these pieces I was able to engage with key points of concern within Melbourne, both social and environmental, and how these intertwine and influence one another. 

Working with Regen Melbourne has been a truly transformative experience. I was welcomed into a team that embodies warmth, collaboration, and a forward-thinking spirit. The team’s regenerative focus to environmental problems is inspiring; their commitment to making tangible impacts across Melbourne can be felt within every conversation and team meeting. The Regen team is doing notable work, looking beyond surface-level solutions and digging deep into the social constructs and ways of thinking that have impacted solutions for far too long.

Conversations at Regen address the multifaceted nature of environmental problems, engaging with a diverse array of stakeholders across various industries to best produce innovative, holistic, and forward-thinking solutions that prioritise the needs and landscape of future generations. Whether it's collaborating with local businesses, community groups, or councils, their collaborative approach fosters meaningful conversations that are essential for driving change. 

What stands out is the team’s ability to facilitate conversations that might otherwise go unaddressed, helping to elevate important issues in a way that resonates with people from all walks of life. They are not just concerned with producing immediate solutions for immediate problems; they are envisioning a sustainable future and actively working towards it. The conversations being led by Regen Melbourne are crucial for driving systemic change, the team is firmly in the driver’s seat, actively pushing the critical conversations needed to foster meaningful change and drive regenerative practices into our community. 

Read Gypsy’s City Portrait Stories, From Rural Roots to City Scapes and The Trees, Our Neighbours here.

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