Australian River Restoration Centre (ARRC)

Belief – Belonging – Behaviour

Stories

Our lives are full of stories and, as human beings, we are story telling organisms.  We use stories to share experiences and to make sense of the world in which we live.  At the ARRC, we believe story telling is a vital way in which river restoration theory and practice can be developed.  We believe developing new approaches and ideas for river restoration needs to be  collaborative, with researchers and practitioners working together to develop a mutually constructed ‘story’ out of their skills and experiences in river restoration.

This part of our site invites you to share  your experiences, reflections and thoughts about river restoration, knowledge, opportunities, challenges – pretty much anything.  Your story could be in words, pictures, a poem or a song!  We will review your contribution prior to making it live and then confirm with you the final version that will be loaded on to our site.  Please send your contributions to Siwan.

If you are interested in storytelling, go to our resources section for more information.

Most recent contributions:

Billabong Boy: Arron Wood’s Story

At eight years old, Arron Wood jumped into the billabong near his Mildura home and emerged covered in a toxic, blue-green algae that seared his eyes and left a rash all over his body. It was a pivotal moment for Arron, the beginning of a life committed to preserving the environment that he now shares in his new autobiography, Billabong Boy.  Arron’s inspiring career as an environmentalist and educator has earned him awards including the 2001 Young Australian of the Year (National Environment Winner) and the 2006 United Nations Individual Award for Outstanding Services to the Environment. His expertise in environmental preservation has seen him sought after by political parties, green groups and corporations while his charm and charisma has seen him make regular appearances on radio and TV to discuss environmental issues.

In 2000, Arron founded Firestarter, a Victorian-based environmental education organisation that uses an innovative ‘kids teaching kids’ approach to developing young leaders and facilitates relationships between environmental industries and businesses, governments and the general public. In Billabong Boy, Arron shares how we can all apply the principles behind Firestarter to inspire one another to take responsibility for our collective environmental future. “We’ve now had over 20,000 kids participate in our Kids Teaching Kids Program to inspire future environmental leaders,” says Arron. “With the green economy growing and sustainability becoming mainstream, I established Firestarter to make sure our kids not only have a healthy environment to live in, but are also ready to lead the world in environmental technology and innovation.”

I read Billabong Boy in two nights, not wanting to put it down as it was a pleasure to read.  Arron is honest about the opportunities and the challenges he has confronted in trying to keep a business going that focuses on ‘kids teaching kids’ in a natural resources management sector that is not ‘flush with cash’.  Like the ARRC, Arron’s work is about supporting people, and I am inspired to read about what he has achieved.  Arron has recieved a number of well-deserved rewards, but for me, what came through in the book was how much he valued the conversations with kids, and how much he acknowledges the importance of having friends and family to help  him realise his dreams.  I recommend this book as an inspiring read, and one that will lift your spirits and remind you about why you work in river restoration.

You can order Billabong Boy directly from the New Holland website,

Siwan

Out of the Scientist’s Garden: a story of water and food

Richard Stirzaker’s Out of the Scientist’s Garden is a true classic and was funded through Land & Water Australia.  A few months ago Richard opened his garden up to the public through the Australian Open Gardens scheme and I got to see his work first hand.   I was in complete awe of his ability to provide a food supply for a whole family from an ordinary suburban block in Canberra.

Out of the Scientist's GardenOut of the Scientist’s Garden is written for anyone who wants to understand food and water a little better – for those growing vegetables in a garden, food in a subsistence plot or crops on vast irrigated plains. It is also for anyone who has never grown anything before but has wondered how we will feed a growing population in a world of shrinking resources.

Although a practicing scientist in the field of water and agriculture, Richard has written, in story form accessible to a wide audience, about the drama of how the world feeds itself. The book starts in his own fruit and vegetable garden, exploring the ‘how and why’ questions about the way things grow, before moving on to stories about soil, rivers, aquifers and irrigation. The book closes with a brief history of agriculture, how the world feeds itself today and how to think through some of the big conundrums of modern food production.

Nerida.

More Stories….

Tzu Chi Buddhists ‘give back’ to the Boorowa River

Tzu Chi members had a taste of country life restoring the riverbanks of the Boorowa River Click here

Why set up the ARRC? Siwan’ Story

Siwan Lovett talks about why she felt she needed to establish the ARRC and plans for the future Click here

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  • ARRC Events

    Connecting through Conversations: Narrative Techniques for Organisational Knowledge Sharing - Workshop 20 Oct 2010, Canberra

    Related events

    Origins Asia Pacific Business Narrative Conference, 6-8 Sept 2010.

    Australian Network for Plant Conservation 8th National Conference, Perth, Western Australia, 28 Sept - 1 October 2010.

    13th International Riversymposium, Perth, Western Australia, 11 - 14 October 2010.

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