Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassadors Alumni
Catching up with our past Green Ambassadors
2008 Green Ambassadors and runners up.
Green Ambassador at University
Renee Carr from Parkville in Victoria
Renee has been showing her fellow students just how easy it is to be sustainable. In particular, the 22 year old University of Melbourne student has developed an environmental handbook to help University Colleges and Residential Halls around Australia fight climate change. The handbook outlines best practices to implement at colleges: for example, ways to reduce electricity, gas and water usage, buying green energy and solar technology. After completing her degree, Renee plans to continue inspiring others through work focused on sustainable development and social justice issues.
Runner Up Ambassador at University
Tess Evans from Indooroopilly in Qld
The misconception that individual actions can’t save the environment has spurred Tess on to help her school make greener decisions. The Brisbane Girls Grammar School student has been working hard to encourage her fellow students and to educate the community on environmental topics. As a member of the Student Council, Tess developed “Grammar Goes Green” days where students volunteer at sites around Brisbane and spend time regenerating the area. Her involvement in the school’s environment conservation group includes fundraising to subsidise solar panel and water tanks for her school. Tess is looking forward to developing her green passions once she finishes Year 12 by studying environmental science at the University of Queensland.
Green Ambassador at Work
Kristie Young from Koo Wee Rup in Victoria
Kristie is showing the children of today how to create a greener tomorrow! The 23 year old first year graduate teacher has implemented many environmental awareness programs and special activity days to encourage students at Toorandin Primary School. Thanks to Kristie the school is now a depot for recycling mobile phones and printer cartridges, has a vegetable garden, a monthly environmental newsletter and a number of other sustainable practices that encourage students, staff and community members to be more environmentally conscious. Over the past twelve months, Toorandin Primary School has saved over 570,000L of water and reduced their waste by 50 per cent, at the same time planting over 1000 native trees, shrubs and grasses in the local community.
Runner Up at Work
Lauren Leggate from Queensland
Lauren works at the Queensland Government, focusing on campaign development, event management and communication advice. Through her recent role as project manager for the Premier of Queensland’s Smart Awards, Lauren convinced her colleagues to make the program carbon neutral. Lauren was able to identify key areas of resource use, implement strategies to reduce these resources, account for the project’s carbon usage and as a result offset 66 tonnes of carbon. By making the awards carbon neutral Lauren increased the awareness of environmental issues amongst hundreds of Queensland businesses. Lauren is now hoping to change negative environmental habits formed in the workplace by using her outstanding results to encourage other organisations to reduce their energy consumption.
Green Ambassador for Travel
Mark Rossiter from Clayfield in Queensland
This 24 year old has a vision of how he thinks the future should look and is working to make his dream a reality. By riding his bicycle to get around Brisbane, Mark is using a virtually emission-free form of transport and on his own saves 2.5 tonnes of carbon per year. Mark takes his passion into the workplace, currently acting as a sustainable transport consultant at the Brisbane City Council. His current focus is creating cost effect bicycle freeways to encourage more people to get in the saddle.
Runner Up for Travel
Lisa Litchfield from West Melbourne in Victoria
Lisa Litchfield walks or takes public transport at every available opportunity. By riding her bike and catching the bus to work every day over six months, Lisa saved 1200kms worth of car travel. Lisa has set herself a target to save over 3600kms by the end of the year by only catching public transport to work each week. Lisa’s volunteer work involves her educating young people about sustainable transport options and she uses her own personal reductions to inspire others to think about the ways they can reduce their impacts on the environment.
Green Ambassador in the Community
Julia Collin from O’Connor in the ACT
A 23 year old Australian National University student, Julia’s main environmental goal is to raise awareness among young people and to encourage them to take action. Her emphasis on local education and action has led her to develop a number of youth-based environmental projects, groups and networks throughout Canberra. Julia’s work in the community has included organising free environmental events, co-ordinating Youth Action on Climate Change (an event giving attendees an opportunity to ask politicians about their climate change policies) and being a board member of the Youth Coalition of the ACT. She has also helped to establish the ACT OtherWISE project, a project that aims to empower young people to be environmental leaders through workshops, group projects and mentoring.
Runner Up Ambassador in the Community
Hilary Bowman from Spotswood in Victoria
Education and media are vital in promoting sustainable lifestyles and 17 year old Hilary is hitting the airwaves to get the green message out there. In 2006 Hilary launched a weekly environmental program called Greenlight through FM radio broadcaster, Student Youth Network. Greenlight aims to present environmental issues in a way that is both entertaining and informative for young people living in Victoria. The program inspires practical ways to help the environment and for young people to get involved in sustainability activities. The entire program is based around technology, with a website, social media networks, podcasts and video content all part of the Greenlight initiative. By showing people how they can work sustainable principles into their everyday lives, Hilary and the Greenlight program are helping young people live in an environmentally friendly way.
Green Ambassador at Home
Rosy Porter from Surry Hills in NSW
The 20 year old Surry Hills resident has been recognised for her determination to reduce and eliminate consumption in her household. Rosy has launched her own war on plastics that includes using Green Bags for shopping, avoiding packaged products and sticking to a strict recycling system. Rosy’s family of four have installed fluorescent light bulbs in their home, don’t use a dishwasher or clothes dryer and have introduced renewable bamboo flooring as an alternative to Oak. Rosy’s small changes in day to day life have already had a significant impact with her personal carbon footprint at 1.8 tonnes of CO₂ compared to the average Australian footprint of 7.7 tonnes.
Runner Up Ambassador at Home
Holly-Anne Escott from Roleystone in WA
Holly-Anne is a member of a five person household in Roleystone, east of Perth. Over the last few years Holly-Anne has been endeavouring to reduce her family’s consumption of resources by reducing waste through composting and recycling and introducing energy efficient appliances like solar panels for heating water. Holly-Anne’s commitment to reducing her household’s footprint means that her family have reduced shopping costs, have 50 per cent less rubbish and are saving up to 20 litres of petrol each week. Holly-Anne has recently started volunteering with Conservation Volunteers Australia and is looking forward to using this experience to continue to make her household more environmentally sustainable.
Aimee Silla
Perth, WA
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2007
Aimee is actively involved in environmental conservation through her University, the University of Western Australia. Currently completing a PhD that focuses on captive breeding programs for frogs, Aimee is also involved in teaching undergraduate students and coordinating the green office program at the university. She finds that being enthusiastic and passionate when talking about environmental work is the best way to inspire others and that the public are responding well to messages about the need to be green. Aimee is focused on finishing her PhD and is looking forward to a trip to Melbourne to work with a critically endangered species of frogs.
Ali Majoka
Berwick, VIC
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2005
Ali is currently studying journalism and science and is a member of the Environmental Group at Monash University. Being named a Green Ambassador gave Ali the opportunity to travel to Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain and to explore its unique plants and animals. He believes that the best way to inspire people is by demonstrating how being green will positively impact their lives and he regularly attends conservation camps and sustainability conferences to share his experiences with others. Ali hopes his future career in journalism and science will bring positive changes to Australia.
Alison Hamilton
Dubbo, NSW
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2006
Alison is now a full time environmental scientist who believes that paperless communication will be one of the most effective technologies in helping us lead greener lives. After receiving her Green Ambassador award and taking her Conservation Break to Purnululu in the Bungle Bungles, Alison was encouraged and inspired to do even more in her local community. She is now involved in Bushcare, her local council and participates in projects such as Clean Up Australia Day. Alison is currently focusing her conservation work on contaminated land, environmental assessment and reporting.
Celine Steinfield
Clovelly, NSW
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2007
When Celine received her Green Ambassador award she gained recognition and support and felt reassured her that her efforts weren’t going unnoticed. Celine’s Green Ambassador Conservation Break took her to Tasmania’s Scamander Tiers, where she spent a week restoring and rehabilitating a pine plantation back to native vegetation. Celine is about to begin a PHD at the University of New South Wales where she will be focusing on water management, human modification and land clearing policy and management. She believes that bringing down carbon dependence and energy efficiency should be Australia’s main priority in our attempts to fight climate change.
Clare Paynter
Winnellie, NT
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2007
Becoming a Green Ambassador reinforced Clare’s desire to study sustainable electrical engineering and law at University. Clare believes that it is becoming increasingly easy to be green in today’s society due to the many new opportunities available for young people at school and in higher education. After receiving the Green Ambassador award Clare was invited to join a youth ministries roundtable on environmental sustainability that provided expert, independent advice to Government on long-term strategy. Clare thinks that Australia could become a solar power country due to its small population and strong science base and she hopes this is something she can be involved in building.
Gordon Young
North Ringwood, VIC
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2007
Since being named a Green Ambassador in 2007, Gordon has been heavily involved in environmental conservation. His full time work as the National Adviser for Environment at Scouts Australia involves developing new initiatives and supporting existing programs that encourage Scouts to take an active interest in Australia’s unique environment. Gordon has also been involved in a sustainability youth forum and will be representing the Green Party at local council election. Gordon believes receiving the Green Ambassador award has helped him gain a credible profile in his local community. He is looking forward to continuing his work in environmental education and working at a Scouts ski resort in Switzerland.
Jehnna Galpin
Colonel Light Gardens, SA
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2005
Becoming a Green Ambassador has helped open doors for Jehnna, who is currently undertaking a Diploma of Garden Design. She used her award to demonstrate she was willing to join teams involved in conservation projects. Through her work at a local nursery and her study, Jehnna aims to design sustainable gardens and commercial landscapes, which have a strong focus on using indigenous plants. Jehnna is particularly concerned about the state of the Murray River and she believes more has to be done to look after this irreplaceable natural ecosystem. After completing her Diploma, Jehnna hopes to study Conservation and Land Management and carry out more voluntary conservation work.
Jono McPhail
Moana, SA
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2007
Jono received his Green Ambassador award in 2007 and has since gone on to become a project officer with Conservation Volunteers Australia. He hopes to one day become an international team leader with the organisation. This role involves him recruiting young people through presentations at schools and Universities. Jono is also currently involved in a water mitigation project in the Murray Darling. He believes that more people are accepting the environment as a big part of our future and as large Australian businesses come on board it is becoming easier to be green.
Kelly McKenzie
Hallet Cove, SA
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2006
Kelly thinks the best thing about becoming a Green Ambassador was the acknowledgement she received for her hard work, especially in front of her school peers. Kelly is currently focusing her environmental work on food and its impact on the environment. Since receiving her Green Ambassador award she has been involved in a youth forum about the food cycle and also works on a food-based newsletter that is forwarded onto schools, local councils and environmental organisations. Kelly believes that there needs to be more education in the wider community about Australia’s impacts on the environment. In the future she hopes to travel to South America to help plant trees in the Amazon.
Paul Skeen
Katherine, NT
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2005
Paul is currently studying a Graduate Diploma of Geographic Information Systems in the Northern Territory whilst working at a local high school as an in-class tutor. The Green Ambassador award was important to Paul as it recognised his environmental work and highlighted highly-valued career traits to potential employers. The Conservation Break Paul received as a Green Ambassador gave him invaluable field skills experience to seek a career in environmental management. Paul believes the development of sustainable power systems should be one of Australia’s main focuses in our attempts to fight climate change.
Robert MacDonald
Warabook, NSW
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2006
Robert is currently involved in environmental volunteer work and bush regeneration while he studies Environmental Science at University. He has used his Green Ambassador award to help him become a park manager in his local neighbourhood. Robert thinks that more affordable technology would make it easier for people in today’s society to be green. He also believes that renewable hot rocks will be an effective emerging technology, especially in the Hunter region of New South Wales. When he finishes his degree Robert hopes to forge a career with an environmental focus.
Tammy Goad
Perth, WA
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2006
After being named a Green Ambassador in 2006, Tammy has used her Green Ambassador award in her resume and to gain work experience at her local Zoo. Through Conservation Volunteers Tammy took part in a trip to Broome where she worked with local Aborigines to learn more about native plants and sand dune conservation. Tammy’s environmental work at wildlife parks includes taking field trips to local schools to teach students about endangered animals. She believes that the Australian public need to be better educated on how they can make positive changes to the environment, and that one of our main imperatives as a country should be looking after the bush.
Zac Gazzard
Armidale, NSW
Commonwealth Bank Green Ambassador 2006
Thanks to his Green Ambassador award, Zac was able to travel to the Flinders Ranges on a rock wallaby research trip. Zac believes the best part of becoming a Green Ambassador was being able to explore different places, meet new people and experience a beautiful part of Australia. Since receiving his award, Zac continues to volunteer on Conservation Volunteers Australia projects and is a member of a national youth environmental leadership program. He thinks that the exploration of geothermal energy, solar panels on every household in Australia, battery powered cars and more bike infrastructure will be the most effective developments to help us lead greener lives.