CERES School of Nature and Climate Team

Chloe grew up in the Otways, riding horses, climbing trees and racing her brother on billy carts. She has been working in the environmental education industry for over 9 years. She has passionately managed, designed and delivered a range of environmental education programs, for local government, in partnership with industry leaders and community groups. Her work has supported sustainability initiatives and outcomes within Council, schools, early learning centres, apartments and community groups. Chloe loves to work collaboratively, which is recognised in winning the 2018 Keep Victoria Beautiful, Sustainable Cities Award in Community Government Partnership. She has tertiary qualifications in environmental sustainability, horticulture and education. She’s excited to be a part of the CERES network and continue to do what she loves – connecting people to community and the natural environment.

Jane has a background in education with experience in secondary school teaching, training, and curriculum writing in schools, community groups and the not-for-profit sector. Jane is passionate about designing and delivering education programs that contribute to making a difference in the world and bring value to communities. With a strong desire to make a contribution in her career, Jane has developed and managed a range of educational projects and programs with a social, community and environmental focus. In 2016 Jane was awarded the prestigious Environment Education Victoria award, The Environmental & Sustainability Educator of the Year 2015. She believes that schools and early childhood settings are perfectly placed to engage children, students and teachers in learning about the environment and gain skills and knowledge to be leaders in their communities.

Abi has volunteered and worked for the horticulture industry in different capacities and work environments. She started as a volunteer propagator at CERES in 2015 before studying horticulture. After studying, she became a horticulturist for a hydroponics company, which included working with its research and development team to improve the environmental and growing conditions of horticultural crops and medicinal plants.

Abi started working at CERES in 2019 which gave her an opportunity to work at an organisation that matches her values and regard for nature. She is currently a Horticulture and Permaculture VET trainer, and a staff at CERES’ permaculture and bush food nursery.

She considers her experience and training as a volunteer propagator at CERES as an important factor in pursuing her current career path after transitioning from another vocation. As a horticulturist, she is able to apply her values in a more practical and tangible way. She enjoys encouraging people from different backgrounds, especially women and young people, to work with plants and help improve the connection between people and our natural environment. Observing and figuring out how to best grow healthy plants also satisfies her thirst to learn and interest in trying tested or new ideas.

Growing up in the Macedon Ranges, Adrian has always had a deep love of nature and the outdoors. Long walks in the bush and grassland on his family 6.5 acres property gave Adrian the opportunity to explore all of the mysteries and marvels that nature has to offer, particularly the local wildlife and fauna.

After completing a Bachelor of Performing Arts and Monash University, and designing for a number of theatre productions across Melbourne, Adrian was yearning to have his connection to nature as part of his career. Along with his childhood friend, Adrian started his own mobile education business – Wildlife Gone Walkabout; an interactive travelling zoo, educating students and adults about Australian wildlife conservation. For 6 years, Adrian traveled across Victorian fostering a deep connection to Australia’s fauna as a wildlife presenter and educator.

Due to COVID, Adrian was forced to close his business and continue his love of sustainable and environmental education elsewhere. Finding the inner city paradise of CERES, Adrian now coordinates the Caring for Climate and Change program as part of the School of Nature and Climate, sharing his values and love of the environment with the students who visit. As a passionate climate activist, Adrian knows that educating young people is one of the best solutions to solve the climate crisis, and create a sustainable and equitable future.

Growing up in a rural setting has led Christine to always feel a strong affinity with nature. After many years in retail, Christine decided to follow her heart and make a career change that aligned more with her values of caring for the environment. With a goal to work for an organisation that focused on making a difference through empowering the community and promoting sustainable education, CERES was a perfect fit!

Christine has tertiary qualifications in Sustainability, Community Services and Fine Arts and has a passion for social justice, food security and biodiversity. She loves nothing more than being able to spend her downtime searching for new bushwalking trails and just sitting and taking in the sights and sounds of the natural world.

Growing up in regional Queensland, Clare spent much of her childhood exploring the local rainforest, camping down by the beach, and writing and illustrating stories about the Green Tree Frogs that lived in her letterbox for her classmates at school. Her interest in education continued, and after completing a Bachelor of Education, she spent many years as a primary school teacher, her main drive being to help her students to develop a love of learning and establish a strong sense of wellbeing.
In 2016, after establishing a successful sustainability program at her school, Clare discovered that she could share her passion for the environment with her students. This led Clare to join CERES School of Nature and Climate where she delivers the Schools for Wildlife program. Working at CERES has shown Clare the importance of developing a strong sense of community and has allowed her to continue empowering students to take action for the environment, both at school and in their daily lives.

After completing her engineering degree in France, Emmanuelle undertook a Master’s degree of Energy Studies at the University of Melbourne specializing in the environmental impacts of buildings. Prior to CERES, Emmanuelle was working as an Energy Consultant in a large engineering company, undertaking holistic design and operational sustainability assessments of major commercial buildings. She joined the Outreach team in September 2015 and is excited to be working with Victorian schools as she strongly believes in a bottom-up approach to drive change, starting at the community level and through early/primary education. Emmanuelle is passionate about sharing her dedication to sustainability and resilient resource systems and hopes to inspire the next generation.

Jason is an adventurer and storyteller. He has recently returned from Tonga where he worked with coastal communities in environmental education. Diving next to volcanoes, working with sharks, and rescuing turtles, Jason equally enjoys planting a tree and growing herbs. Jason loves the narrative of conservation following the connections between everything we as humans do and how it impacts our planet. He has taught students about climate change, sustainability, marine and coastal science and more, always finding new and interesting ways to invoke passion.
He and his young family do anything they can to leave a gentle footprint on our country and he is quick to lend a hand to anyone else wanting to do so. He strives to make everyone he meets excited about the environment. Working with CERES as an outreach educator is something he cannot wait to be a part of. With so many working for sustainability, he is more than ready to be a part of this network.

From a young age, Kelsey has had a passion for conservation, particularly surrounding the unique fauna found in Australia. This stemmed from weekends spent camping and hiking through the bush and formed the basis of her passion to conserve Australia’s unique environments. She completed a Bachelor of Science (Zoology) and worked as an Environmental Officer for Queensland Government, then turned to field biology as a research intern in South Africa. It was from these experiences that she feels the key to sustainability and conservation is an understanding combined with a sense of responsibility and excitement. Following this path, she has since completed a Master of Environment (conservation and education) and volunteered for programs like Zoo to You, CSIRO Education, Science Experience Melbourne and worked as a science demonstrator for University of Melbourne. Kelsey joined CERES as an intern in late 2017, and joined the Outreach team in January 2018 and is excited to share her enthusiasm with the next generation.

Growing up in New York State, Lauren formed a deep connection with her natural world playing in the snow and truly connecting with the phrase, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices”. Later, as a young adult, Lauren heard the first-hand story of a woman living in a Californian Redwood, protesting against the logging of local forests. It was these experiences that inspired Lauren to study Environmental Science & Management at the University of Newcastle some years later. During her time of study, Lauren started working with students in outdoor education programs, further igniting her passion to work with and for our environment alongside her new community in Australia. Since 2013, Lauren can be found at CERES as the Waste & Early Years Schools Program Coordinator – helping students learn about compost, recycling and waste management, local food systems, and fostering a deep connection with our natural world. As of 2018, Lauren is the organizer and facilitator of the CERES Nature Playgroup, helping children connect with and for their local environment and community. Lauren is also a presenter and facilitator for Adult Training courses; Environmental Education and Circular Economy & Zero Waste. With her knowledge and experience combined Lauren passionately works towards providing learners of all ages with creative and meaningful learning experiences that they can carry with them throughout their day-to-day lives, cultivating a deeper connection with Earth and each other.

After completing a Bachelor of Arts, Mairead took her passion for connecting with others and sustainability into the education space. Since then, she has performed several roles within outdoor and environmental education, and as a facilitator in schools. She loves inspiring people to engage with, and care for the natural world.

Mairead’s love of conservation began as a child, often hiking and being outdoors. She loves gardening, composting and is inspired by what communities of people can do to create change.

In her role as a Teacher Programs Educator, Mairead is excited to help empower teachers to embed sustainability practices into their schools as they raise a generation of young people who are creative, informed and empowered to create positive sustainable futures.

After completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Michelle decided that the I.T world wasn’t for her. It was by luck that she stumbled across the wonderful world that is CERES, and since then has worked in various roles, at present as Communications Coordinator for School Programs. Her role includes ensuring that our centres, schools, Partners, and the wider community are informed about our news and available opportunities in the realm of environmental education. Outside of work Michelle is passionate about sustainable/ethical fashion, travel and dreams of living off the grid.

Subik graduated from Bachelor of Agriculture where he learned about the application of Green Revolution methods on farming practices in Indonesia. Soon after graduation, Subik was asked to be involved in a Composting Project funded by the Canadian Government. It was a program that looked into a potential natural fertilizer in the farming industry as well as the production and the trial of the product in several areas in Makassar South Sulawesi. This involvement lead Subik to a very different path from what he learned in University. Subik then worked for a research company Operation Wallacea (Opwall) based in the UK before moving to Australia. Living in Australia enhanced Subik’s passion for the environment by working in a native nursery, as well as helping several friends to re-vegetate a depleted property into a beautiful native garden. Working at CERES gives Subik a great chance to learn in the broader context of the environment and social justice whilst continuing his passion… gardening.

Growing up in the Yarra Valley spending hours running around the bush is where Veida’s love for our natural world began. While studying a Bachelor of Health Science with a major in Health and Sustainability, she was able to follow this passion through volunteering in a Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program school and at Climate for Change. After finishing University, Veida worked in the waste education sector for a year, in both private and local government organisations. In these positions, she delivered various community presentations and developed a behaviour change program tackling cigarette butt litter. She was drawn to the education aspects of these roles and absolutely love’s working within the community. Her happiest days at work are spent sharing her knowledge and passion for our environment with others. She is motivated to work within sustainability because of her love for the natural world and wants to ensure it’s protected for her 4 younger siblings. Veida is very excited to join the Teacher Programs team and being able to learn and grow within CERES.

Benedict Hughes is a well-known registered Beekeeper. As The Practical Beekeeper he collects swarms, manages hives, extracts honey, teaches and loves bees.

Benedict is also a commercial migratory beekeeper who runs around 100 beehives across Victoria. He produces small-batch, raw local honey which is available through Farmers Markets and select retail outlets. His bees also provide pollination services for Almonds and other horticulture crops.

Benedict is the resident Beekeeper at Ceres (Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies) and is approved by the City of Darebin to keep bees in Darebin Parklands and Bundoora Park.

Benedict regularly runs school incursions about bees and beekeeping, he also delivers adult educational courses at Melbourne Polytechnic and CERES in Brunswick as well as at Edendale Community Environment Farm in Eltham.

Benedict is also the founding President of The Australian Pollinator Alliance, a not-for-profit dedicated to promoting the health of bees and all pollinators, critical to our food and natural environment, through education, research and conservation.

You can find him on Facebook and Instagram as @Practical_Beekeeper.

Brenna Quinlan is an illustrator and educator who strives to make the world a better place through her art and her actions. She has ridden a bicycle across the Americas, taught permaculture in Brasil, Chile and Argentina, and lived for four years at Melliodora, the permaculture demonstration site created by permaculture co-originator David Holmgren and his partner Su Dennett in Central Victoria, Australia.

As an illustrator, Brenna has worked with the Australian Red Cross, the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program, Plan International, Milkwood Permaculture, the Bob Brown Foundation, CSIRO and Costa Georgiadis, among others.

As an educator, Brenna has taught alongside the biggest names in permaculture, including Rosemary Morrow, David Holmgren, Dan Palmer, and Hannah Moloney.

She co-runs Grow Do It Permaculture Education, a project focused on bringing climate solutions to kids (and their grown ups) through art, music and creativity.

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Brenna is currently building her own strawbale house out of reclaimed materials in Western Australia on Noongar boodja. She acknowledges the traditional owners of this land, and that sovereignty was never ceded.

Cheeselinks is a family-owned business with over twenty years experience in the dairy industry. They teach people how to make their own cheeses at home and have a range of products for home cheesemakers.

Janet Clayton is the proprietor of Cheeselinks, she is a qualified cheesemaker who has completed her studies at the Artisan Cheesemaking Academy in South Australia. She has conducted many workshops all over Australia but loves to teach here at CERES and at her home in LARA.

Charlene Angus is an experienced cheese instructor who conducts many workshops on the Bellarine Peninsula. She enjoys sharing her skills with people who share her love of all things cheesy.

Chrissi Charles cemented their love of plants in Lutruwita (Tasmania) while studying a bachelor of plant sciences (Botany and Ecology) in Nipaluna (Hobart). Chrissi spent the first few years after studying diving into a career in horticulture which included an internship at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne and an almost two-year stint as a researcher and content maker for the ABC’s Gardening Australia. Over the last year, Chrissi has split their time between working at Merri Creek Management Committee as a part of the Ecological Restoration team, studying a Masters of Ecosystem Management and Conservation (part-time) at Melbourne University and learning the ropes as a casual educator at Ceres. Chrissi is excited to share their passion for plants, ecology and getting your hands dirty restoring natural areas.

Ilka White is an artist, designer and maker of textiles. Her work often responds to the forces at play within the natural world and reflects the principles of sustainability. She is a great believer in the ability of beauty and creativity to lift the spirit. An experienced teacher, Ilka’s popular classes also reflect her love of the handmade, and her contemporary use of traditional making methods.

Joel Meadows is an environmental educator, energy auditor, building designer, sustainable transport consultant, illustrator, maker of things of steel and wood, grower, cooker and preserver of food, avid gardener and musician. Joel has studied Sculpture, Blacksmithing, Renewable Energy Technology and Permaculture, he has worked for private, government and not for profit organisations and runs the Green Hand Institute, offering permaculture education and product development from new forms of rocket stove to innovative beehives, from human-powered machines to biochar makers. Joel illustrated the second edition of David Holmgren’s ‘Principles’ book and ‘The Rocket Powered Oven’ e-book with Tim Barker.

Joel lives with his family on the fringe of Castlemaine – Central Victoria, in their owner built and designed passive solar straw-bale home, where he continually works on his permaculture business, property and ideas. When not in the shed Joel can often be found in the garden, growing food, building hot compost piles, tending to the chooks or scything around the orchard trees. Joel is an avid bike rider and repairer, likes playing and making guitars, building furniture, blacksmithing and leather

Ken Hercott grew up on a wheat farm in the Mallee, Victoria. He started baking at home using flour milled on farm, then took his passion to the US to work under Master baker Richard Bourdon, alongside Chad Robertson. Returning to Austalia, he then worked with John Downes ( the legend of Australian sourdough) at Newrybar and then at the Natural Tucker Bakery. There he honed his skills using a wood fired oven. Ken’s passion for sourdough bread led him to Europe, where he baked and taught at Fattoria Barbialla Nuova, in Tuscany.

Naabi Methe is a degree qualified Naturopath and a registered member of the Naturopaths and Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA). She has been a committee member of Vic Herbs since 2016 and has volunteered with Hands on Health and the Fitzroy All Stars. As well as being a clinician, Naabi manufactures small batch vegan botanical skin care, medicinal teas and first aid products under the name of Common Garden
Health; runs fermenting and home remedy workshops and blogs about herbal remedies and food as medicine. Her passion is the use of herbal
medicine and food as medicine to achieve affordable and sustainably-optimal health outcomes, and believes that knowledge is power, and knowledge about sustainable health practices should be common knowledge and should be shared. It’s also really fun!