Connected in Nature: Bringing Professions Together for the Environment

Connected In Nature: Monthly in-person gathering.

A relaxed outdoor morning on the Bennelong Lawn at the Royal Botanic Garden, where people from different professions come together to connect, share perspectives, and explore how the environment connects to their work and lives through their own unique lens.
There are no presentations. No panels. Just open, honest conversations in a beautiful, natural setting with people you haven't met yet, who see the environment differently than you do.
Each month, we gather around a different topic that connects us to the environment.
This month's topic is "What We Carry, What We Plant."

Because when people from different walks of life sit together in nature and start talking, something shifts — Environmental awareness stops feeling like someone else's responsibility. It becomes personal, collective, and possible.

What We Carry, What We Plant

In our first gathering, we reconnected with nature, with memory, and with each other.

This month, we go a little deeper.

We live in a time when the state of our environment can feel overwhelming — the news is heavy, the scale of change is vast, and it can be hard to know where we as individuals fit into it all. Many of us who work in or care deeply about the environment carry a particular kind of weight: a grief, a frustration, a quiet urgency that doesn't always have a place to land.

This gathering is that place.

💚 What We Carry — We'll open space to honestly acknowledge what it feels like to witness what is happening to our planet. No silver linings, no bypassing. Just presence, and the relief of being in a space with people who understand.

🌱 What We Plant — From that honest place, we'll turn toward something small and real. By the end of our time together, each person will leave with one thing — one personal, achievable action connected to the environmental issue that matters most to them right now. Not a grand gesture. Not a pledge. Just one seed.

What to expect on the day

🌱You'll be welcomed onto Bennelong Lawn and given space to settle in and say hello (bring a picnic blanket and anything that helps you feel at ease).
🌱From there, the morning flows gently — introductions where everyone shares who they are, what they do, and what brought them here. (We'll begin sharp at 10 am to make the most of our time together — please aim to arrive a few minutes early to settle in).
🌱A yarn where real stories and honest perspectives are shared across professions, exploring what we are witnessing in the world around us, how we feel about it, and what it stirs in us to do.
🌱Together we reflect, and each person leaves with one small, personal act — connected to the environmental issue that matters most to them right now. Not a grand gesture, just one seed to plant in your own way and your own life.
🌱After 11 am, the structure ends, but the conversations don't have to, and the gardens are beautiful.

♻️ This gathering is plastic-free.
As a community rooted in care for the environment, we're keeping our footprint light.

💚 Where your contribution goes

This event is free and open to everyone.

If this feels meaningful and you'd like to help this grow, here is exactly where your contribution goes:
🌱Bringing more people together through future Connected in Nature gatherings - by hiring event spaces that welcome our growing community.
🌱Inviting more diverse professions and voices into the environmental conversation - through workshops, talks, and curated events.
🌱Running environmental awareness workshops that reach schools and community groups - through educational content and interactive sessions.
🌱Growing the EnvironmentallyAbled community so it can reach and inspire more people - through storytelling, shared experiences, and meaningful connections

Every contribution, however small, helps make the next event bigger, more accessible, and more impactful.

Give what feels right 💚

Different professions. One environment.

For any enquiries or questions, please feel free to reach out: environmentallyabled@gmail.com