Women for the Environment breakfast, Cairns 2024

Bush Heritage Australia invites you to join us for a thought-provoking networking breakfast, featuring inspiring female leaders providing their insights and guidance on collaboration for a nature positive future.

Across the world, business, governments and communities are intensifying their response to the ongoing threats of climate change, biodiversity loss and associated impacts. These are no longer issues to be managed by the few, and require action and collaboration from all sectors. Integrating sustainability, natural capital assets and complex climate issues into decision-making and strategic risk management is key to protecting our incredible natural world.

Date
Friday 26 July 2024

Time
7.30AM - 10.30AM

Location
Grand Ballroom
Hilton Cairns
34 Esplanade, Cairns

PANELLISTS

Lucy Graham, Director, Cairns and Far North Environment Centre

Lucy was born in Cairns and grew up on the Atherton Tablelands. Playing and learning in the amazing FNQ environment meant she developed a deep love for the wide ranging nature that our region has. Her early years were spent as an Outdoor Educator and Tour Guide, before moving into environmental and climate advocacy and organising. She now proudly leads the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre, one of 9 Regional conservation groups in Queensland. 

Lucy has a B. Sustainability, majoring in Social Science from JCU, and has worked with organisations such as The Wilderness Society, GetUp and the Queensland Conservation Council, and volunteers across a number of community organisations locally. 

Melissa Sinclair, General Manager, APN Cape York

Melissa is passionate about social justice and the environment and her career has spanned digital communications, environmental policy research, and community engagement and development, and environmental management. Melissa has worked in various environmental management and governance roles since 2008 with a focus on Indigenous empowerment and sustainable development. 

Since 2022 Melissa has been the General Manager of APN Cape York overseeing biodiversity conservation, fire management for carbon abatement and cattle management on the Wik homelands in remote western Cape York, a vast area of spectacular coastal wetlands and country of major ecological significance. Melissa has a Master of Arts, International Relations, a Master of Environmental Management and is currently undertaking an MBA, Social Impact.

Sarah Hoyal, Biodiversity and Climate Leader, Terrain Natural Resource Management

Sarah has over 20 years’ experience as an environmental and social science professional, finding solutions to complex environmental and social problems in urban and remote Australia and internationally. 

Sarah's success lies in her sound scientific experience and ability to forge strong relationships with diverse stakeholders including corporations, research organisations, local Councils, conservation, and Indigenous organisations.

Her key competencies lie in environmental markets, program and policy development, contract management, conflict management, facilitation and negotiation skills, governance and cross-cultural communication.

MC/PANEL MODERATOR 

Kim Skubris

Kim is an experienced journalist with over 25 years working in both Australia and overseas. Kim has reported on some of Australia’s biggest stories at home, and abroad, from natural disasters to war zones. For the last two decades Kim has also been a media consultant, MC and keynote speaker.

SPECIAL GUESTS

• Rachel Lowry, CEO, Bush Heritage Australia
• Christina Tonkin, Managing Director, Corporate Finance, ANZ Banking Group

TICKETS AND DONATIONS

Your ticket fee goes towards the conservation work of Bush Heritage Australia. As a not-for-profit organisation, we rely greatly on donations from supporters. Please consider making a donation to Bush Heritage Australia.

For event enquiries please email events@bushheritage.org.au

TICKET SALES CLOSE 10 JULY, UNLESS SOLD OUT PRIOR

Bush Heritage acknowledges the Gimuy-walubarra yidi traditional custodians of the Gimuy lands in Cairns and surrounding district, upon whose land this event will take place.

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