Following the success of our Community Conservationists film project, Remember The Wild embarked on a mission to profile eight Community Conservationists located in the City of Banyule region in Melbourne’s north-east. Funded by a Banyule Environmental Sustainability Grant, the resulting magazine features eight hard-working environment and sustainability groups who dedicate their time to a range of challenging activities.

While conducting the interviews that make up this publication, the Remember The Wild team has learnt so much about the role of people power in creating real, community-wide change. There’s the work of Friends of Wilson Reserve to resurrect an Ivanhoe reserve once dominated by invasive weeds, which has resulted in a suburban oasis of thriving bushland and a well-known microbat survey program. Then there’s Friends of Plenty River whose dedication to restoring indigenous vegetation in an area rich in history has seen profound results.

The two Transition Towns featured in this publication are strong examples of how small but dedicated groups of people can instigate change on a large scale. With an emphasis on clean energy and community gardening, Sustainable Macleod consists of passionate individuals committed to sustainable living. Similarly, Sustainable Greensborough is all about relocalising and building the community’s resilience in the face of climate change.

The commitment of Friends of St Helena Bush Reserve has led to immense enhancements to a suburban green space that is now flourishing with unique floral species and chattering birdlife. Friends of Darebin Creek is an impressive group whose community spirit and enthusiasm for reinvigorating the ecosystems that support the fifty-kilometre stretch of Darebin Creek is nothing short of inspiring. Similarly, Friends of Anthony Beale Reserve supports a special bushland ecosystem full of rare and fascinating native plant species that are local to the St Helena area. Lastly, the inspiring commitment of the Darebin Parklands Association to conserve an incredible area of green space in the backstreets of Alphington and Ivanhoe will leave any nature enthusiast feeling awestruck.

Whether restoring green space in the local community or helping to reduce people’s reliance on fossil fuels, the groups featured in Banyule Community Conservationists all have two very important things in common – a love for the natural world and a commitment to making a difference.

Follow the link below to read this unique collection of stories.