Lisa Siegel, EYE Coordinator

Lisa’s first go at environmental advocacy was in Year 6, as a member of “STOP: Student Team on Protection”, a group that went around the school playground getting people to pick up their rubbish! After this inspiring start, she went on to become a community activist, a teacher, and then a mother of two boys.

Lisa was instrumental in helping a group of her students get EYE started in 2007, and feels very lucky that she has been able to work in the capacity of EYE Coordinator ever since. She creates and facilitates the Leadership Training program for EYE, as well as doing administration and development work.

Lisa has a Masters in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Masters in Social Ecology from University of Western Sydney. Besides her work with EYE, she is currently working as a Waterwise Schools educator with Cascade Environmental Education Centre. Lisa is also a founding member of Transition Bellingen, sits on the Environmental Advisory Committee for Bellingen Shire Council, and is a member of the Mid River Group of Environmental Educators.

Vishnu Hazell, EYE Administrative Worker

Vishnu has been a part of Bellingen EYE for three years, and has been working part time for Bellingen EYE as an Administrative Assistant for one year now. His main responsibilities include bookkeeping and keeping on top of the reporting and filing. This year, Vishnu was elected as the EYE group facilitator whose main job is to organise and run the meetings. He is also a fantastic camp leader at most EYE camps and a talented artist who has designed beautiful EYE tshirts.

Vishnu is currently undergoing his HSC at the Coffs Harbour Senior College. He aspires to become an architect who focuses on sustainable building and living.

Charlie Sheather, EYE Website Maintenance Worker

Charlie was one of the founding members of EYE when he was in Year 9. Since then, he has attended every EYE camp except for two, and has been part of nearly every Leadership Group. Charlie is one of our most beloved Camp Leaders at the Junior camps. Besides designing our amazing EYE logo, Charlie is also our wonderful website wizard, who worked with our good friends at Go4 Multimedia to create this website, which he now helps maintain weekly.

Charlie finished his HSC last year, and is currently working on developing his own website design company, as well as doing building work with his dad. He is looking forward to starting his studies in Computer Science at university next year.

Olivia Bernardini, EYE Project Coordinator

Olivia was born in Italy, where she lived until she was 18. She then moved to the UK, where she studied Social Anthropology at the London School of Economics. During her early 20’s, Olivia became involved in social and environmental activism, which led her to living up a tree for over a year. Olivia also spent extended periods of time living in Indigenous communities around the world . These experiences awakened Olivia’s passion and commitment for working as a change agent.

Olivia moved to Australia in 2000. She completed a Master of Social Ecology at the University of Western Sydney and a Graduate Diploma in Counselling at the University of New England. Olivia is also a Yoga teacher and has trained in movement awareness techniques and Insight meditation.

Olivia has been working with Bellingen EYE since 2009 in various capacities. She is currently coordinating the Food4LYF project in collaboration with Bellingen High School and the Bellingen Community Garden Association.

Benn Wolhuter, EYE Assistant Project Coordinator

Benn recently joined the EYE team after moving with his young family to the area. He is passionate about protecting our planet by promoting sustainable ways of living and is inspired by the EYE approach.

Benn studied Environmental Science at Wollongong University in 1999 and completed a Permaculture Design Certificate in 2003, following up his studies with practical experience in Cambodia and Costa Rica. He has worked with young people and the environment for over 10 years and enjoys engaging community around environmental projects to promote positivity, diversity and resilience.

Saxon Goold, EYE Project Administrative Assistant

Saxon has always been a bush lover, and helped EYE get started when he was in Year 9. He has been an enthusiastic Landcare participant, managing to get to many Sunday morning working bees even when his friends were still sound asleep. He was honoured with the “EYE/Bellingen Urban Landcare Hall of Fame” award because of this dedication!

Saxon completed his HSC last year, and is currently taking a gap year, working at a variety of jobs, including Administrative Assistant for the EYE Food project. He is looking forward to doing some travel, then starting on his uni studies, focussing on anthropology or psychology. He looks forward to continuing to explore the relationship between humanity and its environment in whatever he does.

Mentors

Andrew Turbill

Andrew helped found Bellingen EYE in 2007, and has been active as a youth mentor, program instructor, and Bushwalking Group leader since then.

He is a professional environmental educator with more than 10 years experience developing and delivering environmental and cultural heritage interpretative programs for a range of students and community groups across the north coast region. For much of this time Andrew has worked with the National Parks & Wildlife Service as Discovery (educational programs) Coordinator, supporting a team of 14 staff to deliver a large, diverse program of field based environmental education activities.

With a strong science background (Bach App Sci) Andrew has specialised in recent years as a leading climate change science communicator and is regularly invited to present to a range of community and student groups including key note addresses at conferences and regional forums. Andrew is a founding member of the Mid River Group of Environmental Educators.

Jane Noack

Jane grew up in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, on the fringes of remnant bushland of a local National Park. Through relative freedom and space to explore the bush she developed a strong sense of connection, comfort and joy in being with the land.

Jane studied Applied Science in Environmental Management at Uni of SA between 2001-2005, and later a Bachelor of Education with Flinders University 2007-08. She moved with her daughter to the Bellinger Valley at the beginning of 2009, loving the small and vibrant community in an incredible natural setting. Jane keeps very busy including teaching organic gardening at a local school, working as a Discovery Ranger with National Parks, and working as a Waterwise Educator for Cascade Environmental Education Centre.

Jane’s involvement as an EYE mentor has allowed her to develop her passion for sharing her love of the complex and beautiful web of life we are all part of. She is thrilled to be part of the Bellingen EYE mentor group to give these opportunities for youth to develop.

Claire Dunn

Claire has been exploring and protecting the wild places of the Australia since a teenager. Initially channelling her love of the bush into environmental campaigning, Claire worked to protect forests across Australia for many years, with organisations such as The Wilderness Society. A strong calling to examine to the roots of the ecological crisis led Claire to advanced training in Deep Ecology work with Joanna Macy and she currently co-facilitates ‘Earthworks’ retreats which explore our personal story within a global context.

Claire continued her exploration with the study of traditional earth skills. She studied at Tom Brown Jr’s Tracker School in the US in 2008 and 2009, then taught teenagers at the Hawk Circle Wilderness Education Centre. Claire has just completed a year-long Independent Wilderness Study Program with Nature Philosophy Australia, and explored her inner wilderness as much as the wilds around her. Claire is also a writer. She brings a passion for connection with the earth, and a love of community building and hanging out with wild young things to Bellingen EYE.