Viviana Bernal
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Dr Harriet Fesq | Board Chair
Dr Harriet Fesq (she/her) is an impact and sustainability strategist committed to securing a safe climate through her social innovation consultancy, her work as a Climate Reality Leader, and through her voluntary community contributions. Harriet brings valuable experience working on and with boards, non profits, social ventures and SMEs and has extensive experience working with First Nations-owned enterprises on community impact projects - the focus of her Doctorate. She has a particular interest in Climate Justice and the intersection of cultural, social and environmental outcomes. Harriet is a strong facilitator and relationship-builder, and a proud mother of three living on unceded Wangal Country. Connect with Harriet on LinkedIn
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Viviana Bernal published Become a climate action sustainer in Get Involved 2022-09-16 14:05:40 +1000
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Marie Carvolth | Board - Non-executive Director
Marie (she/her) is a mum, a coral ecologist and polar expeditioner whose first-hand experience of climate impacts in the natural world led her to climate campaigning and community organising since 2012. Marie co-founded Australian Parents for Climate Action in 2019 and was the founding Chair of the Board until 2023, when she stepped aside to make more time for family matters. She continues as a valued Non-executive Director.
Marie is an impact investor, shareholder advocate and climate spokesperson. She was awarded a 2022 Pro Bono Australia Impact 25 Award for her impact through Australian Parents for Climate Action, and a 2019 Gecko (Gold Coast and Hinterland) Environment Council Award for her deep support of the Gold Coast School Strike 4 Climate team.Marie is proudly a first generation Australian to refugee and migrant parents, grateful to be living and working on beautiful unceded Kombumerri Country on the Gold Coast, and pays respect to Kombumerri elders past and present - the true saltwater people of this region. Connect with Marie on LinkedIn
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Bianca Sands | Staff - Community Resilience Manager
Bianca brings a comprehensive set of skills from her background in health promotion, community development and engagement. After 10 years dedicated to homeschooling her daughters, Bianca is using her flexibility, resilience, organisational skills and the capacity to think strategically to focus on climate action.
An experienced communicator, Bianca understands the importance of people feeling seen, heard and valued, and is able to connect with people from diverse backgrounds. As a parent she also knows first hand the challenges that parents face in day to day life, the motivation to act to protect our childrens future and the desire to be part of a movement for change.
Bianca lives with her family on beautiful Butchulla country.“I am a Mum to two teenage daughters - first and foremost, they are the reason I am here. In the past 3 years, I have watched and debriefed as my daughters have become increasingly aware of the changes we are seeing in our own backyard - we were visiting family on the south coast of NSW when the 2019 new years eve bushfires were bearing down, we’ve witnessed nests of dead turtle hatchlings being dug up after they were cooked in extreme temperature sand, and we’ve seen the bleaching and degradation of the patches of coral reef in the bay not far from where we live, not to mention the wet weather events of 2022.
After two decades of knowing about climate change, taking lots of individual action in my daily life and how we’ve raised our family, it hit me really hard last year how naive I have been in relying on successive governments and other leaders to heed the science and the mounting evidence of severe weather events. 20 years ago, I thought surely they’ll act with caution, surely they’ll take the advice of the scientists and shift our trajectory. It’s been humbling to see how wrong I was.In 2021, I joined Australian Parents for Climate Action as a volunteer and very quickly I knew I’d found my tribe. In a tumultuous time of escalating severe weather events and reports highlighting the gravity of the situations we face, I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to be part of this amazing community, particularly during the 2022 election campaign - facing the challenges together and being inspired to live with active hope for a better future for our kids has made a huge difference in my life and to my mental and emotional wellbeing. I feel privileged to work with this amazing team and to contribute in some way to a safer, healthier future for all.”
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Become a climate champion for your kids today
A parents love is a powerful thing. Let's use our power to secure a bright future for our kids.
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Play-ins
Answer- Our parent supporters have found great success in having “play-ins’ outside MP’s offices, and even in Parliament House itself! Because what's more disarming than a bunch of parents and kids on a picnic rug, asking firmly but nicely for more climate action?
- Broadcast it live via our main Facebook page - we will set you up, and provide tips and tricks! Email [email protected]
- Develop a press release and contact your local media networks ahead of time. Here’s our guide for getting media coverage; and key messages for spokespeople.
Read this inspiring story here of how the Darwin Local Group got leverage from regular play-ins!
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Walk for Climate
AnswerTake a walk with a friend or twenty, wearing our AP4CA t-shirts and brandishing our climate- call-to-action flyers/cards. Connect with your local community by stopping for a chat, introducing yourself, and ask them if they are a parent or grandparent who cares about creating a safe future for you children.
If they say yes, pass them one of our flyers/cards and talk them through how they can get involved. Our flyers/cards ask them to:
Scan a QR code to sign a petition asking their MP to take climate action;
Host a Climate Action sign in their front yard
Join their local AP4CA group, or join with other locals like you to meet with your local federal election candidates and ask for climate action.If they say no, that's ok, thank them for their time and wish them a great day! They will remember you for being polite.
You can also do this activity at the entrance or exit to your local farmers market, or out the front of your local supermarkets. It’s a fun way to meet your community, and empower each other to truly participate in our democracy!! Just half an hour of your time will reach dozens of people, and create connections in your community.
Click here to download the print file for these action cards.
Other talking points - if people get chatty!
Talk about what you love about your community, and what kind of community you want it to be in the future - jobs in renewable energy, a safe place for kids to play all summer long without fear of heat waves or bushfires or floods. And how right now is a key moment to get your local political candidates to commit to stronger climate action now.
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Join local parent action group
AnswerThe Parents for Climate local group network is a critical source of power to effect change and protect our children’s future. We have local parent groups across all Australian states and territories, check out the locations.
They're welcoming and supportive, and we would love to meet you online or in person! If you are a parent, carer, family member or anyone who cares about kids, to advocate for urgent action on climate. Get involved! Or to find out more about what they do.
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T-shirts: show your support
AnswerWearing an AP4CA t-shirts are a great way to spark conversations with others. Whether it is at school or daycare drop-offs or on a “Walk for Climate”, your desire and commitment for climate action will be visible (and proud!).
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MP letters
AnswerIt has never been easier to write to your local election candidates to tell them you support strong climate action. We have created this simple online tool that enables you to directly contact your local election candidates, and raise the importance of climate action, and ask them for a meeting or to demonstrate their support.
Nothing to lose, everything to gain! Give to a go
ap4ca.good.do/speak/raise-your-voice
Your voice is powerful. Politicians want your support right now. And if we all speak up and make ourselves heard, we can shift the politics toward positive solutions that help secure a safe climate for all children.
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Write an opinion piece
Answer- Have an hour to spare, to transform into wide reaching climate communication? Follow our easy to use guide on how to write an opinion piece using our narrative training guide.
- Send the results to [email protected] to get help polishing it, and get your story placed in a local or national news site!
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Viviana Bernal published A safe climate for our kids to thrive in Parents for Climate 2022-02-21 16:28:50 +1100
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Organise
If you’ve ever helped organise a school BBQ or Mother’s Day Stall, you’ve got all the skills you need to organise a game-changing climate action event!
Community building, connecting and inspiring each other to take greater action on climate is not only a fun and cool thing to do, it's a meaningful use of your time to help ensure a brighter future for your kids! #StrongerTogether
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Act
It’s commonly recognised that the cure to any climate grief is action! And what better than building your community through thoughtful, strategic action - together?!
Whether it's donning one of our cool T-shirts, signing and sharing a petition, taking a Walk for Climate, joining a local group, hosting a climate action now sign, or letterboxing key areas, we’ve got a menu of action oriented tools for you to unite behind.