Climate Friendly was established to tackle the climate challenge we are all facing, and we do this by focusing on regenerating land across Australia. It is natural that this focus on land has led us to forge connections with Australia’s Traditional Owners and first custodians of the lands we are working to regenerate, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Peoples.
Building on our shared values and interest in carbon farming, we have made an important start on our reconciliation journey, partnering with more than eight Traditional Owner groups and developing eighteen carbon farming project agreements in Queensland over the past four years.
This led us to develop our first Reconciliation Action Plan to reflect our commitment to meaningful reconciliation.
We hope this journey will enable us to deepen our engagement with existing and new Traditional Owner partners, expanding the scope of possible collaborations. This will lead to both more enduring partnerships, and improved community and environmental outcomes for everyone involved. Our team are excited by the prospects and looking forward to sharing the reconciliation journey ahead for us with our partners and the broader carbon farming community.
Tree Spirits by Natalie Bateman represents her experience travelling through Yuin country, her mother’s native land on the NSW South Coast.
Whilst there, Nat could see and feel the spirits of her ancestors amongst the beautiful rich native trees. This artwork represents the ancestors of all Indigenous people, always watching over us.
Nat belongs to one of the largest Aboriginal families on the NSW South Coast. They are sea dwellers and their lives revolve around the ocean, hunting and gathering seafood.
Nat grew up in the South Eastern suburbs of Sydney at Maroubra Beach and La Perouse, then moved to Nambucca Heads on the NSW North Coast, home of her extended Gumbaynggirr family.
Living at Lennox Head in her early 20’s she discovered painting and began to learn and experiment on her own. It was then that Nat discovered her true passion for painting so she swapped cooking in restaurants for paintbrushes.
Nat’s family upbringing and cultural connection has influenced the style and subjects of her artworks. She says “All of my art has the essence of my family in them, they are my life and they all bring colour to my world.
For many years I have used the dot style painting, but today the use of line work in paintings is now more my groove.”