River Stories
Every river tells a story. And so do the people who live along them. That's why we've been capturing the stories of those people who love and care for our rivers.
Throughout history, cultural knowledge and values have been passed from generation to generation through the use of stories. They bring to life the lessons of our past and paint pictures of our future. Yet more often river advocates and managers rely on facts and figures to influence decision makers and garner public support.
We've walked a different path.
For many years, we've found capturing stories a useful way to highlight the many social and cultural values of healthy rivers. Our first program - Your River - has been building an online living record of the people who love and care for Victoria’s great rivers and wetlands since 2004.
Take a minute and explore these rivers through the eyes of these river champions.
North-East Rivers
Western Rivers
Gippsland Rivers
Greater Melbourne Rivers
In 2007 we took this work with stories to a new level with our Storylines project, which celebrates the stories of personal connection to Murray River wetlands through the use of the digital story-telling.
Gunbower-Koondrook-Perricoota Storylines
Hattah Lakes Storylines
Telling stories through new media
Digital storytelling combines the compelling tradition of oral storytelling with new technologies, creating short, autobiographical video-clips that explore the authors' own story and experience. The production process brings together video, photos, text, music and voice-over narration. This modern-day form of capturing and sharing stories offers a powerful way to celebrate and the personal moments, memoirs, and connections that make a place unique.
Our Storylines participants tell us that they found the experience of celebrating their connection to this special place to be an empowering experience. They were left with a feeling of renewed confidence and determination to defend it.
Lean more about the Storylines project here
Each story we capture is different, but ultimately they are all the same. In an era of branding and marketing, what came through was that people love their rivers. And any damage to those rivers, damages the lives of the people who love them.
Now, it's over to you...
Tell a River story
The project is now inviting the general public to contribute their own anecdotes and memories about rivers. So far we have received a handful of evocative contributions about the Yarra. We look forward to reading many more and, more importantly, publishing them on our website.
Catch up with the latest news and stories below.
State adopting softer approach on land clearing
22 May 2013
Tom Arup, The Age
Unknown wonders: Barmah-Millewa forest
14 May 2013
Susan Lawler, The Conversation
Transport a winner, but others are not so happy
8 May 2013
ABC
Budget abandons outstanding environment election promises
7 May 2013
Merger puts 'fox in hen house'
11 April 2013
Peter Collins, Warrnambool Standard
DSE merger signals risk antiquated approach to environment will continue
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Today Premier Naphine announced the merger of the Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Department of Primary Industry, as...
moreRecord demand for Basin water
3 April 2013
Lisa Kingsberry, ABC
Demand for water from the Murray-Darling Basin is the highest it has ever been at this time of year.
Phil Grahame, a water trader in Victoria's north-...
moreReport details murky
1 April 2013
Louis Nelson, Latrobe Valley Express
THE "lack of analysis" in a scientific report used to bolster Yallourn power station's application to increase water discharge from its open cut...
moreWater use soars after heatwave
14 March 2013
Jason Dowling, The Age
The water use records keep tumbling this year, with Melbourne recording another record in the past week.
With temperatures well into the...
moreChange of leadership offers chance to turn over new leaf on environment
Thursday, 7 March 2013
Environment Victoria is calling on Premier Denis Napthine to rethink the Baillieu government’s ‘scorched earth’...
more
Twitter
Put your money where your mouth is
How you invest and manage your money can have a big impact on our environment. So why not take the Ethical Money Challenge, to ensure that your money is used to create the future you want?
So you’ve tried green cleaning, riding to work and eating green. You’re a real green...
more
Basin Plan implementation gets underway
For better or worse, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan became law in November 2012. After the many trials and tribulations that went into the plan’s creation, we are now in a different phase – ...
more
Duck hunting in Ramsar listed wetlands – is it a wise use?
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Significance is an international treaty that provides for the conservation and ‘wise use’ of wetlands and their resources. Its mission is "the...
more
Victoria’s rivers in 2013
We all know it’s been hot this summer. Records have been dropping like flies. But we may not have noticed that it has also been dry, and this is having a dramatic impact on flows in rivers across Victoria.
Right now, take a moment to reflect on what’s been achieved for the Murray
One of the first things I did for a Healthy Rivers campaign was to stand on the banks of the Yarra and hand out leaflets to commuters asking them to support their politicians in returning 500 gigalitres of water to the Murray River.
That was almost 10 years ago in 2003. Last week, at...
more
Flickr
- Water Security, Healthy Rivers: Our Vision for Melbourne |
- An Audit of Seven Environmental Bulk Entitlements – Recommended, Planned, and Actual Release of Environmental Water to Victoria’s Stressed Rivers |
- Submission to 2009 Biennial Assessment of progress in Implementation of the National Water Initiative |
- Environment Victoria’s submission to the draft Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy |
- Inquiry into Melbourne's Future Water Supply |
- Environment Victoria submission to Environment Effects Statement for the Victorian Desalination Project |
- Submission to the EPBC investigation of the Sugarloaf Pipeline |
- Environment Victoria submission to Project Impact Assessment of the Sugarloaf Pipeline Proposal |
- Submission to Northern Region Sustainable Water Strategy Discussion Paper |
- Environment Victoria's letter to Minister Madden requesting an EES for the Sugarloaf Pipeline |
The Flow Project explores the social, cultural, environmental, poetic, and spiritual... 
