Meet our 2023 Community Environment Award Winners!

The Victorian Forest Alliance (VFA) was established in October 2021 bringing together 39 existing and well-established grassroots forest groups actively protecting native forests across Victoria. VFA brings together decades of experience and is in a unique position to work with local communities, member orgs, ENGO’s, scientists and Traditional Owners running grassroots campaigns.

“The Victorian Forest Alliance is so grateful to be receiving the Community Environment award from Environment Victoria. It acknowledges the dedication, power, and passion of our 39 grass-roots members groups, who have worked very hard, some for over 40 years, to see the protection of native forests from logging” 

“The state government’s announcement to wind up most native forest logging by the end of this year would not have been possible without the incredible work of legal teams, citizen science, and community groups taking action to hold VicForests accountable to the law. We are forever grateful for all you have done to protect these precious forests” — LVA Campaign Manager Chris Schuringa.

Learn more: https://www.victorianforestalliance.org.au/

Sapna is a climate justice collective in the South Asian diaspora in Australia. Sapna means a dream in many South Asian languages. It stands for our vision for climate solutions grounded in justice and the hope of a climate movement that includes stories from South Asia.

The world needs a rapid transition away from fossil fuels and a transition to clean renewable energy. However, this is just half the story of climate justice. The other half of the climate justice story lies beyond the singular narratives of ‘stopping coal’ and ‘starting renewables’. The other half is about creating a just future. Sapna tells the other half of the climate justice story with a focus on South Asian communities.

“South Asia is one of the world’s most climate vulnerable places. Rural, and nature-dependent-livelihood-based communities including Indigenous groups, accounting for 65% of the South Asian population, are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Connecting with a large and growing South Asian diaspora, Sapna tells interconnected stories of climate vulnerability and just solutions from Australia and South Asia and advocates for global climate justice”

— Dr. Ruchira Talukdar, Co-Founder and Director Sapna South Asian Climate Solidarity.

Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/sapnaclimatesolidarity/

SOPEC have been staunchly fighting to stop seismic blasting of Sea Country. Gunditjmara-led group SOPEC have been staunch in their resistance to seismic blasting of Sea Country and the destruction of whale songlines.

Gunditjmara woman calls for Warrnambool rally against proposed seismic testing

The Standard

A whale dreaming custodian says proposed seismic testing off the south-west coast could never co-exist peacefully with ancient living creation songlines.

“We will keep coming like the waves of the southern ocean that is the promise of our blood! We are saltwater and United we can keep Country protected for the future”

Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/p/SOPEC-Southern-Ocean-Protection-Embassy-Collective-100082530016653/