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Grace Beattie is a UQ student in her final year of a Bachelor of Law/Arts majoring in Psychology with a minor in Political Science. She is the president of the UQ Justice and Law Society. Next year she plans to commence her Masters of Environmental Law. So, what makes her an environmental hero today? Grace – alongside her friend Arwen – has established the initiative known as Plant It Forward.
What is Plant It Forward?
Through Plant It Forward, Grace sells small potted plants to raise money for the Greenfleet environmental initiative. Grace sells small plants and seedlings online and through community weekend market stalls.
What is Greenfleet?
Greenfleet is a not-for-profit organisation that replants native, biodiverse forests in Australia and New Zealand to restore Indigenous animal habitats, capture carbon emissions, and combat deforestation.
What makes this such a great initiative?
1. Taking Action
We are all aware that climate change is one of the greatest issues that we face today. However, climate change is also what we call a ‘wicked problem.’ Climate change is an issue that is difficult to fully define, it is socially complex, it spans across international borders, and it involves changing behaviours at a societal level. This is understandably overwhelming, and as a result, many people feel like they don’t know where to start.
Enter Grace with Plant it Forward. Firstly, $10 is an affordable contribution for the average person to make, but every little bit counts. At the time of publication, Grace and Arwen recently passed the $2500 fundraising milestone in their journey. Secondly, her customers actually get two plants for the price of one. The small seedling that they buy brightens up homes, offices, businesses, and gardens. Each plant contributes to carbon sequestration, teaches people about plant care, and contributes to the local animal ecosystem. However, their purchase also buys Greenfleet seedlings that directly impact natural reforestation efforts in both Australia and New Zealand.
2. Building Community
Grace provides people with an opportunity to do something not only for themselves but also, for their local and national, and international community. Plant It Forward primarily builds community at the local level. The plant cuttings that Grace sells, as well as the pots, jars, and bottles that house them are all donated by members of the community. Not everyone has the time or skill to care for a plant, but by donating people are still able to contribute to this goal. Selling through social media and local market stalls also allows more people to take part, with plants selling from Melbourne to Monto (484km northwest of Brisbane).
Greenfleet nurseries span across Australia and New Zealand, targeting a need for reforestation in areas that will remain protected, allowing Indigenous species to re-establish and strengthen ecosystems.
3. Sharing Knowledge and Building Connection
Grace shared with me that Queensland holds the regrettable record of the highest ongoing deforestation across all Australian states. Deforestation cripples Indigenous animals’ ecosystems, destabilises soil, leading to increased flooding, and reduces carbon sequestration leading to increased global warming.
Through Plant It Forward, Grace not only teaches the community about deforestation in our own backyard, but also why reforestation is important and how we can help. Most of Grace’s customers are from Brisbane and its surrounding suburbs. Greenfleet has seventeen replanting initiatives in Queensland alone. The closest to Brisbane is only an hour away on Yuggera country at the foot of Flinders Peak. This forest is called Koala Crossing and aims specifically to increase habitat for local koala populations and water quality. It is part of the Flinders Karawatha Corridor, which is the largest remaining continuous stretch of eucalypt forest in Southeast Queensland.
Through the Plant It Forward social media, Grace also provides plant care advice, shares updates about plants on offer, where to find your nearest stalls, and how to identify and avoid invasive species, and the impact that the Plant it Forward community has had so far.
Grace is an environmental hero because she reminds us that tackling climate change is possible if we work to tackle the problem together. If you want to be part of this great initiative, you can find out more from Plant It Forward’s Instagram (@plantitforward_) or website (plantitforward.bigcartel.com)
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