Aislinn Martin

CSL motivated me to 'walk the talk'

What was the most valuable thing you got out of CSL?

CSL motivated me to 'walk the talk' and not just 'talk the talk'.  

Why are you passionate about sustainability? What was the moment or event that made you decide to become a 'change maker' in your field?

I joined the Australian Conservation Foundation in the early 1990s when I was thirteen years old. I was motivated to do this after seeing the front page of the newspaper with a picture of the world and a caption that said 'Ignore it and it will go away'. The next moment of inspiration came when I was in second year at university at the Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies. After a lack of purpose in first year, I suddenly found my passion in the inequality experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia.

Why is leadership for sustainability important?

I am a believer that change must come from the bottom up and the top down and hopefully meet in the middle!

What do you plan to do next on your sustainability journey?

I hope to redesign my backyard in the future to include a chook pen and more appropriate planting sites to grow my own food. I would love to have a bee hive but I think the space might prove challenging.