LILI Donaldson was born in Deniliquin and grew up in Beechworth and Wooragee.
After a recent move to Chiltern, she has had a wonderful six months living in the town at her cousin's house.
What's your job?
Currently, I have three jobs (in three different states) and studying a Bachelor of Environmental Science full–time at Charles Sturt University (CSU).
It may seem a bit ridiculous, but I find it hard to sit still!
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On top of my own gardening business, I work for a South Australian not–for–profit environmental organisation called Trees For Life, and i'm contracted as a sustainability adviser at CSU's Albury–Wodonga campus.
What brought you to this role?
After I finished high school, I travelled and lived overseas where I was subjected to a plethora of environmental issues I wasn't even aware existed.
In 2019, I began my studies in South Australia and was immediately fascinated by the natural world, how it functions, and what needs to be done to improve the current environmental crises.
What do you love about your job?
I love that this field is so broad, yet everyone involved is working towards a common goal, to help better the planet for all current and future generations alike.
It brings communities together and creates much–needed awareness around important environmental issues.
What do you do in the community?
Having only recently moved back, I'm looking to get stuck into volunteering with a local Landcare group and will soon join a CFA team again.
What's the most important current community issue for you?
Waste management is a huge one for me, but having grown up on a property surrounded by bush, fire risk reduction has and always will be the most important issue, as it can have devastating impacts on a community in mere minutes.
What would you do to solve, change or improve that situation?
Undertake cooler and more frequent burns through places like the Chiltern National Park and surrounds, which are sitting like ticking time bombs given their current fuel loads.
I also think the need for constant education around fire safety is imperative in our community, as many new families continue to settle in the region.
What's the most important current world issue for you?
I can't go past the current climate crisis, forewarned to us by scientists some 60 years ago.
I'm upset to think that for so long it hasn't been seen as an 'issue', because it didn't show its destructive results in plain sight.
I can only hope that the global community comes together soon to create a collective effort of positive and permanent environmental change towards a more sustainable future for all.
If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo, or was already here, who would that be and what would you show them?
I would have loved the chance to meet my 'Opa' from Germany.
I feel that he would have simply adored this gorgeous region, especially our beautiful nature landscapes like the gorge or mountain ranges.
Why would you show him that?
He was a brilliant artist and, and based on his previous work, I think his depiction of our local environment would have been absolutely stunning.
What book are you reading?
Apart from the never–ending pile of textbooks, I am thoroughly enjoying my current read, 'Soil' by Matthew Evans – the incredible story of what keeps earth, and us, healthy.
