WSEN-Summit-July-2015-Final-Report

1WSEN 2015 Final Report
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Executive Summary
This report seeks to provide a summary of the proceedings and major outcomes of the
8th annual World Student Environmental Network Summit held at Murdoch University
from 14th-18th July 2015. Over the week-long event 50 delegates and four international
volunteers representing 27 universities from 18 different countries descended on
Murdoch University to explore the theme of ‘Reconnecting with Nature’. Due to our
unique position in the Southern Hemisphere we were able to have much greater
representation from Asia in general and more specifically from countries in the South-
East Asian region. As well as this the Organising Committee through the generous
sponsorship of the School of Management and Governance was proud to be able to
sponsor return flights to enable a delegate from Vietnam to attend the Summit.
The 2015 World Student Environmental Network Summit consisted of a number of
fascinating and inspiring speakers all bringing a unique perspective on what it means to
reconnect with nature, and making the case for why it is vital that as a society we do so.
Throughout the week delegates were also practically immersed in nature through a
variety of workshops, field trips, as well as an incredible indigenous cultural tour of
campus, which culminated in a tree planting session in remnant bushland on Murdoch’s
grounds. All of this was accompanied by good food and the camaraderie of other like-
minded young people, passionate about looking after our planet.

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After an action packed week, the Summit was closed on the Friday evening with a gala
dinner, where the 2015 Organising Committee handed the baton on to the team from
Keele University and the University of Sussex, the joint hosts of the 2016 WSEN Summit.
Following this unforgettable week there was an extensive evaluation process conducted
with the delegates revealing the importance of forming cross-cultural connections with
students who are similarly engaged with environmental and sustainability issues at
their universities.
Above: Distribution map of the delegates attending the 2015 WSEN Summit. Purple stars
represent universities which have not attended before, red – previous Summit host universities,
yellow – have attended more than four times, green – attended less than four times, orange –
sponsored by organising committee funds to attend the Summit.
This report was prepared by the following members of the WSEN 2015 Organising
Committee: Troy Treeby, Rhys Gustafsson, Noella Powell, Rhianna Pezzaniti, Ashwin Nayak,
Lauren Hodson, Peter Upfold, Jon Waller, Bohdi Davies, Megan Bilney, Chloe Smith, Hanif
Salim, Steph Matulin, Wendy Schiebein, Franca Dobbin.

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Contents
Introduction.................................................................. 4
Summary of Proceedings............................................ 9
Day 1.............................................................................. 9
Day 2............................................................................ 11
Day 3............................................................................ 23
Day 4............................................................................ 31
Field Trips................................................................... 32
Summary of evaluation ............................................ 38
Acknowledgements................................................... 42
Appendix .................................................................... 46
Above: WSEN Delegates enjoying morning tea with representatives from Murdoch University
Schools (Credit: Jon Waller).
Cover Page: WSEN Delegates engrossed in a skill based workshop (Credit: Matthew Gardner).

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Introduction
For the 8th year now WSEN has proved successful in bringing student leaders for
sustainability from around the world together to participate in discourse on
environmental sustainability and to make steps toward tackling major global issues.
Each year without fail an electric vibe of contagious inspiration and belief that it is
possible to make change is generated. Being surrounded by such inspiring people from
around the world provides confidence, strength and an important boost for delegates to
continue the change making work they partake in. It is for this reason that we believe
that WSEN Global Summits will continue in the future to positively influence the kind of
future leaders our world needs.
Past Summits
2008: Kyoto, Japan: Doshisha University
The inaugural WSEN global summit, aimed to bring together students from all over the
world to collaborate on and discuss solutions for a sustainable future.
2009: Victoria, British Colombia, Canada: University of Victoria
“3C: Create, Conserve, Collaborate” with three main themes: energy, university
sustainability and global response. To educate, empower and engage the next generation
of world leaders.

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2010: Tübingen, Germany: University of Tübingen
Focus area: Social, political and economic key elements and conditions to create a
sustainable society. This engaged with four central topics: consumption and lifestyle,
energy supply, education and economic development.
2011: Blekinge, Sweden: Blekinge Institute of Technology
Focus area: “Collaborate, Conserve and Create.” Opening up channels of
communication and ideas amongst students from different places, cultures and
backgrounds, whilst increasing their knowledge and seeking solutions to problems.
2012: Lausanne, Switzerland: Université de Lausanne
Focus area: “Let’s Change!” Without fundamental change to mankind and the
environment, we will both undergo irreversible damage. This change was addressed in
3 topics: societal, international and individual.
2013: Lüneburg, Germany: Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
Focus area: “Universities Acting for Sustainability” was chosen because it was
recognized that Universities have great potential to lead the way and it is also an
effective theme considering all the delegates are from Universities all over the world.
The three main topics covered were visions and practices Encouraging students to
develop their vision of a university that works together with civil society for the social,
environmental and economic good as well as to learn how to implement this vision into
practice., change agents: improving the capacities of students to contribute to the

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sustainability transition of their universities and communities and strong international
community: Connecting sustainability-minded students from all over the world with
each other as well as leading experts from science, business and politics.
2014: Stellenbosch, South Africa: Stellenbosch University
Focus area: “Coming Back to Life” spoke of the need to come back to what is important,
through an understanding that our lives are out of sync, and that there is a transition
that is needed in order to make the changes necessary.
2015: Perth, Australia: Murdoch University
Focus area: “Reconnecting with Nature” which looked at the fundamental physical,
emotional and environmental need to maintain a connection to nature throughout our
lives.
2016: Keele & Brighton, England: Keele University and University of Sussex
Focus area: “Sustainability Together”
Theme
The theme of the 2015 Summit was “Reconnecting with Nature”. The rationale for
choosing this theme was that in modern day, with the prominence of technology in our
daily lives and rapid urbanisation taking place all around the world, many of us are
losing touch with nature and that our very lives depend on the services it provides. In
the words of Nature Conservancy’s chief scientist Peter Kareiva:

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“In the end, the fate of biodiversity and ecosystems depends on political choices and
individual choices… If people never experience nature and have negligible
understanding of the services that nature provides, it is unlikely people will choose a
sustainable future.”
Therefore, if our aim is to move society forward to a more sustainable existence, it is
vital that we appreciate the services nature provides for us and to understand the impact
our current interactions with the environment are having. Many of us take for granted
how the essentials for life such as food and water, which are supplied on demand, are
dependent on natural processes. All too often these services are supplied to the
detriment of the environment and because of this disconnect there is no impetus to act in
the general public. By re-establishing a connection with nature, decisions for the future
can be made from a renewed value for nature and the need to maintain it.
The summit also investigated how humans can look to the master of design herself –
Mother Nature, for guidance and inspiration of superior solutions that will enable a
more sustainable future. This flips the perception that humans are the ultimate creators,
and demands a greater respect for nature. Connecting with nature is also strongly linked
to our wellbeing; time spent in nature away from ordinary life is becoming increasingly
important in our hyper-stimulated world.
Many of the delegates are high achieving and hardworking individuals, thus receiving
the message to slow down and connect with nature will help with their well-being and
future pursuits related to sustainability. As a result of this summit it is hoped that the

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delegates will share the lessons they have learnt on why a connection with nature is
important with their peers and wider society.
Above: Delegates enjoying a cultural tour of Piney Lakes Reserve exploring the Whadjuk
Noongar seasonal calendar (Credit: Jon Waller).

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Summary of Proceedings
Day 1
On Tuesday 14th July the World Student Environmental Network Summit 2015
“Reconnecting with Nature” was officially opened with a wonderful ceremony welcoming
delegates to Murdoch University. This was ably kicked off by Ashwin Nayak and Rhys
Gustafsson on behalf of the Organising Committee, followed by an extremely moving
traditional ‘Welcome to Country’ performed by local Noongar custodian Ingrid
Cumming. We were also pleased to have the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and
Innovation Professor David Morrison and Associate Professor John Bailey officially
welcome delegates on behalf of Murdoch University.
Immediately following the ceremony, Professor Lyn Beazley, the former chief scientist of
Western Australia and the Sir Walter Murdoch Distinguished Professor of Science at
Murdoch University, delivered a keynote address. It was primarily centred on the topic
of water and provided an extensive overview of the unique issues, solutions, and
projects related to sustainability occurring in Perth and Western Australia.
Following the morning tea session, Glenn Albrecht, the former Professor of
Sustainability at Murdoch University, delivered a talk highlighting how losses in the
health of ecosystems and the integrity of the built environment consequently leads to a
decline in physical and mental health. Glen termed this concept ‘Solastagia’, a kind of
existential homesickness for our lost planet.

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Dr Mark Hurlstone, of the school of Psychology at the University of Western Australia,
delivered a talk on the psychological distance from nature and what people can do to
rectify that. Mark talked about using insights from psychology and behavioural
economics to foster attitude and behavioural change in relation to climate change. A key
element that was brought up was how psychology and behavioural economics can
provide insights into the mechanisms that are most effective for facilitating international
negotiations aimed at providing global public goods like climate change mitigation.
Griffin Longley, CEO of Nature Play Western Australia, delivered a talk following the
lunch session of Nature Play WA’s initiatives to get children to play outdoors. In
particular, Griffin talked about how Nature Play WA’s collaboration with the
Department of Sport and Recreation began, how not being outdoors is impacting
children and what the long term effects would be, and how Nature Play WA is
addressing this concern through innovative plans involving technology.
Above: WSEN 2015 Organising Committee Members Noella, Bohdi, Wendy and Steph. (Credit:
Tom Benini).

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Day 2
Speeches
Claire Vanderplank, founder of the Slow Project, delivered a talk on the practice of
reconnecting with nature. This talk was positioned to address the sub-theme: how to
reconnect with nature. In addition to sharing why slowing down is crucial and her
personal experiences, including spending 28 days alone on a mountain, Claire placed a
focus on the actual practice of connecting by taking the delegates outdoors. The lecture
theatre is close to a large area of scenic greenery, full of trees and bush, and the delegates
were able to spend time in this quiet setting guided by Claire.
Adam Johnson, business director at Tinderbox, was up next to deliver a talk on his
experiences with sustainable initiatives. Adam shared his story of Garbologie, a business
he started as an expression of his vision of a world without waste, and some of the
lessons he learnt from its commencement to it conclusion. In particular, Adam described
why striving for strong brand affiliation through archetypal storytelling is essential for
any business, how this was applied to Garbologie, and the process of applying it to other
initiatives.
Following the lunch session, Dr Jane Chambers, academic chair of the Environmental
Science program at Murdoch University, described her experiences with environmental
initiatives at tertiary level institutions. In particular, Jane talked about her role as chair of
the Environmental Sustainability Advisory Committee at Murdoch University, and the

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process involved in getting the necessary stakeholders and faculties within a university
to head in a more climate sensitive manner.
Workshops
In these sessions, delegates were able to work collaboratively and learn from each other
and the workshop facilitator. The goal of these workshops was to provide knowledge
and skills to better equip the delegates to effect the change they are striving for in their
own universities and communities.
In ‘Social Beliefs of Climate Change’, Professor Iain Walker led delegates in examining
public understandings and misunderstandings of climate change, through the results of
national surveys conducted in Australia over the previous five years. It was revealed
that behaviour change does not require people to change their values or attitudes. In a
group discussion, delegates devised and evaluated strategies to encourage behaviour
change in people with opposing value systems to our own.
In ‘Appropriate Technology in Water’, representatives from Engineers Without Borders
initiated a discussion about what makes technology appropriate, exploring ways to
address Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) issues. Through this workshop
delegates discovered that addressing the root causes of these problems often involves a
holistic approach adapted to the relevant social and environmental context. Successful
strategies also involved consideration of the needs, circumstances, abilities and priorities
of the people involved at the community level.

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In ‘Enkel’s Community Catalyst’, Jordan Ivatts provided delegates with a hands-on guide
to catalysing communities for positive change. He demonstrated the effectiveness of
running of events and workshops to educate and empower local people to create new
and more sustainable ways of doing things. A framework was presented that could be
used to guide delegates in their own projects, involving the ‘three C’s’ of multiplying
creative energy and collaborative potential, to form communities that sustain and
optimise positive change.
The ‘Being Resourceful Within the Food Industry’ workshop, presented by Claudia Kuettel,
involved a discussion on the processes required to set up a non-profit charity
organisation. Kuettel outlined the different players within the food industry, and their
roles and challenges. This led onto what solutions exist, and how they influence the
balance of the overall food system. Awareness of the structure of the food industry
helped delegates to understand how our daily consumption habits are connected to
nature and to community.
In ‘What is Citizens Science’, Greg Simpson facilitated an interactive discussion exploring
the concepts, mechanisms, and especially the ethics of engaging community members in
citizen science programs. They debated issues of data capturing and ownership, and the
legitimacy of the ‘science’ undertaken in these programs. Finally, delegates reflected
upon the commitment of ‘Professional’ scientists.

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Tree Planting
The tree planting was an important part of the week’s proceedings. We felt that in
staying true to the theme ‘Reconnecting with Nature’ it was important that we spent a
morning out reconnecting with nature. In the words of Leah Knapp, Murdoch
University’s Sustainability Manager:
“When planting trees remember to take a moment to acknowledge what you’re doing, your
surroundings and really connect with them. There is nothing more powerful in reconnecting with
nature than planting a tree that you will never live to see the maturity of, but doing it
nonetheless.”
The morning was a huge success. The delegates came together to plant 400 trees in
Murdoch’s Banksia Woodlands. All trees were native and grown by a small, local
collective called ‘Men of The Trees’, so in doing so the delegates got to experience native
Australian bush land, reconnect with nature and support local community not-for-
profits that uphold sustainable ideals.
University Project Session
OUTLINE OF THE PROJECT
The University Projects session was a facilitated workshop developed and delivered on
the second day of the program by the WSEN Committee. The workshop was structured

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to provide an opportunity for the delegates to work in small groups collaboratively to
further develop their own projects that they are planning or implementing in their
Universities or personal lives. The workshop ran for three hours with approximately
eight delegates in each group. The groups were partially formed based on interest and
project areas ascertained by an online forum created specifically for the workshop. The
format of the workshop was participatory in nature with the committee member
facilitating discussion and the delegates brainstorming, problem solving, documenting
and engaging in the discussion.
SESSION AIMS
The ultimate goal of the workshop was to introduce a specific tool or model that would
better equip delegates to develop a coherent strategy for planning their projects.
One of the WSEN’s key outcomes for the summit centres on delegates sharing their
ideas and visions for sustainability initiatives at their own universities and developing
lasting linkages to help support one another to effect the change they are pushing for in
their own communities.
The session was also an opportunity to think critically about the role and responsibilities
that our Universities have in advocating for and being a leader in implementing
sustainability programs and policies in our communities.

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JUSTIFICATION
The framework used which has been similarly implemented at previous WSEN summits
was loosely based on the Business Canvas Model and adapted to suit more socio-
environmental enterprises and civic minded people. The delegates achieved the goal of
completing a Canvas session and developed a sound understanding of its functionality
and how to use the model independently by the end of the session.
Using a model such as the Canvas framework has two key benefits, it can help the
delegates to understand, design and articulate the important components of their
concept and secondly it can help highlight limitations from the outset and therefore
design solutions to these limitations, into the model from an early stage.
WORKSHOP STRUCTURE
The key components of the workshop were:
 Defining the project
 Constructing vision statements
 Determining limitations and assumptions
 Working through Canvas framework
 Planning and presenting elevator pitches
 Conclusion and feedback

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OUTCOMES OF THE SESSION
As part of the main activity within the workshop, the delegates worked together to
break down each individual groups’ focus project into the specific categories on the
Canvas template, see below. The focus project of the group was determined based on
consensus decision making within each group. Most groups elected to focus on one
project that was in current delivery by one of the delegates at their University.
Projects included:
Growing Change
A student led community garden program.
Biodiversity in the Philippines
A conservation and education program on campus around endemic birds.
Re-Cup
A program to reduce coffee cup waste on campus.
Education for Educators
An interdisciplinary teaching method delivering sustainability education to Education
students to equip them include a sustainability ethos into all components of their school
curriculum once they are teachers.
Changemakers
A Hub to encourage students to network with other likeminded communities
Solar Statement
A program to implement solar panels on campus buildings.

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Carrot Bricks
A program to encourage sustainable buildings on campus.
As part of the Canvas model, once projects were defined and named, the delegates were
to address each component of the framework including: potential limitations and
assumptions, the internal and external landscapes operating within, associated activities,
required budget and financial/non-financial resources, stakeholders, opportunities for
leverage, outputs and impacts.
These segments lead to many important and useful discussions and while it is difficult
in a format such as this to discuss or document the outcomes of each individual groups
workshop, the following section will pull out some important talking points that were
covered among the groups and some observations based around the strengths and
weaknesses of the workshop. These observations were based on post-workshop
surveying collected immediately following the session from the moderator, facilitators
and delegates.
Conversations and observations on:
Universities
Significant challenges lie within Universities, particularly around not having support for
sustainability initiatives as a result of conflicting priorities of the Universities.

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The importance of active student associations cannot be underestimated as they are
often the main drivers of activity.
There seems to be a common lack of courses and units and skilled teachers to deliver
them within Universities so implementing sustainability initiatives is difficult because
the messages are not getting through via traditional forms of education. There is a need
to think outside the usual way of doing things.
Enhancing student experience is essential if you want to foster commitment and
participation.
Bureaucratic challenges at all levels of the universities are significant. Knowing where
and who to go to for assistance and support is difficult.
There is an assumption that the people at the head of the university are sustainably
minded and open and interested in student driven initiatives.
Effective strategies to foster participation in our projects
It is important to connect projects with social outcomes. For example, where possible
projects could offer proceeds to other not-for-profits who are operating in a similar field
doing important work.

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To keep people motivated, you need to be able to offer them an experience or give them
something that they are after as well. Incentivising is impossible, this could be anything
from stickers, to memberships, to university credits, to produce.
When trying to get the public involved it is good to be able to show them what their
participation of funds has gone towards.
Linking projects to cultural values of a place is useful.
The importance of empowerment, people need ownership over the projects, need to
think and implement strategies that will encourage this.
Succession
A common topic of the groups was around what happens when the individual who was
the key driver of a project moves on. Universities are transient by nature; there is an
imperative to ensure that there are structures in place that will allow the program to
continue in the absence of key drivers. Incorporating these structures into a constitution
was a suggestion, as was having a tiered hierarchy for management. By making the top
management positions of an enterprise desirable but hard to achieve, it will ensure that
only those participants who are committed will take up those positions at each level and
with training, this will ensure that there are people to take over when needed.
Assumptions when planning

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We all assume that our projects are valid, that our ideas are needed and they are the best
and that the change or initiative is wanted by the community. It is essential to address
these assumptions from the outset otherwise the project is unlikely to be successful. It is
a good skill to have to be able to be flexible and think about other ways of achieving
your ultimate goal if your method does not suit the community you are working with.
Other assumptions discussed are that people will want to participate, the required
technology will be available, things don’t change (things being the situation, political
landscape, and the need etc.)
Personal and community resilience is important and social capital is just as important
qualities to have as the required funds and available technology.
Other challenges faced
Cultural differences were apparent within the groups, while some discussions and
challenged seemed to be shared among the participants, there were other situations
where there were clear differences which made it more difficult for the group members
to come up with clear cut strategies. For example, in the group tackling Biodiversity in
the Philippines, it is difficult for students to suggest or put forward plans or projects
because of not being able to communicate with the elders, who are typically the decision
makers. This is due to cultural protocol around respect for elders, so all communications
must be in written form.

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This is one example of how the delegates were challenged in this workshop. It was a
strength of the session to have people in culturally diverse backgrounds as it allowed for
delegates to both learn about other people’s challenges, and contemplate new solutions
to overcome them.
INTO THE FUTURE
Based on the feedback we received from the delegates, we have established the WSEN
Social Mob page on Facebook to enable delegates to stay connected. So far it has been
used to great success with several members posting about their projects, universities and
interesting projects the have been working on since leaving Australia. The committee
will continue to stoke the conversation into the future to help maintain the connections.
Above: Delegates at a special Morning Tea on Day One of the Summit hosted by the Schools of
Management & Governance and Veterinary & Life Sciences (Credit: Jon Waller).

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Day 3
Speeches
The day began with Professor Peter Newman, the John Curtin Distinguished Professor
of Sustainability at Curtin University giving a talk to the delegation. In this talk, Peter
described his compilation of recent global trends to show hope that adequate change can
take place in the future to meet climate challenges in cities. In particular, Peter illustrated
how decoupling fossil fuels from wealth and liveability can now be seen with peak fossil
fuel investment, peak power consumption, peak car use and peak oil.
Forgotten Earth: Reconnecting with Nature Fair
The WSEN Forgotten Earth Fair was the flagship event of the 2015 Global Summit. It
was the time when the international delegation had the opportunity to get to know the
Perth community and the environmental issues confronting the region of Western
Australia. To achieve this, it was important to secure prominent WA speakers on issues
that would not only attract large numbers of the Perth community, but also intrigue and
captivate the delegation, by informing them of the scale of which these matters affect the
local community.
The event had also had many other aspects to provide a variety of activities and also to
create a festive atmosphere to the day. Nine separate workshops and twenty stalls
promoted local community organisations and their programs, which complimented the

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main key-note talks and discussion panels. Overall the Fair aimed to reconnect delegates
to nature through community focussed exploration of important sustainability topics,
and reconnect the Perth locals to the environment through issues directly affecting the
region.
A large amount of organisation was needed to ensure the event was a success, through
gaining approvals from both Murdoch University & local government authority to allow
the event to be open to the public, as well as co-ordinated planning efforts between
WSEN organisers and many departments of Murdoch University.
The key note speeches attracted significant interest from the local Perth community as
they involved the mayor of the nearby port city of Fremantle Brad Pettitt, as well as
Western Australian Senator Scott Ludlam, who is also co-deputy leader of The
Australian Greens. Discussion Panels were also engaging to the public as they were
centred on key local issues of water scarcity in a semi-arid climate, and the prospective
mining of regional uranium reserves in Western Australia.
Workshops
In the workshop ‘Simple Living’, Ulrich Pohanka presented delegates with an argument
for the necessity of reducing individual consumption through personal and community
driven change, rather than depending on ‘technical’ fixes. Ways to change lifestyles were
considered, emphasising movement away from consumption-driven lifestyles.
Delegates were asked to form groups and to develop a list of steps that everybody can
take to lower consumption, focusing on food, clothes, travel, electronics, and living
arrangements. This list was shared amongst all summit participants.

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In ‘Ways to Control Pests’, Qasim Ahmed discusses chemical pesticides, their widespread
use globally, and the negative impacts on human health and on the environment. The
workshop elaborated on identifying various pesticides, what they were, how they are
correctly used, and the alternative ways that can be used to control pests. A need was
indicated to produce consumer safe bio-pesticides derived from natural resources.
In ‘Campaign Skills, Lessons, and Philosophy’ was a workshop presented by Katherine
Kelly, from a field of philosophical investigation concerning deep ecology, and revision
of hermeneutic enquiry. Kelly discusses her work on the local Save the Beeliar Wetlands
campaign. She provides delegates with strategies, hope and lessons learnt and revised
throughout her years of campaigning. Delegates received insight that was applicable to
their own efforts to amend ecological issues around the world, and to stay grounded,
and be productively working for change.
Members of the Murdoch University Post-Graduate Student Association (MUPSA) held
two workshops for student delegates.
In the workshop ‘Offset or off-the-mark’, Pawel Waryszak introduced delegates to his
work with Murdoch University on the Banksia Woodland Restoration project. Delegates
were taken to walk through some of the woodland and encountered the vast diversity of
flora and fauna there. The workshop covered challenges that are faced in restoring
native ecosystems, and how these were managed in the Banksia Woodland project.
Delegates were encouraged to utilise the INaturalist phone app, to join the Banksia
Woodland project and to use this app in their local natural habitats.

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In ‘Sustainability and Climate Change Myths’ was presented by Cameron Power, the chair
of Sustainable Energy Now, an apolitical and independent think tank for renewable
energy in Western Australia. This interactive workshop focused on ‘dealing with denial’,
specifically, denial of climate change and the importance of sustainability. Delegates
were familiarised with John Cook’s ‘theory of inoculation’, and taught how to apply it to
dismantle myths and false arguments concerning sustainability and climate change.
Speeches
Brad Pettitt
Brad’s presentation on how communities can make the transition to sustainability took
many avenues, from discussing ways in which Fremantle is reducing its carbon
footprint, to implementing techniques learned from Europe’s journey towards
sustainability. He also covered how state government legislates and implements changes
in the ways society functions to make societies more sustainable. He also discussed now
plans for Fremantle energy generation, including large scale solar power supply, and
increasing the capacity for wind farm energy supply, to be implemented and operational
by 2020.
Scott Ludlam
Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia, Scott Ludlam gave an inspiring speech
on the relationship between cities & nature, and ways in which we can return natural
processes back to our urban environments, and ultimately our lives. Scott touched on
the dangers of climate change, referred to how scientists believe this is the sixth mass

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extinction the planet will see – although unusual as it is being engineered by the way
humans interact with the environment. Cultural distancing from nature: everything
nature provides is now being mediated to us through current societal formats. He
discussed the forced pressure of the importance of perpetual economic growth, and the
mindset that creates these imposing systems.
Ludlam also mentioned the importance of people making themselves heard about what
matters to them, in getting political and economic change. He also mentioned ways in
which governments can make a transition to a closed loop economy, and how these
methods could be more effective at dealing with current and future resource demands in
a cheaper, and more environmentally responsible way.
Above: Audience member posing a question to Senator Scott Ludlam (credit: Tom Benini).
There were also many questions from the audience, who were made up of community
members, PhD students, and WSEN summit delegates. One question asked about the

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humanity of people in federal government, which Scott responded in saying that most
politicians are generally nice people, but their decisions are guided by the ideology of
the political party they represent – and that conscience voting in federal government
produces more careful decision making.
Panel discussion: Uranium mining
A panel discussion on the politics of uranium mining, considering the risks and
regulations, safety and subsidies, lands rights and corporate responsibility, was hosted
by Mia Pepper of the Conservation Council of Western Australia. It featured Dr Nick
Tsurikov of the Radiation Council of WA, Dr Jillian Marsh, Senator Scott Ludlam of the
Australian Greens, and Anica Niepraschk of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Panel Discussion: Are Perth’s Urban Water Systems Climate Resilient?
This session explored the key issues that Perth faces as a city with a growing population
and a drying climate. This was a unique learning opportunity for the delegates to
converse with experts dealing with an important environmental issue that will become
more widespread throughout the world in the future. The panel was comprised of
experts from different sectors within the water industry, who were able to provide their
point of view as to whether Perth’s urban water systems are climate resilient. The
members of the panel were:
Anas Ghadouani – Professor in Environmental Engineering at the University of Western
Australia and Western Region Executive Director of the Cooperative Research Centre for
Water Sensitive Cities.

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Ben Jarvis –Water Efficiency Manager, Water Corporation and national leader in water
conservation.
Siobhan Jennings–State Manager of the Australian Water Association and an
Environmental Engineer with broad experience in the water industry
Helen Brookes – Partner of consulting firm Essential Environmental and WA state
president of the Stormwater Industry Association.
Brett Kuhlmann –Acting CEO at SERCUL (South East Regional Centre for Urban
Landcare), a community group caring for the environment.
The panel was chaired by:
Martin Anda – Academic Chair of Environmental Engineering at Murdoch University
One of the comments from the panellists was “I have been to many events like this
before, but I have never had such an engaged audience that have asked such high
quality, difficult questions” Ben Jarvis – Water Corporation, Water Efficiency Manager.
Above: Professor Anas Ghadouani (left) is giving a passionate insight to the question (“is it a
right to have access to water?”) in the Water panel discussion (credit: Tom Benini).

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Stalls
The WSEN Reconnecting with Nature Fair was abuzz with a wide range of community
groups and activities for people to learn and engage with community groups advocating
for a stronger connection to nature. We would like to sincerely thank all stallholders for
their participation in making the Reconnecting with Nature Fair a successful event.
Above: Connecting with nature through the arts. Understanding the different properties of
different wood and working with the unique characteristics of the piece of wood (knots, bends)
you have to produce a piece of work (credit: Tom Benini).
Workshops
The Fair also held nine separate workshops, where delegates and the community had
the chance to engage on a topic of sustainability that was of direct interest to them. The
workshops covered a wide range of topics from Nature and Philosophy to Living Plastic
Free. We would sincerely like to thank all workshop facilitators for the time and effort
that was taken to prepare each workshop.

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Above: WSEN delegate participating in a workshop (Credit: Troy Treeby).
Day 4
Speeches
Josh Byrne
Josh Byrne, Gardening Australia, delivered the first talk on Friday. Josh’s career has
been centred on the theme of the conference, Reconnecting with Nature, and he presented
a snapshot of his time at the Environmental Technology Centre at Murdoch University,
the work done on cultural centres of the city of Perth by the company he started, Josh
Byrne and Associates, and how he is showcasing the benefits of sustainable housing to
the wider community through Josh’s House.

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Jay Harman
Jay Harman, CEO of Pax Scientific, delivered the final address of the conference through
a pre-recorded talk. In it, Jay provided an introduction to biomimicry, an approach to
innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s
time-tested patterns and strategies. Jay provided examples from across the globe and
also drew from his experiences and inventions.
Field Trips
Kings Park
The Kings Park field trip was a morning of fun and birthday celebrations! We celebrated
Carmen’s birthday (one of our South African delegates) by singing ‘Happy Birthday’ on
the public transport we took to the location and the delegates got to experience the
welcoming community of Perth when all the patrons on the train joined in!
We were lucky enough to be shown around the plant-breeding centre that runs out of
Kings Park. The delegates were shown through all the outdoors ‘trial’ growing areas
where they determine the fitness of the plants by subjecting the plants to harsh
conditions in an effort to breed only the fittest of plant varieties and to strengthen those
whose natural genetic fitness is not particularly strong. This was great exposure to
native Australian plants for our international delegates.
The delegates also had a tour of the indoor laboratories where all the plant breeding
research is conducted. This included some information on plant research and how it is

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conducted by a head scientist specializing in plant breeding. In doing so the delegates
‘Reconnected with Nature’ and got the opportunity to experience native Australian flora
and gain an understanding of the research and work that it going on in Perth to protect
our own native species.
Piney Lakes
The Piney lakes field trip gave the delegates a real Australian cultural experience with
an aboriginal tour of a nature reserve a short distance from Murdoch University. The
group spent some time getting a welcoming Whadjuk tribe (of the noongar language
group) introduction to the heritage of the site and cultural significance. In particular the
special relation to women the area has, explaining the gender roles in Noongar culture
and the activities, which were performed specifically by women at Piney lakes
throughout the year.
The delegates were then taken on a walk through the nature reserve where the 6
Noongar seasons are showcased. The six seasons allowed the delegates to understand a
different connectedness with nature when people have formed it into their structure of
living. Delegates were also encouraged to taste some of the local "bushtucker" and
'bushmedicine' on the trail, and the inclusion of a kangaroo skin on the tour as a
demonstration of the clothing traditionally worn gave many good photo opportunities.
The delegates and volunteers were treated to a cultural face painting session from our
guide after the tour with locally sourced Ochre, which was traditionally used by the
Noongar people from the area for ceremonial gatherings.

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Green World Revolution
Green World Revolution (GWR) is an entrepreneurial urban farming project located
slightly east of the Perth CBD. Selected due to its ability to reconnect with nature by
bringing nature back to cities, and also to give insight into how delegates may start up
similar projects in their home cities. Delegates were given a thorough tour of the facility
by founder Toby Whittington, who had converted the unused urban lot into a profitable
and sustainable business venture.
“We believe that the world’s social problems, including unemployment, poverty,
homelessness and depression, are linked to the world’s environmental problems
and that one of the ways to solve these problems is to actively engage in, develop
and promote urban, suburban and peri-urban horticulture.” – Toby Whittington
The tour began with a viewing of GWR’s microgreens growing area. Microgreens are
harvested and sold to neighbouring restaurants when the plant sprouts, as this is the
time of the growing stage when the plants are most flavoursome. Delegates also learned
that level surfaces are best to maximize water use efficiency when growing any plants,
with GWR’s automated pumping system replenishing and cycling water back to plant
beds when levels are low. GWR also refines its horticultural methods via open source
format online.

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Above: Green World Revolution’s Gladstone Street farm in East Perth (credit: Peter Upfold).
Almost all of GWR’s materials used for growing crops and building are unwanted
goods that are reusable. Plastic drums, liquid pallet containers and recycled wood
pallets are effectively dismantled and reworked to create practical growing solutions for
the farm. Toby also showed us a near completed storage shed that had been created
purely out of unused wooden pallets.
GWR is a for-profit business, and is not a community garden, which is open to the
public. His employee workforce consisted of welfare recipients as well as those who for
the mainstream workforce are considered unemployable. GWR trains each employee,
and provides them with skills, knowledge and experience, so that they may once again
join the workforce, and break the cycle of urban poverty.
GWR is a growing business, and as the business grows the plans for future expansion do
not include significant expansion of the current farm site. It consists of urban nodal
development, where another Green World Revolution farm will service another area of
Perth that is currently out of reach of the bicycle delivery service, or their small truck.

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GWR will not make long distance deliveries of its produce due to the current
unsustainable nature of motor vehicles.
Through urban nodal expansion of Green World Revolution, current employees may get
the chance to be entrepreneurs as new urban farming facilities will be run separate to the
original farm.
The tour of the Green World Revolution urban farming facility was an insightful and
inspiring experience. Delegates learned what it takes to get a valuable sustainability
project off the ground, and what is required to keep that project growing whilst working
towards a larger goal.
City of Fremantle
Guided by Mayor of Fremantle and Murdoch University Professor of Sustainability Brad
Pettitt, delegates walked through one of the most progressive Councils in Australia –
Fremantle. Fremantle is one of the major port cities in Western Australia and is a
historically important city for the development of Perth and Western Australia. It is
renowned for the alternative lifestyles that many residents lead and its well-preserved
architectural heritage, including convict-built colonial-era buildings that present a
variety and unity of historic buildings and landscapes.
It is Brad’s second term as Mayor of Fremantle; he spoke of the time it takes to change
old practices and head the council in the direction it needs to take to become more
sustainable. Fremantle has made a significant commitment to sustainability through the

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adoption of the One Planet strategy; it is one of the few types of council in Australia to
do this. The aim of the one Planet Fremantle initiative is to create a future where it is
easy, attractive and affordable for people to lead happy healthy lives within a fair share
of the earth’s resources. The city must demonstrate it has met the common international
targets for Council operations by 2020 for each of the 10 principles that One Planet is
governed by: Culture and community, equity and local economy, health and happiness,
land use and wildlife, sustainable food, sustainable materials, sustainable transport,
sustainable water, zero carbon and zero waste.
This tour was an extension of the presentation Brad gave at the Fair on Froe’s efforts to
become a more sustainable city as well as showing significant historical sites that have
been key to Western Australia’s development. When Brad was asked, what’s next after
being Mayor Fremantle, he responded in saying he was looking forward to integrating
what he has learnt as Mayor into courses at Murdoch University. Brad’s experience as
Mayor will be a great opportunity for future students to learn how to make change in
local government and communities.

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Summary of evaluation
The online survey service called Survey Monkey was the software used to evaluate how
the delegates appreciated various aspects of their summit experience. The results of the
key performance areas will be summarised, with inclusions of quotes from some of the
feedback that was received. The Appendix has some more detailed information on the
survey responses.
WSEN and Universities
The results from the survey show that, in general the summit was appreciated by all, it
was thought to achieve the core goals of WSEN, and importantly delegates were able to
gain new insights that would enable them to make positive change at their universities.
“The summit was an amazing opportunity for students from all over the world to share their
culture, ideas and environmental projects. I got to meet so many incredible like-minded people
and together we worked on finding solutions to some of our most pressing global issues.” - 2015
WSEN Summit delegate.
Summit experience
This section showed us that the majority of delegates were satisfied with the hospitality
and level of organisation of the event. These results also show that the timetabling did
not allow for enough rest or breaks from the rigorous Summit schedule. The nature of
this kind of event is inevitably going to be draining, perhaps it may have been good to
schedule parts of the day to allow people to rest if needed.

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A comment response to the most satisfying experience for the delegates was to be able to
mix with like-minded students from around the world gaining insights on topics such as
the economy, culture and life itself from the others country of origin.
“Despite the stress of organizing an event like this (with more than 20 different universities) I
believe the WSEN Team showed us in every moment how glad and prepared they were as hosts.
They make us feel more than welcome in Australia and proved us how with 10 people running all
over, you can inspire and create a connected network with the same ideal.” - 2015 WSEN
Summit delegate.
Summit content
The responses to the questions on what aspects of the content from the Summit were
most valuable vary quite substantially. Some delegates commented that they loved the
diversity of fields that speakers were from, others found activities with a greater level of
interaction such as workshops to be more beneficial.
One of the main areas that could have made the summit experience better was including
a time in the schedule for formal reflection, as noted by one delegate. Having scheduled
reflection time would have been useful for delegates to compare thoughts and
consolidate the information they had received in an intense day. This also provides more
time where the delegates can have productive conversations with each other.
“I really enjoyed the variety of speakers! I have never been exposed to ideas about the
environment from such a broad range of disciplines and sectors. Finding out what other students
are doing in their own communities (through delegate presentations and random chats) was also

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super inspiring. And the workshops were really good on a practical level, for preparing to come
back and launch a project.” - 2015 WSEN Summit delegate.
Summit Fair
The Summit fair was moderately successful in demonstrating a student led project to
help better connect universities to the community and share in discourse about
sustainability related topics. There were some key issues with clashing of the timetable
for the event, and the low attendance of the public due to placing it on a weekday.
However, many delegates agreed that the concept was good and that the panels were
very effective to involve the audience of delegates and community.
“I really enjoyed having a public conference/ event as part of the summit. I loved the booths
outside the quad at Uni, and the political speakers as well as the panels.” - 2015 WSEN Summit
delegate.
Delegate projects post-summit
Some of the delegates have written to us explaining how the Summit has helped them
with sustainability projects at their own universities, some examples are below.
Nicola Rule, delegate of the University of Cape Town found that the Summit was able to
improve her approach for Environmental Transformation at her university through
insight gained in workshops and conversations that she had with delegates during the
Summit. Rather than demanding ‘Environmental Transformation’ from senior
leadership at her university, she developed wider support and a coherent vision for
sustainability on her campus by contacting around 50 groups of university staff and

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students for their input on her vision. This allowed for a stronger message to be sent to
senior leadership and greater support to push forward progress in this area.
Leat Ahrony, delegate of the University of Victoria, Canada was inspired by the ‘Keep
Cup’ program, which is run at Murdoch University to reduce the use of disposable cups.
Following the Summit she has been working together with another delegate who also
had similar plans for reducing waste generated from disposable cups. Leat has created a
campaign called “Love my mug” where re-usable mugs will be sold at multiple outlets
and the users of these mugs are encouraged to enter contests taking selfies with their
mug, allowing them to feel like they are a part of the solution.

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Acknowledgements
Committee
What an adventure, organising an international summit in a team where few members
had previously met, all with none to very little experience in organising a conference.
Without the hard work and persistence of each member from the 2015 organising
committee it would not have been possible to make the summit a reality.
A great deal of patience, creativity and tenacity was required by all, I think each member
will be able to say that being part of the organising committee was a great learning
experience and was highly rewarding.
Thank you to the committee for putting in the long nights, being present for the many
meetings that took place and putting in a considerable amount of effort for the most part
of a year to make the Summit as good as it possibly could be.
Murdoch University
The support and advice that certain academic and staff members provided was
extremely valuable in making this event happen. A university is a large multi-faceted
organisation that is difficult to navigate your way through if you have no idea of the
inner workings, so without the help of staff we would have been very lost at a number
of stages. The words of support from various staff helped keep up the momentum at

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times when we were losing steam. Also without the financial support of many of the
schools at Murdoch University the Summit would not have been possible, thank you.
WSEN International Committee
Thanks must go to the International Committee specifically the Executive Board
members who were constantly available to answer any questions and provide guidance
whenever it was needed. Without these committed volunteers who have been a part of
WSEN for some time now, it would not be possible for WSEN to continue and increase
its capacity each year.
Volunteers
Without our incredible team of dedicated volunteers, this event would not have been
possible. They worked tirelessly to ensure that this event ran smoothly and successfully.
They enjoyed tasks including meal preparation and washing up, weeding, setting up for
the community fair, microphone runs and giving out directions, which they completed
better than we could have asked for and with no complaints. We absolutely could not
have asked for a better team of volunteers for this event. Thank you vollies! We would
like to thank (in alphabetical order):
- Amanda Altmann - Brodie Skalko
- Candice Brady - Chenoa Lange
- Cindy Yaw - Daniel Meyer
- Davide Benucci - Faye Hooper
- Ivana Tucakovic - Julie Tsin

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- Kamran Forrest - Kristian Gustafsson
- Lyndon Fernandez - Megz Browne
- Michael Thompson - Robin Scott
- Roland Belford - Shae MacGregor
- Shanae Hunter - Saphron Grace
- Sapphire Peake - Sarah Webb
Above: Rhys Gustafsson and Bohdi Davies from the 2015 Organising Committee handing over to
the 2016 team (Credit: Troy Treeby).

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0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
I was provided enough
information before the start of…
There was enough time to eat,
sleep, and to talk with other…
I was always able to find someone
from the WSEN team and…
Overall the summit was well
organised
Totally
disagree
Rather
disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Rather agree
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Overall I appreciated the WSEN 2015
Summit
The WSEN 2015 Summit helped me
to gain new insights
I believe that the summit was
successful in achieving the core aims
of WSEN
I would choose to attend the summit
again if possible
As a result of participating in the
summit I feel better equipped to
affect some form of positive change
related to sustainability at my own…
Totally disagree
Rather disagree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Rather agree
Appendix 1-Survery Results
Impressions of WSEN
Summit experience

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0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
I felt the fair was a
worthwhile event that was
informative and beneficial
overall for the local
community
The fair was a good
demonstration of a student
– led initiative that I was
able to learn from and could
apply at my own university
The fair demonstrated a
valuable community event
that universities can hold
Totally disagree
Rather disagree
Neither agree nor
disagree
Rather agree
Summit Fair
Summit Content
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
The material covered was
appropriate to my level of prior
knowledge
I appreciated the summit theme
of “Reconnecting with Nature”
and understand its significance
to the sustainability movement
I was able to gain an
understanding of the issues that
Perth/Australia faces relating to
the environment and
sustainability and how they…
The Summit provided an
opportunity to evaluate the role
of universities as drivers for
sustainability, and to develop
my capacity to positively…
Totally disagree
Rather disagree
Neither agree
nor disagree
Rather agree
Totally agree

WSEN-Summit-July-2015-Final-Report

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