Anika Molesworth to 'Zoom' into Beneath the Wisteria on May 30

(Beneath the Wisteria supporter, Mik Aidt from Geelong's "The Sustainable Hour", has kindly tidied up the recording from the May 30 visit by Anika Molesworth showing only Anika's presentation, it's in two pieces, Part One and Part Two - thanks Mik)

A far western New South Wales farmer with an acute understanding of the climate crisis and how it impacts on those who work the land will be a guest at Shepparton’s Beneath the Wisteria on Saturday, May 30.

Far western New South Wales farmer, Anika Molesworth,
will "Zoom" into Beneath the Wisteria on Saturday, May 30.

Anika Molesworth will join the group at its monthly gathering via Zoom in an event starting at 11:00 am.

Anika splits her life between her family’s arid outback sheep station, her PhD crop trials in central NSW, and the lush and green rice paddies in Southeast Asia, where she works as a researcher in international agricultural development. 

She was awarded the 2015 Young Farmer of the Year, 2017 NSW Finalist for Young Australian of the Year, and most recently the NSW Young Achiever Award for Environment and Sustainability. 

Anika is a passionate advocate for sustainable farming, environmental conservation and climate change action. She helped form Farmers for Climate Action and connects land managers to researchers through her platform Climate Wise Agriculture in order to build resilience into farming communities.

She is also keenly interested in the conservation of natural and cultural heritage in farming communities and manages the International National Trusts Organisation’s Sustainable Farms program.

Anika has lived on and worked her family farm since she was 12 and was to be married on the property this year, but her plans for that moment were frustrated and postponed because of the Covid-19 dilemma.

A powerful array of speakers were assembled for February’s Nation Climate Emergency Summit in Melbourne and Anika was among them.

Anika has been interviewed by the Shepparton-based podcast “Climate Conversations”. 

The Zoom, Beneath the Wisteria is free and will last for about an hour with Anika explaining a little about herself, how the climate crisis is impacting on farmers and what they can do to live with these never seen before changes to the climate. There will be time for questions.

The May 30 Zoom meeting featuring Anika can be accessed at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82326064674, the convenor, Robert McLean, can be phoned at 0400 502 199 or contacted via email at r.mclean7@icloud.com.

The biggest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it

When Anika Molesworth’s family purchased a sheep station in Far West NSW in 2000, little did 12-year-old Anika know that that it would be the catalyst for her lifelong passion for the environment.

Anika Molesworth - she argues the biggest threat to the
 planet is that we are waiting for someone else to save it.

Anika’s family had fallen in love with the “starkly beautiful piece of Australia” and began planning their future on the farm – but then the rain stopped falling. It barely fell for the next decade.

“It was a steep learning curve into farming, and it opened my eyes to the fragility of our natural world, and how connected everything and everyone is to it,” says Anika.

“Climate change means this part of Australia – my home – will become hotter and drier, and will experience more frequent and intense droughts and dust storms,” says Anika. “It was living through the Millennium Drought, having my eyes opened to its impacts, that cemented my commitment to farmers and to my work to ensure their resilience in the face of climate change.

“It has led me to undertake a PhD in agricultural and environmental science, meet royalty and global leaders, and talk on stages like TEDx in front of thousands of people.”

Read the story from Business Chicks by Nicky Champ - “The biggest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”

Climate Special on The Drum

The Drum host Ellen Fanning is joined by Aylin Cunsolo, Tony Wood, Ketan Joshi, Anika Molesworth and Ewan Jones  to discuss warnings of a climate catastrophe.

They discuss how Australia stacks up globally, and can we be optimistic about the future?

Watch the “Climate Special” from The Drum on ABC TV.

NSW farmer urges action as award opens

NSW farmer Anika Molesworth insists now is the time to address the impacts of climate change.

NSW farmer Anika Molesworth insists now is the
time to address the impacts of climate change. 

The 2015 Young Farmer of the Year - who founded Climate Wise Agriculture which helps farmers become more sustainable and respond to climate change - believes Australia is at a turning point and needs to act now.

"If we don't step up and make the necessary changes we are at risk of losing so much," she told AAP.

"There hasn't been any more important time ever to address what is happening with our climate and environment.”

Read the SBS story - “NSW farmer urges action as award opens.”

Anika and Josh call for climate action at COP21

T

hey say the world is run by those who show up. Two young farmers have taken it literally and are determined to get to the United Nations Paris climate talks.

Young Farmer of the Year, Anika Molesworth
- calling for climate action at COP21.

Anika Molesworth and Josh Gilbert believe theirs is the first generation of farmers that understands the impact of climate change and the last generation which can do something about it.

So they are trying to crowdfund their way to the COP21, which seeks to achieve a new international agreement on climate – to keep global warming below 2C.

Read The Guardian story - “‘Australia depends on it,’ say two young farmers calling for action at UN climate talks in Paris.”