Meet Andy! - Deputy Director’s Note
September 2026 - Deputy Director Note
It’s been just over a month since I joined the Canberra Environment Centre as Deputy Director, and it’s been a very busy introduction!
For those I haven’t met yet, alongside my work at CEC I run Queer Food, a small social enterprise that uses food to celebrate LGBTQIA+ stories and gives back to the community. Food, sustainability and community have been threads running through much of my work, and I’ve always cared deeply about the environment, so I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity to join CEC and work alongside such a passionate and knowledgeable team.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been getting stuck into planning upcoming events, working on new grant applications and getting ready to launch Queer Trails for 2026. It’s also been great getting to know the Centre properly. There’s a lot happening here, from bikes being repaired and given another life at the Recyclery, to our Thursday morning garden sessions, workshops, events. I’ve also really enjoyed getting to know the people who make all of this happen, and some of the organisations we work with across Canberra.
August was a particularly busy month.
At our latest Impact Hour, our wonderful President Julie Boulton spoke about circular fashion, taking us from Canberra’s love of puffer jackets through to the much bigger environmental impacts of what we buy, wear and throw away.
Our next Impact Hour will be held on Tuesday 15 September, with ecologist and turtle specialist Bruno Ferronato speaking about turtle biology and conservation, as well as the work of Turtlewatch ACT to better understand and protect Canberra’s Eastern long-necked turtles. You can get a ticket here.
We also celebrated the launch of Season 4 of our Local Environment Heroes podcast, bringing together some of our past Impact Hour guests for a great night celebrating Canberra’s environmental community. The podcast grew out of our Impact Hour series and gives us another way to share the stories and work of people doing great things for Canberra’s environment.
The first three episodes are now live, featuring Dr Amy Carrad on changing the way we eat, Dr Michael Mulvaney on regenerating Red Hill and Canberra’s Gang-gang Cockatoos, and Emeritus Professor Mark Howden AC on nearly four decades of climate action. Listen to them here.
I’ve also spent a fair bit of my first month working on grant applications for future CEC projects. It’s been a good way to quickly learn about the breadth of what the Centre does, while also starting to think about what we could do next, from expanding community environmental education to creating more opportunities for Canberrans to get outside, learn practical skills and connect with each other.
One of the projects I’m particularly excited to be working on is Queer Trails.
The 2026 series kicks off on 12 September with the now sold-out Hidden Orchids of Black Mountain, guided by Dr Ryan O’Donnell. It’s wonderful to see such strong interest in the first of our six guided walks exploring the natural environment through a queer lens.
The next walk, Nocturnal Neighbours: A Greater Glider Spotlight Walk, will be held on Saturday 3 October. Guided by conservation researcher Tina Gopalan, we’ll venture into the forest after dark to learn about Greater Gliders and the importance of protecting their habitat. Learn more and book your ticket here.As someone still relatively new to CEC, one of the things I’ve really enjoyed is seeing just how much knowledge exists within this community, and how willing people are to share it. Whether it’s learning how to repair your bike, grow food, identify a plant or better understand the environment around us, there’s usually someone here who can help.
There’s plenty more coming up over September. On Saturday 5 September, we’ll be bringing the Centre to life with a community garden session, a Recyclery community BBQ and DJ set, and workshops on fermented drink brewing and visible mending. There will also be a tour of Jyoti’s food-producing garden that day. Later in the month, we’ll take to the trails for The Pines Social Ride, alongside our regular Thursday morning garden sessions.
Looking ahead to October, we’re excited to be collaborating with the Canberra Writers Festival on two events across 17 and 18 October, including Cutting Edge Cli-Fi, before rounding out the month with another hands-on sourdough workshop. Keep an eye on our events page for all the details and come along to something that interests you.
And if you see me around the Centre or at an event, please come and say hello.
Andy de Groot
Deputy DirectorCanberra Environment Centre
deputy@canberraenvironment.org