We wanted to share the highlights from our first corporate immersion where we travelled alongside 15 leaders representing some of Australia’s largest companies to our Coorong Lakes project.
This experience has been developed in partnership with Tasman Environmental Markets and is designed for individuals involved in shaping their organisation’s nature and carbon strategies and offers a first-hand understanding of how environmental, financial, and brand goals can align through credible, on-the-ground action.
Attendees included a range of TEM’s customers including leaders from Goodman, Lion, BHP, ANZ, Woolworths, Investa, Allens, Suncorp, and CBRE, as well as the South Australian Government, who had the chance to explore the Coorong Lakes project which is located in the heart of Meningie, South Australia and encompasses a sprawling 200 hectares.
The Coorong Lakes project is owned and managed by Cassinia Environmental as a conservation reserve in partnership with the Ngarrindjeri people.
The project aims to ensure the long-term conservation of critical habitats, promote biodiversity monitoring and research, and collaborate with local communities and stakeholders to enhance ecological outcomes.
Learn more about the experience and connect with our team to discuss how you can be part of the next cohort and explore some of the highlights below.
The immersion began on-country where we were honoured to have Rita Lindsay and her brother Michael perform a Welcome to Country, as well as sharing song and dance and giving insight into Ngarrindjeri culture and the work they’re doing to help ensure this is passed down through the generations.
Attendees were invited to participate in a smoking ceremony and shown how to step into the smoke and learn more about its role in cleansing of spirits and protection for visitors.
Over the next hour the cohort had the chance to walk the project alongside Rita and Michael, learning more about the cultural aspects of the Coorong Lakes project and dive into questions around the role of totems and pronunciation in Ngarrindjeri language of different species, as well as hear a unique perspective on why this work is so important to the community.
This cultural insight was accompanied by a chance to hear about the conservation work taking place from Wilderlands Lead Ecologist Deanna Marshall.
Leading the group into the project, Deanna shared details of the management and monitoring practices taking place as well as setting the context for the next day which would see participants climb to the top of Mount Sandy which provides a unique view of the entire project.
A key take-away for participants was understanding why protecting remnant vegetation is so important as put simply nature it is too complex to recreate and many of the species who call this project home could not be easily replicated due to the intricate relationships between species, soil, and other elements.
This realisation saw many participants becoming increasingly interested in the many tiny species of flora found in the understory of the project, but there was also a motivation to cast their eyes to the sky as well.
To make the experience interactive attendees were challenged to take part in bird monitoring and provided sheets with species and asked to record any birds they observed or heard.
This quickly got competitive.
With over 78 species spread across the property there are plenty of bird sounds to count, but the group quickly realised how challenging it is to identify the species you’re spotting and binoculars became a greatly in-demand asset for the cohort.
After having the chance to see the project through the eyes of an ecologist, the cohort now had the chance to hear what it means to the Ngarrindjeri through the voice of two key elders – Uncle Clyde and Aunty Rose.
Sitting around a campfire the cohort heard how a chance encounter between Aunty Rose and Rachel Dettmann, the wife of Wilderlands Co-Founder Paul Dettmann led to a collaboration that would see the Coorong Lakes property purchased alongside a commitment to create a biodiversity protection project and a promise that this land would be handed back to the Traditional Owners in the years to come.
Since that time, Cassinia Environmental (the landholder) and the Ngarrindjeri have worked together to co-design this project, which is now reaching a critical milestone where management and ownership will be transferred to the Ngarrindjeri, ensuring its continued care into the future
For attendees, this opportunity to hear what caring for country means to this community and learn about the origins of the project provided a special insight.
The evening saw dinner at the local restaurant – Freshies – which is located right next to the caravan park and right on the edge of the Lake Albert, where ‘schnitty night’ was in full force and conversations were in full swing.
It was a chance for attendees to reflect, re-energise, and prepare for the next day.
After a quick bite at the local cafe the cohort returned to the property just after 8am, catching a glimpse of sunrise before getting ready for a big adventure.
Led by Wilderlands Ecologist Deanna Marshall the group began the walk to the top of Mount Sandy.
The two hour round trip saw the partcipants make their way through ecosystems ranging from samphire shrublands to mallee woodlands providing the opportunity to observe the native bird diversity with over 78 species recently recorded as well as a rich native plant diversity with over 249 species.
This exploration provided the chance to delve deeper into the different monitoring activities taking place on the property and gain a birds-eye view of the total project, revealing the stark contrast to surrounding lands which have been cleared.
Some highlights of the walk included the chance to observe a Wedge-tailed eagle nest perched on the edge of the hill, as well as take a closer look at the many minute flora species spread across the property.
The biggest highlight, however, was simply the chance to do it together with lots of laughs, learnings, and an experience we won’t forget for a very long time.
Having been inspired by seeing the biodiversity protection project first hand it was now time to unpack the barriers for many companies to take action, today.
To help with this discussion we invited TEM’s Nick Baker to interview Goodman’s General Manager, Sustainability, Australia Emma McMahon who’ve been the largest supporter of the Coorong Lakes project protecting over 80,000 sqm of vulnerable habitat at the property in the past year.
Emma shared how the company are thinking about their approach to nature, and why they have chosen the Coorong project as the perfect place to start protecting nature today.
It was now time to tackle the challenges facing many leaders when it comes to moving from awareness to action on nature protection.
This was a chance for the cohort to share their own experiences in a workshop led by TEM’s CEO Michaela Morris and saw participants take the floor to create what was one of the most impactful sessions of the trip.
Whilst the responses differed the one thing that was present was an acknowledgement that change is coming and needed, and many of these companies will be at the forefront of that shift.
Connect with our team to learn how you can be part of the next immersion experience or ways we can help you protect precious biodiversity as part of your nature strategy today.
