About us

Staff Team

Elle Lawless

Executive Director

Elle has environmental and climate advocacy experience at both the local and national level. A diversity of experience including growing up in regional NSW has formed a deep passion for ecological justice which has seen Elle campaign on the frontlines and with not for profit organisations. While studying at the ANU she was introduced to the power of people to create change. This was through volunteering for the fossil free movement and separately 350.org Canberra. She has also spent time at front line action camps building alliances with diverse allies.

Elle previously worked at the Conservation Council of the ACT on campaigns to create a more sustainable city to mitigate the climate crisis. She was a founding member of Stop Adani Canberra and of Galilee Rising, Her favourite role in the movement for climate justice is mentoring school strikers and running trainings. Elle has organised in the coal port city of Newcastle as the Campaign Manager for the Wilderness Society NSW. In this role she led a campaign to successfully stop an offshore gas field, halted coal mine expansion in the Blue Mountains region, and continued the long standing effort to protect the Pilliga forest from unconventional gas mining. Elle then worked with the Sunrise Project Australian gas team on corporate campaign efforts to stop Woodside’s Scarborough gas project. Currently Elle is the director of the Conservation Council ACT Region.

Kirsten Duncan

Climate and Sustainability Campaigner

After completing her Masters of Climate Change at the Australian National University, Kirsten joined the Conservation Council in late 2019. She project managed and wrote Make the Switch and Make the Move websites and public engagement on going gas-free and active travel respectively.
Kirsten has previous experience in public and private sectors, most recently as a graphic designer specialising in communication on subjects from agriculture and environment to health and technology. Her focus now is on communicating climate change and other social–environmental issues to address the root causes and drive the systemic change needed for a sustainable future for people and planet.

Peta Bulling

Nature and Waterways Campaigner

Born and raised in Canberra, Peta is an environmental scientist, honours law student at the ANU and activist, who believes in marrying the spheres of law and ecology to create effective environmental policy and law. Peta has also worked in research, renewable energy advocacy, and community-led law reform.

Passionate about environmental justice and biodiversity conservation, Peta intends to dedicate her career to protecting the animals, plants, and landscapes she loves. Essential to this mission is her belief that everyone deserves to have their voice heard. Peta is particularly passionate about First Nations People being empowered to participate in decision-making. Growing up in Canberra, Peta has loved watching the city change with her and looks forward to shaping its future.

Jahnavi Samprathi

Communications Manager

Jahnavi is a Canberra native who is currently completing a double degree in Environment and Sustainability and International Relations at the ANU. She is a big believer in the benefit of community and collective action to address environment and sustainability issues in our society. She is an advocate for increasing the accessibility of environmentalism and making sustainability the easy choice. Jahnavi has experience in developing social media campaigns and dialogues about sustainability challenges within the community. 

She is undertaking a minor in science communication as part of her degree and her main passion is creating accessible communication about sustainability and the environment. She hopes to make the environmental advocacy space as inclusive and diverse as possible.

Brooke Farr

Fundraising and Events Manager

Brooke was born and raised in Newcastle, NSW before moving to Canberra in 2017. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Environment and Sustainability at the ANU, majoring in Biodiversity Conservation and Resource and Environmental Management. Brooke has a background in event management and education and is passionate about making environmentalism creative, exciting and accessible for all, and bringing communities together to champion sustainable living and environmental action. 

In her spare time, Brooke is an avid surfer, musician, all-round adrenaline junkie and people-person who loves any chance to share her love of nature and sustainability with her friends, family and community. 

Christian Flynn

Office Manager

Raised in Canberra, Christian is currently studying a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts, majoring in history, at the Australian National University. Christian has previously worked in roles involved with student activism and advocacy, and has been deeply involved in multiple campaigns led by university students. These roles have given Christian experience in bringing people together to build effective, organised campaigns, and he is a big believer in the power of local communities being empowered to stand up for themselves. A passionate environmentalist, Christian hopes to build skills to assist him in a future career of building people-centered policy solutions to the environmental and economic challenges of the future.

Board