Our Staff

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.

Grit Schuster

Office Manager

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. 

Jahnavi Samprathi

Communications Manager

Jahnavi (she/her) has lived in Canberra all her life and is currently completing a double Bachelor’s degree in Environment and Sustainability and International Relations at the ANU. Jahnavi has been volunteering for environmental causes since school, and is passionate about environmental and climate justice work. 

As a Woman of Colour, Jahnavi is working towards making the environmental activism space an inclusive and respectful movement that incorporates and advocates for diverse perspectives. 

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. In 2020, she researched and wrote the Make the Switch website and continues to manage public engagement to help Canberra households go gas-free, as well as advocating to Government and the energy industry regarding a fossil-fuel-free future. In 2021-22, Kirsten researched and wrote the Make the Move website and ran a workplace-based program to help commuters explore active travel. In 2022, she and the team managed Canberra’s first CBR360 Circular Economy Symposium, winning the 2023 ACT Government Sustainable Event Award.

Kirsten has previous experience in the military, public and private sectors, most recently as a graphic designer specialising in communication on science 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.

Our Board