Wanted: Women and the Biosphere

by yours truly, Bettina Walter and Desire Gralton

Women and the Biosphere

The Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation (NBRF) has put out a call for volunteer directors. We were nudged to reach out to our networks in a much welcome attempt to gender-balance the currently all male board. The NBRF is the publicly funded license holder of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve in charge of the ‘Man and the Biosphere’ program in Noosa. It’s hard to escape the irony in the name. 

UNESCO legacy: ‘Man and the Biosphere’… really?

Globally women involved in the ‘Man and the Biosphere’ program are still in a minority. The issue was once raised at one of the Biosphere conferences and it was decided that the ‘rebrand’ would be too costly. UNESCO has insisted on ‘man’ standing for ‘human’ and would thus sufficiently include ‘women’. This wouldn’t pass the pub test. Or maybe it would, if the pub was full of ageing male bureaucrats and academics… So in 2018 We wrote  Man in the Biosphere – Woman in the Kitchen to provide some global context at a time when Noosa’s periodic review was being submitted to UNESCO.

The name of the program is certainly not NBRF’s fault. However we believe if enough upward pressure was applied to UNESCO a name change would be inevitable and the NBRF could play a part in this.

2007. Women and the Noosa Biosphere Reserve

Wind back to Noosa, 2007. Many women were successfully recruited for the first ‘iteration’ of the Noosa Biosphere organisation, the Noosa Biosphere Limited (NBL). Many were unaware of the political ‘rooster’ infighting that had started even before the ink on the UNESCO submission had dried. Amalgamation caused a shift of power. Battle lines were re-drawn and the new NBL as much as it tried would not be allowed to take flight. 

Alas, after de-amalgamation the victorious attackers got back into the saddle. It became quickly apparent that there was no appetite to reform the NBL, it seemed they were out for total destruction. With it an enlightened and participatory era of Noosa’s ‘Women and the Biosphere’ came to an end. Huge amounts of ratepayer money and much women’s participation were annihilated in one swoop. Dr Sue Davis wrote about her experiences of this episode.

2014. A new start on the wrong track

Bettina worked with and for the Noosa Biosphere in various capacities for many years before becoming an employee with the newly formed NBRF. Her experience was shocking. Casual sexism, intimidation and bullying ramping up to vile targeted sexist email threats. Open Noosa’s Desiré witnessed much of this and wrote about the treatment of women involved in the ‘Noosa Biosphere’ in her post ‘Why I decided to add my name’.

All this history bears heavy on the NBRF legacy. Many women have spoken out about the treatment they received. The Noosa Biosphere Reserve organisation went from an inclusive, community based entity to a shoulder-tapped group of men who decided where public funding would be spent. 

2021. One swallow does not make a summer – but there is hope

The men who caused most hurt and pain have since moved on – although they will forever remain members of the this exclusive organisation (which is one of the issues to be addressed). Having met a few of the ‘new’ NBRF men, we can confirm that they are genuine, well-meaning and capable volunteers. 

We have been especially impressed by a couple of the new NBRF Directors and their willingness to engage the broader community.

And we love and admire the hard work of NBRF’s new Executive Officer Sharon Wright. Sharon is a formidable force. Sharon gets things done and knows how collaboration works.

We want to believe that change is possible, but it needs to come from the heart and be meaningful. It needs to be reflected in the organisation’s constitution and an agreed strategic plan. 

Why do we care?

We care because truth and genuine engagement matter. We care because we are moving at speed into a climate emergency and we need a Noosa Biosphere Reserve that can be fully backed and trusted.

We care because so much funding, so many opportunities for mitigation and adaptation have already been squandered. 

We care because our Noosa’s per capita emissions would be among the highest in the world and it is important for us as a community to do our bit to change that.

We care because we can see that there is so much work ahead. The Biosphere concept always has been and still can be a powerful force for the greater good. If we are serious with preparing for what’s to come we need all hands on deck – hands from diverse backgrounds.

We care because biodiversity and human diversity is key to our survival. Women need to get stuck in.

We care because it is time for the community to reclaim the Biosphere and run the biggest education campaign, almost to an individual house level, where all the important facts about the Biosphere and our impacts on it are explained and all businesses, visitors and residents can get on board. 

We care because for all this to happen, the NBRF must rebuilt trust and honour the faith the public has placed in it. The NBRF should make constitutional changes to open the organisation up. A community reconciliation program would also help. We urge the NBRF board to find the courage and wisdom to do that. 

You made it this far

Hey, you have made it this far! Do consider to get involved with the Noosa Biosphere Reserve: Go for it! The opportunities for the organisation are great and you could help the NBRF to shape up gloriously. The NBRF invitation is here – please respond before 30th of August.

Image: NBL Kate English presenting for Climate-proofing the Biosphere in 2010. The first iteration of the Noosa Climate Action Plan was published later in 2012.

PS: When we write ‘women’ men are meant to feel included.

PPS: The Noosa Biosphere signs look so so sad. What’s up with that? Somebody do something! 🙂