Aaron Grinter

Hometown: Castlemaine
Occupation: Natural Environment Program Officer, DELWP
Area of Interest: The intersections of natural ecosystems and human ecosystems.

How is climate change impacting your community?

The effects of climate change that I am most noticing in my community is the ecosystem degradation that is slowly occurring around us. The rivers are smaller, the creeks are drier for longer, and the forest is shrinking. Many sections of shrubs and trees are dying, with even large well-established trees starting to weaken. This has flow on effects, putting pressure on plants and animals, with many species already pushed to the brink.

While these ecosystems may not be economically prioritised, their value is indirect, providing ecosystem function that supports local agriculture and food supply. More importantly, these systems provide the air we breathe and the water we drink. As climate change puts pressure on these ecosystems, the flow on effects for the community will become increasingly more dramatic.

I am concerned about the problems being faced in my local community, but these challenges are not specific to my community, and are shared by every person.

What are you passionate about changing?

I am passionate about demonstrating the importance of these systems to people, to show that we need these local ecosystems for every aspect of our everyday. More than this, I want to show that these systems rely on us, and that every action, both as individuals and as a community, has a flow on effect in the ecosystems. By understanding this, we can direct our focus to socially and economically directed activities that foster the health of these systems, whereby it is not a choice between the environment or the economy, but we can support both simultaneously.