Heartscapes’ vision…

To heal humankind by creating biodiversity in our cities

Heartscapes’ mission…

To connect humans to humans, humans to nature and nature to nature.

Heartscapes’ values…

• Caring for our country- upholding indigenous culture as the one to learn from and supporting reconciliation through re-planting erased indigenous plants

• Healing- helping reconnect humans to the parts of themselves that need nature and diversity

• Diversity- with fauna, with flora, and humans, bringing them all together

• Creating- diverse gardens on public land, beauty, community, joy and life

• Connecting- people to nature, people to people, nature to nature…and all of that to science

• Learning- from every part of this journey- science, people and nature.

• Urgency- acting now to save our ecosystems and precious biodiversity

Where it started…

Emma created Heartscapes being inspired by many things..

• the feeling she couldn’t shake around the earth being smothered in concrete and tarmac

• the calls to action by world leaders like Sir David Attenborough

• the fact that she had to make up for lost time due to 12 years of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• wanting her daughter to grow up with nature in an urban environment

Then the 2020 bushfires hit. Like everyone, Emma was devastated and the fact that no government action was being taken in the city around healing the empty barren undernourished spaces gave Emma the hugest kick up the butt.

When challenges at one site forced Emma to stop works for a while she then helped local Jenny create her garden for native pollinators in the next street. Seeing the joy and positive action radiate out from these two garden sites saw the real start of Heartscapes!

10 year goal…

(from 2021-2031- these dates run in line with the UN’s Decade of Ecosystem Regeneration)

• completion of 200 gardens in the Melbourne Pollinator Corridor (MPC) zone by the end of 2023 after which gardens will be expanded throughout Melbourne

• maintenance systems worked out for the MPC

• Using the MPC as a proof of concept, Heartscapes will demonstrate to people around Australia and the world what can be done to increase biodiversity in our public urban spaces

• Heartscapes helping to create other pollinator corridors

• MPC citizen science program set up, combining Indigenous Knowledge to western science

• policies and guidelines opened up around street gardening

• creating successful and quick positive change that everyone can be a part of, making the biggest impact possible to our world increasing biodiversity and improving mental health