Don't Sign Anything you Don't Understand with Robyn James

Don't Sign Anything you Don't Understand with Robyn James

What happens when communities are handed the information they have been quietly denied? How do you do equitable work inside a movement that often assumes its own goodness? And what does it look like to keep going when the global tide on women's rights and climate justice feels like it has just turned? In this episode of There Will Be Dancing, Victoria, Odette and Sanaya sit down with Robyn James, the former Global Director of Gender Equity at the Nature Conservancy and one of the most respected voices in community-led conservation in the Asia Pacific. Robyn has spent nearly two decades making space for the people most impacted by environmental decisions, and most often left out of them.  Together they explore the slow, patient, deeply relational work of community led change in a conversation that moves from the Pacific to the personal and back again. Robyn speaks about being the only woman on remote ranger stations, why mangroves and the women who fish them have suddenly become contested ground in the carbon market era, and the strategies she has learned for sharing power in rooms where she could just as easily hold it.  This episode also features something very special: a beautiful audio contribution from the women of Katupika, Wagina and Kia, three communities in the Solomon Islands whose women founded the KAWAKI women's group to weave together conservation, community and culture across their islands. Their voices, lifted in traditional song, are a powerful reminder of what is at stake in this work, who carries it, and what it sounds like when women lead. We hope this episode leaves you a little more humble, a little more determined, and a little more convinced that the quiet, patient work of giving power away might be one of the most radical leadership acts of our time. And, given how much Robyn loves a dance floor and a pair of flares, we hope you also leave it ready to dance. Learn more about Robyn James and her conservation work via The Nature Conservancy [https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/our-people/robyn-james-tnc/] Discover how women’s groups in the Solomon Islands are leading community education on the impacts of mining here [https://blog.nature.org/2019/07/24/pacific-women-demand-voice-mining-decisions/]. Learn more about the KAWAKI women's group and the Arnavon Community Marine Park at nature.org [https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/asia-pacific/solomon-islands/stories-in-solomon-islands/kawaki-womens-group/] and on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xLiJ2nuB58], and watch the full performance featured in today's episode here [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GpsrtwkqTk] Watch WELA's video with Christiana Figueres here [https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7459406958949863425] Our Hosts: * Victoria McKenzie-McHarg (CEO, WELA) - A strategic leader with decades of experience in climate and environmental advocacy. * Odette Barry (Founder, Odette & Co) - A storyteller and PR expert teaching changemakers how to tell their story. * Sanaya Khisty (Head of Strategy and Government Relations, 5B) - A policy and advocacy leader working in clean tech on climate solutions. Follow us on socials (@therewillbedancingpod): Follow us on socials (@therewillbedancingpod): Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/therewillbedancingpod/] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@therewillbedancingpod] Want to learn more about WELA? Visit wela.org.au [https://wela.org.au/] and find us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/we_are_wela/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/77081857/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wela.aus/] This episode is proudly supported by Women's Agenda, helping to amplify essential conversations at the intersection of environment, gender, and leadership.

Storytelling for Social Change with Natalie Kyriacou

Can a story change the way we see nature? Can humour do what doom cannot? And what happens when we finally start telling the stories of the women, the weirdos, and the wildlife the world has long overlooked? In this episode of There Will Be Dancing, Victoria, Odette and Sanaya sit down with award-winning environmentalist, author and founder of My Green World, Natalie Kyriacou OAM. A national ambassador for the Australian Conservation Foundation and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree, Natalie has spent more than a decade finding new ways to draw people into the environmental conversation, from building a mobile game that turned kids into virtual conservationists, to writing her acclaimed debut, Nature's Last Dance. Together they explore storytelling as a vehicle for social change: why so many people are checking out of climate doom, how humour and curiosity can reach the audiences that policy papers never will, and what it means to write a nature book that a tradie, a bird watcher, a scientist and a school kid can all pick up and love. Natalie shares the story behind Nature's Last Dance, the quirky and unforgettable characters she met along the way and why she set out to write a love letter to the environmental community as much as a book about the natural world. This episode also features a beautiful audio contribution from ecologist and science communicator Dr Kylie Soanes. In a piece called The Story of a Reluctant Storyteller, Kylie reflects on finding her own voice as a nature storyteller in cities, on noticing birds at bus stops and peacock spiders at the kitchen sink, and on the quiet power of telling the story only you can tell. We hope this episode leaves you laughing, thinking, and a little more convinced that the stories we tell about nature, and about each other, are some of the most important tools we have for change. Learn more about Natalie Kyriacou and Nature's Last Dance at nataliekyriacou.com [https://nataliekyriacou.com/] and discover her work with My Green World at mygreenworld.org [https://mygreenworld.org/] Follow Dr Kylie Soanes and her work on urban nature at @drkyliesoanes on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/drkyliesoanes/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@drkyliesoanes] Our Hosts: * Victoria McKenzie-McHarg (CEO, WELA) - A strategic leader with decades of experience in climate and environmental advocacy. * Odette Barry (Founder, Odette & Co) - A storyteller and PR expert teaching changemakers how to tell their story. * Sanaya Khisty (Head of Strategy and Government Relations, 5B) - A policy and advocacy leader working in clean tech on climate solutions. Follow us on socials (@therewillbedancingpod): Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/therewillbedancingpod/] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@therewillbedancingpod] Want to learn more about WELA? Visit wela.org.au [https://wela.org.au/] and find us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/we_are_wela/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/77081857/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wela.aus/] This episode is proudly supported by Women's Agenda, helping to amplify essential conversations at the intersection of environment, gender, and leadership.

Voices that Move Movements with Holly Rankin (Jack River)

Can a song shift a system? Can grief become fuel for social change? In this episode of There Will Be Dancing, Victoria, Odette and Sanaya sit down with Holly Rankin, the artist, activist and organiser better known to many as the musician Jack River. Holly has spent over a decade making music that lingers, building festivals that gather a generation, and using her platform to push for political and social change in Australia. Together, they explore the power of art and music to move movements: how culture shapes the conversations a country is willing to have, whether songs can carry ideas further than policy papers, and why creative voices are often the ones that shift the ground beneath us. Holly shares the story behind her work as Jack River, the campaigns she has built, and the grief that sits at the heart of so much of it, including the loss of her sister at a young age. This episode also features a beautiful audio contribution from musician Nidala Barker, whose song ‘Boldy Ahead’ adds another layer of feeling and reflection to a conversation about the role of artists in shaping the world we want to live in. We hope this episode leaves you stirred, a little softer, and reminded that the songs we sing, the art we make, and the stories we tell are not just decoration, but tools for social change. Learn more about Jack River and Holly's work at .jackrivermusic.com [https://www.jackrivermusic.com/] and follow her on Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/jack_river/]. Discover Nidala Barker's music at nidalamusic.com [https://www.nidalamusic.com] and follow her on Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/nidala.barker/?hl=en]. Have an idea for an audio reflection? Get in touch at info@wela.org.au [info@wela.org.au] Our Hosts: * Victoria McKenzie-McHarg (CEO, WELA) - A strategic leader with decades of experience in climate and environmental advocacy. * Odette Barry (Founder, Odette & Co) - A storyteller and PR expert teaching changemakers how to tell their story. * Sanaya Khisty (Head of Strategy and Government Relations, 5B) - A policy and advocacy leader working in clean tech on climate solutions. Follow us on socials (@therewillbedancingpod): Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/therewillbedancingpod/] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@therewillbedancingpod] Want to learn more about WELA? Visit wela.org.au [https://wela.org.au/] and find us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/we_are_wela/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/77081857/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wela.aus/] This episode is proudly supported by Women's Agenda, helping to amplify essential conversations at the intersection of environment, gender, and leadership.

Caring for Country with Sarah Eccles

What would it take to truly protect Country, not just in words, but in law? And what might change if we learned to listen to the oldest knowledge systems on this continent? In this episode of There Will Be Dancing, Victoria, Odette and Sanaya catch up with special guest Sarah Eccles: co-CEO of the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) and a leader whose work sits at the intersection of culture, Country, and climate. As co-CEO, Sarah helps steward a growing organisation that speaks for Wadawurrung Country, stretching across the Geelong, Ballarat, and Werribee regions of Victoria.  Together, they explore what it means to care for Country in a time of climate crisis, how First Nations leadership is reshaping environmental decision-making in Australia (and who may not be happy about that) and why protecting Country isn't a separate conversation from protecting everything else we love. Sarah also shares what co-leadership looks like in practice, and why holding space for both cultural knowledge and contemporary governance is so important. This episode also features a contribution from First Nations leader Ruth Langford: a powerful reflection on the protection of Country in law,and what it will take for our legal and political systems to recognise Country as kin, not resource. We hope this conversation leaves you feeling challenged, hopeful, and more deeply connected to the Country beneath your feet — wherever in the world you are listening from. Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-eccles-b4920955/]. Learn more about the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation at wadawurrung.org.au [http://wadawurrung.org.au/] Connect with Ruth Langford on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tipruthanna/] You can learn more about Victoria’s formal Treaty process at firstpeoplesvic.org/treaty/ [https://www.firstpeoplesvic.org/treaty/] Our Hosts: * Victoria McKenzie-McHarg (CEO, WELA) - A strategic leader with decades of experience in climate and environmental advocacy. * Odette Barry (Founder, Odette & Co) - A storyteller and PR expert teaching changemakers how to tell their story. * Sanaya Khisty (Head of Strategy and Government Relations, 5B) - A policy and advocacy leader working in clean tech on climate solutions. Follow us on socials (@therewillbedancingpod) * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/therewillbedancingpod/] * TikTok [http://tiktok.com/@therewillbedancingpod] Want to learn more about WELA? Visit wela.org.au [https://wela.org.au/] and find us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/we_are_wela/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/77081857/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wela.aus/] This episode is proudly supported by Women's Agenda, helping to amplify essential conversations at the intersection of environment, gender, and leadership.

Under the Sea with Yolanda Waters

What would it take to make the climate movement as diverse as the country it's trying to protect — and what are we missing if we don't? In this episode of There Will Be Dancing, Victoria, Odette and Sanaya sit down with special guest Yolanda Waters — founder of Divers for Climate Action, PhD researcher in marine social science and a rising voice at the intersection of ocean conservation, climate communication and cultural inclusion. Yolanda's path to ocean advocacy began not with a lifelong love of the sea, but with a reckoning: standing on a tourist boat at the Great Barrier Reef, unable to answer the big questions visitors kept asking her. That frustration — and one very honest rant on the internet — sparked the community that became Divers for Climate. Together, they explore what it really means to communicate climate change with nuance in a world that demands a 30-second reel, why Australia's climate movement is missing one in three Australians, and how bridging the gap between marine conservation and climate action could change everything. They also dig into the very real, very messy experience of building an organisation from scratch — and why Yolanda says it makes her PhD look easy. This episode also features a deeply moving contribution from Bianca McNeair -  a meditation on grief, country, and the profound responsibility of listening, told through the experience of a group of Malgana women monitoring nesting loggerhead turtles. We hope this conversation leaves you feeling connected to our oceans, to each other, and to the many different ways there are to show up for this work. Connect with Yolanda on Instagram @yolandaleewaters [https://www.instagram.com/yolandaleewaters/] and @diversforclimate [https://www.instagram.com/diversforclimate/]. Learn about the Divers for Climate Summer of Solidarity crowd fundraiser [https://chuffed.org/project/divers-for-climates-summer-of-solidarity] that aims to raise the capital to support a delegation of divers and tourism operators to Parliament in 2026. Connect with Bianca on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bianca-mcneair-0b8962308/?originalSubdomain=au] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biancamcneair/] Our Hosts: * Victoria McKenzie-McHarg (CEO, WELA) - A strategic leader with decades of experience in climate and environmental advocacy. * Odette Barry (Founder, Odette & Co) - A storyteller and PR expert teaching changemakers how to tell their story. * Sanaya Khisty (Head of Strategy and Government Relations, 5B) - A policy and advocacy leader working in clean tech on climate solutions. Follow us on socials (@therewillbedancingpod): * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/therewillbedancingpod/] * TikTok [http://tiktok.com/@therewillbedancingpod] Want to learn more about WELA? Visit wela.org.au [https://wela.org.au/] and find us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/we_are_wela/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/77081857/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/wela.aus/] This episode is proudly supported by Women's Agenda, helping to amplify essential conversations at the intersection of environment, gender, and leadership.