Patron for Conservation
Dr Jane Goodall, DBE
Dr Jane Goodall is an iconic conservationist, ethnologist, a UN Messenger of Peace and the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute. Beyond her pioneering work in the field of primatology, which led to her become known as “the woman who redefined man”, she travels the world to inspire actions that connect people with animals and our shared environment. The Jane Goodall Institute is widely recognized for establishing innovative community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa and the Roots & Shoots education program in nearly 100 countries.
Dr Goodall’s many honours include: the Medal of Tanzania, the National Geographic Society’s Hubbard Medal, Japan’s prestigious Kyoto Prize, the Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research 2003, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, and the Gandhi/King Award for Nonviolence. In 2003, Queen Elizabeth II named Dr Goodall a Dame of the British Empire, the equivalent of a knighthood. In addition to her PhD from Cambridge University, Dr Goodall has received honorary doctorates from numerous universities, including: Utrecht University, Holland; Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich; Stirling University, Scotland; Providence University, Taiwan; University of Guelph and Ryerson University in Canada; Buffalo University, Tufts University and others.
The Bowerbird Collective is privileged to call Dr Jane Goodall our Patron for Conservation, supporting and symbolising our commitment to create artistic work that brings people closer to the natural world.
Patron for Country
Professor Anne Poelina
Professor Anne Poelina is a Nyikina Warrwa woman from the Kimberley region of Western Australia. She is an active community leader, human and earth rights advocate, film maker and respected academic researcher, with a second Doctor of Philosophy (First Law) titled, ‘Martuwarra First Law Multi-Species Justice Declaration of Interdependence: Wellbeing of Land, Living Waters, and Indigenous Australian People’ (Nulungu Institute of Research, University of Notre Dame, Broome, Western Australia).
Anne is the Murray Darling Basin (MDB) inaugural First Nations appointment to its independent Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences (2022), and member of Institute for Water Futures, Australian National University, Canberra. Poelina was awarded the Kailisa Budevi Earth and Environment Award, International Women’s Day (2022) recognition of her global standing. Poelina is also an Ambassador for the Western Australian State Natural Rangelands Management (NRM) (2022).
Professor Poelina is a powerful public speaker, incorporating ancient and contemporary Indigenous Australian stories which illustrate traditional ecological knowledge, First Law and the rights of nature in regard to the solutions required for planetary health and wellbeing. Her enduring work is centred around her sacred ancestral being, the Martuwarra/Mardoowarra, Fitzroy River right to live and flow.
The Bowerbird Collective is deeply honoured to call Professor Poelina our Patron for Country. We connected while in residence at the Broome Bird Observatory in 2021, and it was Anne who introduced us to Mervyn Street of Mangkaja Arts. Professor Poelina supports and symbolises our commitment to respect for Country and collaboration with First Nations artists to share the living culture and ancient story of our relationship to nature.