Natalie Kyriacou OAM has been appointed national ambassador of the Australian Conservation Foundation.
An award-winning author, environmentalist and presenter, Kyriacou brings extensive experience to Australia’s national environment group’s fight for conservation.
She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia and the Forbes 30 Under 30 Honour for her services to wildlife and environmental conservation in 2018. She’s been a United Nations Environment Programme Young Champion of the Earth Finalist, is one of LinkedIn’s 2022 ‘Top Green Voices’ and was named one of The Australian’s 2022 ‘Top Innovators’.
Last month, Kyriacou released her bestselling book, Nature’s Last Dance, which delves into the heart of nature’s battle to survive and explores the world’s wonder and resilience in an age of extinction and climate anxiety.
“There are people in this world who see magic because they look for it. And then they fight to protect it. ACF is a community of those people: the ones who still find wonder, even when it’s hard, and who believe this world is worth fighting for,” Kyriacou said.
“These are the people I want to stand with. It is a privilege to be an ACF ambassador.”
ACF’s Acting CEO, Dr Paul Sinclair said Kyriacou’s ambassadorship arrives at a critical moment in Australia’s fight for strong nature protection and an end to the bulldozing of the bush.
“In the wake of Jane Goodall’s sad passing and incredible legacy, it’s more important than ever that we elevate emerging, passionate voices for nature. Natalie offers a hopeful lens with which to view the natural world; her unique and compelling storytelling acts as a powerful reminder of what’s at stake and why nature is worth fighting for.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Natalie into the ACF community at this unprecedented moment in time, because nature needs us, now,” said Sinclair.
“With a growing network and audience of young Australians, Natalie has become a top commentator in the media, offering sharp insights and compelling case studies from around the world about how we can and should look to the natural world for innovative solutions to our most existential threats.”
Kyriacou joins ACF as the federal government prepares to table urgently needed reforms of the country’s nature protection law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, in Parliament this week.