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For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:

Kriegler-Education

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+61438489032

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I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.com.

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Peace, Partnership and a New Home for the Rotary Club of Canterbury: Elizabeth Shepherd, Past President of the Rotary Club of Canterbury

In this episode of the Rotary and Community Service Radio Show on 94.1FM 3WBC, Lili-Ann Kriegler talks with Elizabeth Shepherd, who led the Rotary Club of Canterbury through an unusual 18-month presidency.

A scientist-turned-teacher, Elizabeth reflects on the path that led her to Rotary and the president’s chair. She tells the story behind the peace poles now standing in Victoria Park, Kew, and what it took to bring them from an idea to reality. She also shares how the club found its new home, why structure matters as much as enthusiasm, and what it’s like when two members of one household belong to different clubs.

Stay to the end to hear the quote Elizabeth lives by, and why it matters so much to her.

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Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast so you can receive valuable insights and discussions in the future!

For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:

Kriegler-Education

https://www.kriegler-education.com

+61438489032

Follow Lili-Ann

I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.com.

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Support the show

Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast so you can receive valuable insights and discussions in the future!

For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:

Kriegler-Education

https://www.kriegler-education.com

+61438489032

Follow Lili-Ann

I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.com.

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In this episode of the Rotary and Community Service Radio Show, Lili-Ann talks with Dr Julie Mulhauser — retired medical specialist, newly inaugurated President of the Balwyn Rotary Club, President of East Sider News, co-founder of the Friends of Belmont Park, and a volunteer with the Lighter Footprints Organisation.

Julie is one of Melbourne's eastern suburbs' most dedicated community advocates, with a focus on environmental sustainability and civic engagement. She brings to everything she does a rare combination of strategic thinking, professional discipline and genuine passion for public good.

In this conversation, Julie shares her thinking on two big themes: how sustainability action actually takes root in communities, and the tools and processes that make projects work. There is a great deal of practical wisdom here for anyone involved in community action at any scale.

Press play — the gold is in the listening.

🎙️ Hosted by Lili-Ann Kriegler
📻 Rotary and Community Service Radio Show — 94.1 FM 3WBC
🌿 Recorded 3 July 2026

#Rotary #BalwynRotary #CommunityRadio #Sustainability #NatureStrips #ElectrifyBoroondara #Boroondara #MelbourneCommunity #ClimateAction #CommunityAdvocacy #PublicGood #VolunteerLeadership #ProjectManagement #Melbourne #LighterFootprints #FriendsOfBelmontPark #EastSiderNews

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Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast so you can receive valuable insights and discussions in the future!

For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:

Kriegler-Education

https://www.kriegler-education.com

+61438489032

Follow Lili-Ann

I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.com.

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What does it take to fund 40 years of health research that changes lives?

In this episode of the Rotary and Community Service Radio Show, host Lili-Ann Kriegler speaks with Stephen Humphreys, Chair of Australian Rotary Health — one of Australia's largest independent non-government funders of health research in Australia.

Lili-Ann and Stephen first met at the International Rotary Golfing Fellowship in Darwin, where Stephen's address at the prize giving was so compelling that an invitation to the radio show followed immediately. It was a good instinct.

Stephen takes us back to the beginning — to 1981, when Rotary clubs across Australia rallied behind a cause costing hundreds of young lives each year, and to the research that followed, which produced one of the most dramatic public health outcomes this country has seen. From those origins, he traces the journey of Australian Rotary Health through four decades of evolving focus, culminating in the bold decision in 2000 to make mental health the organisation's primary area of investment.

The statistics he shares are striking. The prevalence of mental health challenges among young Australians — and how early those challenges can begin — makes a powerful case for why sustained, independent research in this space is not optional. It is essential.

But this conversation goes well beyond research. Stephen walks us through the full breadth of what Australian Rotary Health funds: PhD scholarships in general and mental health research, a long-running Indigenous Health Scholarship Programme that has produced over 300 graduates since 2003, and rural medical and nursing scholarships designed to draw more health professionals into the communities that need them most. He is candid about the funding pressures the organisation currently faces, particularly following a change in Australian Government policy affecting the Indigenous programme, and clear about what continued support from Rotarians and Rotary clubs means in practical terms.

There is also a lovely conversation about grandchildren, golf, and why community connection is often where the most lasting change begins.

Warm, honest and wide-ranging — this is Rotary at its best.

🎙️ Hosted by Lili-Ann Kriegler on 94.1FM 3WBC — The Voice of the Inner East, Melbourne.

#RotaryRadio #AustralianRotaryHealth #MentalHealth #Rotary #RotaryInternational #CommunityService #3WBC #LiftTheLid #HealthResearch #Scholarships #IndigenousHealth #RuralHealth #ChildMentalHealth #PeopleOfAction

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Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast so you can receive valuable insights and discussions in the future!

For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:

Kriegler-Education

https://www.kriegler-education.com

+61438489032

Follow Lili-Ann

I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.com.

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Episode 3: The Catalyst Effect - Why Early Childhood Educators Hold the Key to Sustainable Futures

Series: The First 2,000 Days: Building Brain Architecture and Sustainable Futures

Welcome to the final episode in our series exploring how child development and sustainability are the same story viewed from different angles.

Over the past two episodes, we've examined the extraordinary neuroscience of the grounding years and the troubling extinction of outdoor childhood. Today, we bring these threads together to reveal why early childhood educators have such extraordinary leverage to create sustainable futures.

In this episode:

We begin with a deceptively simple question: When does a person's capacity to care about the planet actually begin? The answer might surprise you. Through the story of Joseph and his shadow investigation, we explore what a catalytic effect actually means and how quality early childhood practice, when situated in relationship with the natural world, is already the most powerful form of sustainability education possible.

We address the misconception that holds many educators back, revealing the three interconnected domains of sustainability and why you're already working across all of them every single day. From growing vegetables to the ripple effects that extend far beyond your garden gate, we examine how your influence accelerates change at multiple levels.

We tackle practical concerns head-on. What if you don't feel confident about your own relationship with nature? Where do you start when global challenges feel overwhelming? How can one educator possibly make a difference? And we share stories that demonstrate just how powerful children are as change agents right now, including Bronwyn's son requesting a water tank for his fourth birthday and a child who convinced a cafe owner to replace plastic straws within one week.

Why This Matters:

Your daily choices are creating ripples that extend well beyond what's immediately visible. Every interaction where you model curiosity, every moment you encourage gentle handling of living creatures, every experience where children work together to care for growing things, you're simultaneously building cognitive, social, emotional, and environmental capacities.

The Message:

You are not just preparing children for school or providing care while families work. You are architects of possibility, working during the years when foundations are laid that will support or limit what becomes possible across entire lifetimes.

Connect with us:

Explore our programs that support educators in this vital work.

• Project Sustainability Collective website

www.projectsustainabilitycollective.com.au

• Early Years Sustainability Facebook Group

Explore our programs that support educators in this vital work.

Episode Length: Approximately 45 minutes

The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination. - John Schaar

#ProjectSustainabilityCollective #EarlyChildhoodEducation #EducationForSustainability #ECEC #SustainabilityEducation #EarlyYears #NaturePlay #ChildDevelopment #CatalystForChange #ArchitectsOfPossibility

Support the show

Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast so you can receive valuable insights and discussions in the future!

For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:

Kriegler-Education

https://www.kriegler-education.com

+61438489032

Follow Lili-Ann

I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.com.

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Series: The First 2,000 Days: Building Brain Architecture and Sustainable Futures

This is the second episode of three: The Extinction of Experience - Why Nature Connection Matters for Sustainable Futures

Listen to our series exploring how child development and sustainability are the same story viewed from different angles.

In the last episode, we examined the extraordinary neuroscience of the grounding years. Today we explore a troubling pattern: the outdoor childhood is vanishing, and this compression is happening during the exact same critical window when children's brains are most malleable.

In this episode:

We reveal the stark statistics behind what environmental educator Robert Pyle calls "the extinction of experience" and why this self-perpetuating cycle threatens environmental futures. From sensory richness to loose parts play, we explore what children actually lose when they lose contact with nature—and it's far more than just fresh air and exercise.

We examine the concept of biophilia versus biophobia, and why the same critical window that matters for brain development also matters for nature connection. Through compelling research and Bronwyn's own childhood stories of camping in the Flinders Ranges, we discover why people protect what they love—and they love what they've experienced directly during this formative window.

We address what works and what doesn't, including the problem of premature abstraction and why teaching four-year-olds about melting ice caps can create anxiety rather than connection. Then we explore the alternative: a developmentally appropriate nature connection that builds love first, with knowledge following naturally.

Why This Matters:

With children spending 40 to 50 hours a week in early childhood settings, your outdoor space, your comfort with insects, and your willingness to let children get muddy are shaping whether children develop biophilia or biophobia during the window when their relationship with nature is forming.

The Message:

Every opportunity you provide for children to experience themselves as part of nature, not separate from it, plants seeds that may grow into environmental stewardship—and planetary regeneration—for decades to come.

Next Episode: The Catalyst Effect - Why Early Childhood Educators Hold the Key to Sustainable Futures

Connect with us:

• Project Sustainability Collective website www.projectsustainabilitycollective.com.au
• Early Years Sustainability Facebook Group

We'd love to hear about successful nature connection practices in your setting!

The extinction of experience can be reversed, but only if we act within the critical window during the grounding years when children's capacity to love and care about the natural world is still forming.

#EarlyChildhoodEducation #EducationForSustainability #NaturePlay #ChildDevelopment #ECEC #Biophilia #EnvironmentalEducation #SustainabilityLeadership #ProjectSustainabilityCollective #OutdoorLearning

Support the show

Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast so you can receive valuable insights and discussions in the future!

For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:

Kriegler-Education

https://www.kriegler-education.com

+61438489032

Follow Lili-Ann

I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.com.

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Episode 1: The Grounding Years - Why the First 2,000 Days Matter for Child Development

Series: The First 2,000 Days: Building Brain Architecture and Sustainable Futures

Welcome to the first full episode of our new series exploring the profound connection between early childhood development and sustainability consciousness.

In our introduction, we presented the fundamental premise: child development and sustainability are the same story viewed from different angles. Today we begin with the first of three interconnected questions: Why do the early years matter for child development?

In this episode:

We explore the extraordinary science behind why this particular window matters so profoundly—from the construction happening at lightning speed in developing brains to the critical processes that determine which capacities strengthen and which fade away. Using the metaphor of a river red gum seedling establishing its root system, we examine what "grounding years" really means and why timing matters more than you might think.

We address the age-old question of nature versus nurture with encouraging research that reveals the extent of educators' influence. Through compelling evidence from landmark studies, we discover what happens when children's environments change during this critical window—and why the quality of early childhood education isn't neutral.

Finally, we explore holistic development and what it means to support the whole child. Through practical examples from everyday early childhood settings, we reveal how children's different developmental areas work together, with profound implications for both immediate learning and lifelong capacities.

Why This Matters:

The warm responses, thoughtful environments, and rich experiences you provide aren't just supporting development—they're building the neural architecture that will support human flourishing and environmental consciousness for decades to come.

The Overarching Message:

You are not just early childhood educators. You are architects of the future, working during the most powerful developmental window.

Next Episode: The Extinction of Experience - Why Nature Connection Matters for Sustainable Futures

Connect with us:

• Project Sustainability Collective Website: www.projectsustainabilitycollective.com.au
• Early Years Sustainability Facebook Group

Your work during the grounding years establishes foundations—neural, relational, emotional, environmental—that determine what becomes possible for both human flourishing and planetary sustainability.

Support the show

Thank you for listening. Please subscribe to this podcast so you can receive valuable insights and discussions in the future!

For more information about Lili-Ann Kriegler, go to:

Kriegler-Education

https://www.kriegler-education.com

+61438489032

Follow Lili-Ann

I respect the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land of the Kulin Nation groups, the Boonwurrung and Bunurong people, where I live, learn, and work.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B. A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is an award-winning author and Melbourne-based education consultant. Her books are 'The Power of Play' for educators and 'Roots and Wings' for parents. Lili-Ann’ is a leader in early childhood education (birth to years), leadership and optimising human thinking and cognition. She runs her consultancy, Kriegler-Education. She is passionate about the early childhood sector and believes in the transformational power of education.
Find out more at https://www.kriegler-education.com.