Ocean Lovers, Why It's Time To Look Upstream with Zoe White

This is a podcast about rivers, so why are we talking about the ocean? Well, let’s just say – one thing leads to another. 

Is it inevitable when someone falls so deeply in love with the ocean, that love will eventually lead them upstream? Lead them through adoration for marine animals, leads to estuarine animals, leads to river health and to where problems might be at their source? 

Having spent the majority of her early adulthood submerged in saltwater, Zoe White was and is dedicated to protecting marine life and the ecosystems that help it thrive.

With a Bachelor of Marine Science and Management from Southern Cross University under her weight belt, running beach cleans and various marine conservation campaigns and working as a Project Manager for Ozfish, what took Zoe upriver and into the President’s chair of Richmond Riverkeeper Association? And why is it such good news for rivers when ocean folk start turning their gaze inland?

Join us for Riverfest 2025:

Richmond Riverfest is a month-long celebration of the rivers, cultures, and communities of the Northern Rivers region. The festival brings together Custodians, community, conservation groups, community organisations, artists, and educators to honour the river systems through storytelling, public events, and a shared commitment to river protection and restoration. This year, Richmond Riverfest will launch in Ballina on World Rivers Day — a fitting location where the river meets the sea and the tributaries of the upper catchments converge. 

Ballina represents the symbolic meeting point for all communities along the Richmond River and highlights the collective responsibility to care for and protect this vital waterway. The family-friendly event will feature a vibrant mix of local food, live music, educational talks, river stories, and interactive children's activities. It offers an opportunity for communities to connect, learn, and explore how cultural knowledge, science, and grassroots action can come together to heal the Richmond River. 
 
 With a focus on listening to the voices of the river and empowering community-led restoration, Richmond Riverfest is a powerful reminder that when people come together in celebration and purpose, real change can flow.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DETAILS

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This podcast has been made possible with support from the Australian Government through the Emergency Response Fund, administered by NSW Reconstruction Authority's Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program 2022-23. Delivered by North Coast Regional Landcare Network through the Caring for Catchments project. Let’s work together, to make rivers swimmable, fishable and drinkable, worldwide. You, me, We Are The Riverkeepers