This month we profile two passionate environmental crusaders, Lyndon Schneiders and Steve Posselt.

We also feature three causes we feel passionate about: World Vision, Landcare, and Rainforest Rescue. 

As usual, we welcome any feedback you may have about our newsletter.

As Queensland Campaign Manager for The Wilderness Society, Lyndon Schneiders has seen the good, the bad and the ugly of environmental campaigns to protect Australia’s wild rivers. These experiences keep him campaigning.

‘When I go walking in protected areas of Australia, I really appreciate the fact that without active lobbying and raising awareness about the environmental values of these places, they wouldn’t exist.’

Quantitative surveys rate non-government organisations as more credible providers of information than business and government, but The Wilderness Society and other NGOs receive little financial support for communicating about Australia’s precious environments.

Lyndon is a past Churchill fellow and has received a Centenary of Federation Medal for his commitment to conservation and the environment. Early this year he participated in the Australian Future Directions Forum in Melbourne.

‘Working for a not-for-profit organisation allows you to live a well-lived life,’ Lyndon says.

To find out more about The Wilderness Society’s Wild Rivers campaign go to

The Wilderness Society

Steve Posselt, a 54 year-old civil engineer, is passionate about action in response to the immensity of the global warming problem.

While commuting on the Brisbane River in his kayak, Steve has been dreaming up and planning an epic journey on the rivers from Brisbane to Adelaide. For four years, he’s been planning to present information on global warming while recording the changes faced by communities on the parched river systems of Australia.

‘I cannot see the sense in trying to cope with the costs of mitigating the effects of climate change while at the same time rewarding others with huge profits from digging up fossil fuels and selling them to people who burn them and create more problems that we must deal with,’ says Steve.

Unlike Al Gore’s recent admirable ‘movie-mentary’, this is a man hoping to inspire change without the resources and contacts of a former US Vice President. All his working life, Steve has been in the water industry with much of his time devoted to the Australian Water Association. Steve sold his own water equipment business in 2005 that he built from scratch to realise his dream, and was almost derailed by a serious motor cycle accident in July this year.

‘I want to know what people are dealing with hands on, and to promote the possibilities of renewable energies making a brighter future for all of us.’

Update on the Philippines equine connection

You may recall from previous newsletters that Econnect has been involved in pro bono work over the past few years for Philippines Landcare projects. 

Around Christmas last year, we had great pleasure in donating money to purchase a horse for Lorena—one of the young Landcare facilitators—to help her travel to remote areas. 

In her latest correspondence, Lorena told us how invaluable the horse has been over the past year. She does a lot of training for farmers, educating them in crop cultivation and care of their farms. With the help of her horse, Lorena has been able to extend her training to remote villages that are inaccessible by other means of transport. She was also delighted to inform us that the horse is now pregnant and due to foal shortly. (A Christmas gift that keeps on giving!)

More ways to give

Through World Vision Australia, Econnect sponsors two children in the Makueni area of Kenya.

For a relatively small yearly cost, World Vision sends updates and information about the children as they progress through their childhood.

It's so nice to receive photographs and reports about how they're doing at school and how the village where they live benefits. Sponsorship money goes towards the child's schooling, and provision of clean water, immunisation and farming training for their community.

World Vision