Jane and her Textilebeat are doing upcycling - 2013
Green lifestyle news: I met Jane Milburn for the first time at the Green Heart in Carindale, Brisbane, a month ago. I attended the fair to keep one eye on what local people here meant about sustainability. Jane made me curious about upcycling, and I had to try what she was talking about in person.
Jane is an agricultural scientist who values the resources, effort and cost of producing natural fibres. That led her to find creative ways to rescue garments made from wool, linen, cotton or silk and recast them for a second life. So I started connecting everything to sustainability; what can be more ecological than upcycling?
Our clothes are statements about our personality, values and perspective. But, she says, every day, we make choices on what to wear, but unless we, friends, and family are empowered with simple sewing and design skills, we are a slave to current fashion in-store and online.
Constantly seeking new clothes can be time-consuming, expensive and overwhelming. The alternative is to become more inventive and reuse, repurpose, and recreate existing pieces in our wardrobes.
I attended one of the workshops in Brisbane (South Bank area): Jumper-to-skirt conversion using garment surgery – a half-day workshop. For the first time in my life, I had sewn and made, with Jane’s help, two beautiful dresses and one lovely show.
Textile Beat is a social enterprise inspiring the upcycling of natural fibres, fabric and textured objects and following the heart on a creative journey by working with integrity, creativity and purpose. It was established in 2013 by Jane Milburn and Ele Cook in Jane’s studio in Brisbane, Australia, to value quality natural fibres and tap into potential opportunities to repurpose existing garments for pleasure, reward and sustainability.
If you are interested to know more about this excellent way to be sustainable, please have a look at textilebeat.com.
Michela Serafino - 2016
Michela Serafino, a talented and passionate graduate in tourism, cultural heritage and local development has joined our Sustainable Tourism World community to help us make the difference and to specialized in web marketing . She is passionate about art, culture and sustainable development and she is pursuing her dream of working in that sector.
Please join me in welcoming Michela in this beautiful and International community!
Sara
Carolina Oro - 2014
I was born in Argentina but I have had the opportunity to live in different countries. This has allowed me to develop a passion for intercultural dialogue and to see our world as our homeland. Together with my gender, this has became the most vital element of my identity.
Ever since I was child, I felt a strong curiosity for human subjectivity and philosophy. I studied psychology in Argentina and in the UK. I graduated from the University of East London in 2004 with a BSc Hons degree. My thesis explored empathy and mirror neurons and I’m continuing my education in Italy.
In 2005, I discovered Biodanza – Rolando Toro System – that soon became one of my main passions. After a 3-year training programme at the Scuola Modello di Biodanza in Milan, I’ve become a teacher myself. Through my work as a Biodanza facilitator, I aim to increase our awareness of interconnectedness and promote an empathic way of living.
I’m deeply interested in knowing more about the potential of our consciousness from a scientific point of view, particularly in terms of neurosciences. I’m currently continuing my education, following the programmes offered by the Institute of Noetic Sciences and other Italian and International Institutes dedicated to the exploration of human consciousness.
During my university years, I had the chance to read Women’s studies, which are now known as Gender studies. In 2007, with my friend Enrica Cavina, I founded the Gents de Yilania Foundation, which promotes collaboration and partnership between genders by creating social, cultural and artistic events.
Since 2007, I’ve dedicated much of my time and energy to creating collective spaces for growth and to developing a community project based on permacultural principles and aimed at becoming a centre for holistic and sustainable studies promoted by the Le Diecimila Creature.
alking about her no-profit association: The Ten Thousand Beings (Le Diecimila Creature, in Italian)
It is a place for sharing and co-creating sustainable projects. We promote the vision of all-encompassing living complexity, believe we are all interconnected and think that collaboration and co-creation are essential for the emergence and reinforcement of a world based on the new empathic paradigm. We are non-ideological and non-religious, happy to learn from diversity and willing to share ideas with like-minded people. We are now based in the beautiful hills of Casentino, in the town of Soci (province of Arezzo).
Our House is an open place where we host conferences, courses, and workshops. Our interests range from biological disciplines such as Biodanza, Yoga, and Shiatsu to the performing and therapeutic arts (theatre, music, dance). We study and experience consciousness from a neutral and scientific point of view. Still, we also enjoy learning from the wise ancient civilizations that, for ages, have been expressing these truths in different languages. In summer, we organize cultural gatherings, concerts and vegetarian dinners on our terrace and garden, from where you enjoy a beautiful view of the Casentino hills and Castle of Poppi. In addition, we volunteer for Wiser.org (no more active), the Social Network for Sustainability and Social Justice.
I consider our activity sustainable because it promotes a sustainable vision based on collaboration and awareness-raising work around sustainability issues, ecological thinking, application of permaculture principles and sustainable local tourism.
Ilaria Urbani - 2013
Hi! My name is Ilaria Urbani and I’m studing “Tourism, territory and local development” at Milano-Bicocca University. I’m writing my thesis right now in Sarajevo about “Responsible tourism as a tool of international cooperation for development”, I have been here two months and I will come back to Milan the 23rd December.
I will start the “Servizio Civile Nazionale” in COSV an ONG who is working on some projects about responsible and sustainable tourism.
Thank you for your attention,
Hope to hear from you as soon as possible,
Best regards,
Ilaria Urbani
Nicola Caygill - 2012
Nicola has shared with me her master’s dissertation:
Luxury ecotourism: A case study of The Great Barrier Reef,
Supervisor: James Elwin.
Presented as a final requirement for the Master of Science in Tourism: Environment and development Oxford Brookes University, University of Canberra.
Nicola has been involved in tourism since 1998. Her academic experience has seen her achieve:
— MSc Tourism: Environment and Development – Oxford Brookes University, UK.
— BA of Tourism Management: Marketing – The University of Canberra.
— Qualified Tourism Trainer and Assessor.
— Distinction for Tourism Sector Services Accreditation TAFE
Nicola is the President of the Oxford Brookes Alumni Chapter in Australia and Alumni chapter leader for The University of Canberra.
Her experience has seen her operating in the MICE, Accommodation, Tour operator, Corporate and guiding industries. She is a nationally accredited tourism trainer and has worked teaching certificate III and IV in tourism at The Bridge Business College.
Nicola is a keen adventurer who completed her Bronze, Silver, and Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s award by 17 years of age. This award involved teaching English and assisting in building a recreation room for the monks at The Manjushri-Dechen School, Nepal, for the World Challenge.
Following her volunteer work for the human resources department at Oxfam International’s headquarters and as acting manager on the Shortmead Estate, UK, Nicola was invited to the UK National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship’s ‘Flying Start’ Programme. Following this opportunity, Nicola was asked to establish the online programme evaluation system at The Earthwatch Institute.
Nicola’s more recent corporate travel sales experience has drawn in $6.5m worth of new accounts in the first year following being recruited to the ‘Program’ graduate scheme.
In 2010, her Master’s dissertation paper on Luxury Ecotourism was presented at The 2nd World Ecotourism Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as well as the Tourism Futures Conference in Brisbane, Australia.
Nicola’s travel philosophy is ‘take only photographs to leave only footprints.’ She believes travel should be sustainable, eco-friendly and it should benefit the communities on which it imposes.
Nicola Caygill’s sustainable tourism thesis:
Luxury ecotourism: Case study of The Great Barrier Reef as a sustainable tourism thesis
The Abstract is from Nicola’s dissertation (more info into page: “sharing people” )
The paper uses the case study of luxury ecotourism resorts of The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Queensland Australia to look at three elements of luxury ecotourism resorts, namely, successfully combining eco-ness with luxury, the ethics of profiting from a finite natural resource and the public sectors role in the development of luxury ecotourism. The findings of the paper suggest that it is possible to successfully combine accreditations based on both ‘eco-ness’ and luxury, however, if the business where to be operating within a unique environment, it may not be possible to satisfy both accreditation types and therefore impose accreditation mutual exclusivity based on either star rating or environmental sustainability. The paper found that economic leakage may still exist in luxury ecotourism businesses in the Great Barrier Reef and that the multiplier effect holds high significance in these remote environments. The type of a luxury ecotourism businesses conservation contribution proves to be a yardstick for its level of ethics. Although conservation contribution is mandatory for eco-accredited luxury ecotourism businesses, it is not mandatory to conserve the environment on which the resort stands. A situation may occur whereby a resorts conservation contributions are directed toward activities of the marine park in general, this does not mitigate any negative environmental effects that a resort may contribute to. The paper also found that public sector provided sufficient support and that its role was clear in the encouragement of the development of luxury ecotourism, however, the majority respondents did not feel the public sector involves itself enough in the development of luxury ecotourism.
Are you interest to read the complete dissertation? please write here a comment or contact me using the proper form situated into the “contact information” page!
Nicola and I will be really happy to hear your observation and comments!
Sara