You can hear her poet’s mind at work when Emma Rooksby speaks about the Illawarra. There’s this sense that she sees the landscape not just differently, but deeply. Perhaps there’s a touch of the academic philosopher still informing her work. And while a move to Canberra in 2001 sparked an interest in nature, it was a serious illness and a move to the Illawarra that changed Emma’s life. As she has become a staunch advocate for the protection of the unique biodiversity of our region, it could be argued that it changed a lot for the Illawarra as well.
Emma considers herself a relative newcomer to the region, arriving in 2009.
“We chose this area because of its stunning, diverse environment and ecology, and every year I spend here I fall for it more deeply,” she said.
Shortly after her arrival, however, she was struck down with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a serious, debilitating disease.
Before this, she had enjoyed gardening and her passion for the environment had started to grow. “You can see some of that emerging love of nature in my collection, ‘Time Will Tell’ in Fremantle Press’s 2010 anthology called New Poets,” she said.
“It was actually illness that got me volunteering in the native plant and biodiversity space. I came down with chronic fatigue syndrome in 2010 and was seriously unwell for several years.”
During this time, she started a Bushcare group in Mount Pleasant saying, "It's been my touchstone ever since; the incredible locals who turn out week after week and month after month to care for our natural areas are inspirational.”
And this is what Emma does best. She encourages not only a love of the Illawarra’s natural beauty but she inspires others to protect and conserve it.
“I am a total believer in the value of our priceless and irreplaceable local ecosystems”, she said. “And I’ve found that my enthusiasm connects with and enhances the energy and enthusiasm of others.”
Along with the author of Wollongong's Native Trees, Leon Fuller, Emma launched the Growing Illawarra Natives website, celebrating flora and fauna native to the region.
“Literally hundreds of people volunteered their time and energy to make the website a reality. The Growing Illawarra Natives website was finally launched in March 2020, into the teeth of the COVID-19 lockdowns. But it's gone from strength to strength since then.”
Emma is also the chair of Landcare Illawarra and runs bush regeneration at the Rhododendron and Rainforest Gardens. It’s little wonder that she was recently awarded the Environmental Achievement Award at the City of Wollongong Awards.
It’s fair to say that while Emma doesn’t enjoy the spotlight and would rather it was focused on how we can work together to protect and restore our region's biodiversity, yet the award does come with an opportunity to get things done.
“I'm just a volunteer, and proudly part of a wider hive mind of environmental awareness and action across the region," she said.
"I will do my best to leverage this award to promote local biodiversity, and in particular to raise awareness about how important local ecosystems are to human flourishing.
“I'm also looking forward to engaging more closely with local First Nations communities who have incredible practical and spiritual knowledge of this place. We still have so much to learn from people who have lived in and cared for this place for tens of thousands of years."
