Farewell Ivan and thanks for all the words

Posted on 15 October, 2024 by Anna

We recently said goodbye to our colleague and friend, Ivan Carter, who has been the Engagement Coordinator at Connecting Country for almost six years. Ivan managed all aspects of communication with a deft hand, a way with words and a pure form of enthusiasm for conservation and community engagement in a uniquely Ivan way.

Over the years he has been instrumental in getting the Connecting Country message out to the community, promoting and running our many engagement and educational events, with innumerable blog and social media posts, radio interviews, and live streams. He also created an online mapping portal for our precious local, large old trees which is still open for contributions -click here

Of special note was Ivan’s ability to navigate the task of community engagement during the COVID years, where he was able to pivot and create engaging online and socially distanced events that were extra important for social cohesion and connection during these challenging times. This included events such as the woodland bird walks through Kalimna Park, Castlemaine and Wildflower Drive, Greater Bendigo National Park, where Ivan drew on his broad knowledge of technology to coordinate a walk both in person and online via Facebook.

We already miss Ivan’s kind, thoughtful and quirky nature in the office and at our events. We wish him all the very best in his next exciting phase of connecting community and conservation.