Two Bays Podcast

8. Preparing for the Journey

Haven’t we all had to learn about resilience these few past years?!
As the City of Paris’ leadership in cleaning up the River Seine before the 2024 Olympics shows, restoring urban waterways and building urban swimming culture takes decades.
So, could adopting the practices of endurance athletes give us the resilience we need to achieve a swimmable Birrarung? Listen now!
As far as we know, Karin Traeger, is the only person who has successfully run the entire length of the Yarra River, from its source at Mt Baw Baw to the Bay, a journey of over 280km. She’s a Chilean Ultramarathon runner & the Founder of La Loyka.
Hilary McAllister, joined Karin as a support crew and runner on the epic Birrarung / Yarra river run in September 2022. She’s also an Ultrarunner and the CEO of For Wild Places.
Sometimes, life feels like a marathon. In this Two Bays episode, our special guests will share how their experience as endurance athletes inspires fearless environmental leadership.
 
Note: Two Bays Podcast series #2 is brought to you by Regeneration Projects, the Yarra Riverkeeper Association and RMIT University.

7. Cleaning Up Our Act

Sometimes, you need to go upstream to find the true causes of environmental issues. We’re about to meet three grassroots leaders who educate Melbournians on what makes healthy urban waterways.
April Seymore is incredibly passionate about the Planet! She’s a responsible dog walker and the Executive Officer of Port Phillip Eco Centre.
Liam Higgins represents a new generation of environmental leaders! He’s the Co-Founder & COO at VOLI, an app that makes doing good easy.
Anthony Despotellis literally has his finger on the pulse of the Birrarung’s health! He’s the Litter Project Officer at Yarra Riverkeeper Association.
Stormwater runoff (from streets, parklands & industrial areas) pollutes the Yarra River, but if we can prevent litter, slow down runoff and filter stormwater, change is possible. 
Alrighty then, it’s time for another opportunity to transform climate anxiety into action!
 
Note: Two Bays Podcast series #2 is brought to you by Regeneration Projects, the Yarra Riverkeeper Association and RMIT University.
 

6. Living Well with the Birrarung

Time to dial up the community vibes! Join us on the Two Bays Podcast, where we dive into skills, knowledge and practices to improve Melbourne’s liveability and sense of connectedness and belonging.
In this episode, our special guests talk about how they and their organisations’ are chipping in and how you can too! 
We will meet a quiet advocate for the Birrarung who draws on her experiences as a former Mayor to inspire others to fall in love with our River. Then there’s the surfboard-making engineer who’s bringing fun back into urban swimming conversations, as well as an internationally recognised researcher with some provocative perspectives on future tourism.
Make that cuppa, find a cosey corner and nestle into this heart-warming conversation!
 
Note: Two Bays Podcast series #2 is brought to you by Regeneration Projects, the Yarra Riverkeeper Association and RMIT University.

5. Joining the global Swimmable Cities movement

It’s time to go global folks! In this episode, we’re guiding Two Bays listeners on a virtual tour through Copenhagen, London and Vienna to get our finger on the pulse on the very latest from the urban swimming movement.
Melbourne may sit on a remote island ‘Down Under’ but that doesn’t stop Regeneration Projects from collaborating with international pioneers, people like:
Ana Mumladze Detering, Convenor of the Pan European Urban Bathing Network, and Co-Founder of the Danube Canal Swimming Association, Vienna
Chris Romer-Lee, Co-Founder of Studio Octopi (an architecture firm specialising in urban swimming projects), Co-Founder of Thames Baths & Co-Founder Future Lidos, and
Johann Durand, Blue Flag International Director at Foundation for Environmental Education (fellow actor in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration)
For the latest on the Paris Olympics build up and some very exciting NEWS for the Swimmable Cities movement, don’t miss this episode.
 
Note: Two Bays Podcast series #2 is brought to you by Regeneration Projects, the Yarra Riverkeeper Association and RMIT University.

4. Mapping out a Masterplan

Why have one swimming spot in the lower Yarra, when you could have a whole corridor of swimming experiences?! That’s the vision for a Birrarung / Yarra River Swimming Trail between Deep Rock, Dights Falls and the Bay.
In this episode, you’re going to meet three talent professionals who know how to transform urban design visions into clear, deliverable masterplans.
Skye Haldane is the Principal of Strategic Design at the City of Melbourne and Project Lead for the Greenline Project
Thomas Flugge is a Senior Landscape Architect at McGregor Coxall
Dr Chris Speed is a Professor of Design for Regenerative Futures at RMIT University
Together, our guests represent some of the freshest and brightest minds shaping Melbourne’s built environment. No challenge is too great! Don’t miss out on this deep dive into the power of design in making swimmable cities a reality.
 
Note: Two Bays Podcast series #2 is brought to you by Regeneration Projects, the Yarra Riverkeeper Association and RMIT University.

3. The Rights of a River, Our River

Recognising the rights of Nature is an idea that many people find really challenging, but today’s special guest is a Pro at explaining why giving rights to the Yarra River is just common sense. 
Dr Erin O’Donnell tirelessly works with waterways worldwide, from communities in Aotearoa New Zealand to the United States. This is all part of her role as a Senior Lecturer and ARC Research Fellow at Melbourne Law School.
Protecting urban waterways from stormwater pollution, old sewage systems and vegetation clearing is a hard task, especially when you think about the rising pressures of climate change. But embracing Indigenous and Western knowledge could just give us the edge we need, and the Yarra River Protection / Wilip-gin Birrarung murron Act 2017 has already started this journey.
Are you ready for another step towards a swimmable Birrarung?!
 
Note: Two Bays Podcast series #2 is brought to you by Regeneration Projects, the Yarra Riverkeeper Association and RMIT University.

2. Burndap Birrarung, burndap Umarkoo / Good for the Yarra is Good for All

Join us on the Two Bays Podcast, where we dive into water and wellbeing!
In this episode, we meet another two amazing ambassadors for Melbourne’s beloved Birrarung / Yarra River, who hold a wealth of community leadership experience.
Amanda Donohoe fearlessly plunges into the Birrarung all year round! She’s a member of the Yarra Yabbies swimming group and also the CEO of Servants Community Housing, Hawthorn.
Andrew Kelly is well known to community stakeholders along the Yarra River! He’s a former Yarra Riverkeeper, and the convenor of The Waterway Network.
Despite the Yarra River being a civic space, its lower reaches (between Dights Falls in Abbotsford and Port Phillip Bay) aren’t truly accessible. But perhaps the community vision of the Yarra Strategic Plan 2023-2032 is already starting to change that.
Listen now to find out more!
 
Note: This Two Bays Podcast series is brought to you by Regeneration Projects, the Yarra Riverkeeper Association and RMIT University.

1. Inside Melbourne's Urban Bathing Culture during COVID-19

In the first episode of our "10 Steps towards a Swimmable Birrarung" series, we meet two pioneers of Melbourne's urban bathing culture, who developed some incredible wellbeing skills during COVID-19. 
Meg Elkins started swimming in the Yarra River during Lockdown! She’s a member of the Yarra Yabbies swimming group, she’s also a Behavioural and Cultural Economist at RMIT University. 
James Mugavin built a sauna in his parent’s backyard as a Lockdown project! He’s a sauna enthusiast and Founder & CEO of Loyly architecture studio.
Listen in to discover some hidden silver linings to COVID-19 and how the Birrarung / Yarra River is becoming the heart of urban bathing culture in Melbourne.
Oh, and hear our guests' perspectives on the vision of a ‘swimmable’ Birrarung between Dights Falls (Abbotsford) and Port Phillip Bay!
Note: This Two Bays Podcast series is brought to you by Regeneration Projects, the Yarra Riverkeeper Association and RMIT University.
 

PRELUDE - Making Peace with Melbourne’s River

Before we dive into our NEW "10 Steps towards a swimmable Birrarung" series, let’s set the scene by exploring the story of Melbourne's iconic Yarra River, known as the Birrarung to the Kulin First Peoples.
Are you ready to discover how a growing social movement aims to renegotiate and reconcile our relationship with the Birrarung, by drawing inspiration from Indigenous wisdom – Burndap Birrarung, burndap markoo (What's good for the Birrarung, is good for All)?
As a small local business committed to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Regeneration Projects invites you to join us and our series partners – the Yarra Riverkeeper Association and RMIT University - in supporting the peace-making process between people and Nature.
Tune in and learn how you can turn over a new leaf in your relationship with the Birrarung and your local waterways!

13. Climate Action & Seaweed

In the finale of Two Bays Podcast Series #1, Cam Hines (Co-Founder of Southern Sea Greens, and Co-Founder of Mountain Goat brewery) shares the incredible story of how he’s helped make seaweed a successful business that is good for people and the Planet. He talks Matt and Claire through the growth of climate action and sustainability on the Mornington Peninsula and explains how Southern Sea Greens are working to create nutritious food products while regenerating marine ecosystems.
Cam emphasizes the importance of creativity and tenacity in business and encourages fellow entrepreneurs to trust their instincts and take the first step. Tune in now if you’re ready to be inspired!