Nurtured by the bushland around his studio and the storytelling of past cultures, Jonathan Drew recovered from depression and became an oral storyteller. He believes these stories provide clues to living a good life in harmony with the natural world.

For seven years, Blaxland Preschool Kindergarten has been delivering an innovative nature-based program that encourages adventure & risk-taking. Inspired by Scandinavian Forest Kindergartens, Bush Preschool is offered to children one day a fortnight.

A deep passion for turtles can take you to some interesting places – waist deep in mud one day and onto a movie set the next. Shane Davies leads Turtle Rescues NSW, saving thousands of Australian native freshwater turtles from certain death each year.

Every Friday at the Lower Mountains Neighbourhood Centre, women come together to transform balls of wool into blankets, beanies & teddies. Their creations find their way to people in nursing homes, premature babies, vulnerable children, homeless people or those living with terminal illness.

Teddy bears started posing in windows worldwide during 2020's COVID lockdowns, the suburban bear hunts providing a little joy and respite. In 2023, they're still creating connection in the Lower Mountains.

A beautiful dining table, a piano, a wooden canoe, bicycles and books – not what I expected to find at my local ‘tip’. Turning trash into treasure is just one way our Blue Mountains community is reducing materials going to landfill.

Imagine needing a treasure map to navigate around your own backyard. That’s exactly what Kim Wood created after discovering rare and endangered plants in her native garden. Kim and Martin had no idea how special the garden they inherited actually was.

From running the Rotary Recycles Op Shop, to replacing disposable coffee cups with crockery at the Glenbrook Rotary Markets, volunteers in the Lower Blue Mountains Rotary Club are taking up the challenge of Rotary's newest area of focus - Supporting the Environment.

Tom Gleeson was just 11 when he joined his mum and 20 other Warrimoo residents in a community-based program called Sustainability Street. Locals of all ages met regularly in backyards, lounge rooms, a school hall & parks to learn about sustainable ways of living, working, thinking & acting.

As a child, Beth Healy loved reading The Secret Garden. When she became a mum, Beth created her own outdoor treasure trove at her Blaxland home. 'Dirt Mum' is passionate about spreading her love of nature and its bounties to her 9 and 11-year-old daughters and Lower Mountains school children.