Lisa Wriley is the Community Campaigner for Australian-based environmental action group ‘Boomerang Alliance’. Since 2010 she’s been encouraging communities to take action towards zero waste and greater resource efficiency. Lisa also works with schools to increase awareness of better waste management.
Lisa has been inspired to create a new board game to help inspire a new generation of anti-waste campaigners. Here’s her story…
As a child I played and loved a NZ board game made in 1976, called CONSERVATION. I especially loved the smooth piece of glass you picked up when you landed on "May save glass" and which earned you points when you recycled it. Subtle and simple rewards for doing good things, consequences if you left a mess or left the lights on.
Now I work as an environmental educator helping schools wipe out waste, teaching composting, worm farming and campaigning for an end to single-use plastics. When people ask me how I got interested in these things I think back to this game. Of course I also played outside, climbed trees, have a mum who loves gardening and a dad who loved bushwalks, but I never forgot the game.
I believe the world needs the CONSERVATION game now more than ever. In March 2019 I went in search of the inventor, now a spritely 82-year-old living in Nelson NZ, and one year later I gained his permission to re-invent the game for a new generation.
I am calling it CONSERVATION 2 in New Zealand and EARTHCARE in Australia and the rest of the World. I have developed a prototype and am currently running a kickstarter campaign to try and get the game into production.
EARTHCARE game is a fun way to explore the many ways we can care for the earth, connect with nature and help conserve the planet's resources. The game suitable for ages 6+ and plastic-free; containing recycled cardboard, smooth upcycled glass and aluminium pieces, recycled plastic tokens, rescued clean fabric.
If you are interested in being one of the first to support this game - either by sharing the link to my website (and kickstarter) or by pledging to buy a game (A$60-A$75 for this first run) you can find out more here: https://www.earthcaregame.org/
The first 75 games offer limited edition clay player pieces with footprints pressed in. All made in Australia and 50% of profits will go to conservation, earthcare and permaculture projects.
Once I get these box games into production I will also be selling a cloth and clay version (backpack/travel friendly!) with lovely clay footprint player pebbles.
My Kickstarter ends at midnight (Sydney time) on Sunday 11 July 2021.
Website https://www.earthcaregame.org/
