Why Biodiversity Matters 💚

Hey guys, I’m Simon Crerar, founder of Impact&ble 👋

This week’s edition was written on melukerdee country in the heavenly Huon Valley. 

I’ve been hibernating over winter, mostly due to my mental health vs the Tassie weather, which has been glorious. Anyway, I raised myself from my slumber a few weeks ago for a re-energising 80km solo walk on the Overland Track – truly epic!!

Snow, ice, muddy moors, hours in rainforest and an unforgettable run-in with a lyrebird reminded me why I get out of bed each day: to have a positive impact on the planet. 💚 

This week I’m interrogating Impact&ble’s value proposition and rolling out a content and product plan for spring, starting with a 30 minute audit for impact founders.

If you’d like a call to evaluate your story, grab a slot here. And please, forward this email to anyone you think might find it interesting. Thanks so much. 🙏

This is issue #5 of this newsletter, a warm welcome to new subscribers from agri-food accelerator Rocket Seeder, sustainable life platform Green + Simple, and Tasmanian children’s literacy organisation Rosie’s Reading: loving all your work. 👋

Today’s newsletter is 985 words, a four-minute read!

Righto, let’s get into it!

One Big Thing 1️⃣ – Why Biodiversity Matters

This week is the 89th anniversary of the last thylacine's death at Hobart's Beaumaris Zoo in 1936, marking the end of the species commonly known as the Tassie tiger :-(

“Biodiversity isn’t just about saving animals - it’s about saving ourselves,” says nature-focused founder Ash Knop.

Explaining its importance, Knop, the CEO of Wilderlands, said biodiversity “underpins food security, clean air, fresh water, and climate stability. We’ve lost over 70% of wildlife in the last 70 years. That’s not just tragic – it’s destabilising. Protecting biodiversity is the smartest investment we can make in a liveable future.”

Impact&ble’s mission is to help businesses have a positive impact on the planet. Here’s why biodiversity matters:

3 Key Quotes 🔑

→ “As Aussies, we grow up with nature in our bones. The bush, the ocean, the calls of magpies in the morning. Biodiversity isn’t just something ‘out there,’ it’s a core part of who we are, so when we lose it we lose our identity.”
– Camille Goldstone-Henry, CEO & co-founder of Xylo Systems, which helps companies measure and manage their business biodiversity footprint

→ “The extinction of the thylacine was a warning bell. A symbol of what happens when we notice too late. Its silence echoes louder with each passing year - and sadly, it’s not alone. Extinction is no longer the exception; it’s becoming the norm. We must act while we still have the choice to protect what remains.”
– Ash Knop, CEO & co-founder of Wilderlands, a conservation platform which has developed one of the world's first voluntary biodiversity credits.

→ “Biodiversity loss and climate change are the two biggest crises of our time – driven by the unsustainable use of our planet’s resources. Biodiversity loss has received far less attention, but is arguably even more critical to the survival of our planet, and we have an opportunity this decade to positively impact the ecosystems that drive it.” 
– Lisa Kate Miller, CEO & founder of Wedgetail, which conserves and restores biodiversity through sustainable investment.

If your company’s focus is biodiversity, I’d love a walk and talk in the wilderness sometime: I can come to you or you can come to Tassie! Ping me.

5 Things I’m Loving This Week 🎸 🐄 😎 🐟 👊🏽

1️⃣ Ace band Lime Cordiale announced a collaboration with ag-tech startup Number 8 Bio to trial methods for reducing methane emissions as part of their attempts to reduce their touring climate footprint (via Guardian Australia)

2️⃣ Talking of methane abatement, my fave Tassie seaweed entrepreneur Sam Elsom just revealed a BIG partnership with Breda-based animal nutrition leader Orffa to distribute Sea Forest’s range of products across the EU, which has 75+ million cattle: that’s a lot of burps and farts! (via AgFunder News)

3️⃣ This year’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge saw 17 solar powered vehicles complete the 3,021km course from Darwin to Adelaide. Winner Nuna 13, equipped with fins to harness favourable winds, averaged 86.6 km/h (via The Zero Planet)

4️⃣ In a comeback for the ages, giant potato cod have returned to Queensland’s world-famous “Cod Hole” dive site on the GBR’s Ribbon Reef. The groper, which grows to 2m and 100kg, was left homeless after cyclones and mass coral bleaching. The reef is at risk of being added to UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger list (via The Oz)

5️⃣ New Orleans star Jon Batiste (my wife’s favourite) has released a song urging climate action 20 years after Katrina. I loved his antidote to news avoidance: talk about climate solutions to bring people together. “People power is the way that you can change things in the world.” (Via Covering Climate Now)

What’s Next? ➡️

What’s coming up in the next few weeks?

→ Geoneon’s Roxane Bandini-Maeder (a Hobartian heroine of mine) explains how geospatial solutions can map climate risks.

→ Lightning powered FNQ-based ag-tech Rainstick is among those nominated for Startup Daily’s Best in Tech Awards.

→ Environmental icon Bob Brown launches Defiance, his book about standing up to the powerful interests who put profit before planet.

And Finally… 🎬

It’s been a while between drinks (and editions). My accountability buddy Nik (co-founder of sustainable sunnies brand Good Citizens) helped get me going again, and suggested I tighten up this email. If you’re still here, thank you! And thanks Nik 😘

My advisory – Impact&ble – is focused on helping founders leverage the power of storytelling to help them raise attention, and capital. There’s an FAQ here.

If you have any questions, or feedback on anything in this newsletter, please email me!

Thanks for reading!