Fundraising for Biolinks Alliance on a journey of a lifetime

Supporting our work to reconnect and restore landscapes

After attending our Rewilding Central Victoria - expert panel event, Jye Tebble’s interest in our organisation’s purpose and work was sparked, and he generously offered to fundraise for us as he embarked on hiking the incredibly challenging Pacific Crest Trail in the USA.

We are grateful for the support and continue to be inspired by people like Jye - who are dedicated to protecting and restoring our natural world, and going the extra mile (indeed hiking 4260 kilometers!) in our name.

Go here to support Jye's fundraising efforts.

Why did you choose to support Biolinks Alliance?

I chose to raise funds and awareness for Biolinks Alliance because they are making a significant impact in my local area and subsequently where most of my support would come from. I was so impressed by the quality of work they do and was inspired by the turn out to the Rewilding Central Victoria event. I left that event feeling inspired and empowered, and I wanted to pass that feeling on as much as I could.

I wanted other people to feel as though they were making a dent on the ground they were standing upon. I wanted them to see the ripple effect they’d have through the waters of the Campaspe River.

I also wanted to show people that the effects of climate change and the biodiversity crisis are right now and right here in our backyards, but there are people fighting to heal the damage.

Biolinks Alliance provides that, and I’m so grateful people have channeled their support through my efforts towards them so they can continue to provide the much needed local leadership, education and action on healing our beautiful part of the world here in Central Victoria.

What has been one of the biggest challenges or learnings of your journey so far?

The biggest challenge for me on trail has been managing my mental health. Like everyone, I’ve encountered hard times before in my life, but navigating them on trail has added extra layers of difficulty. Particularly, through isolation and poor diet.

I have been walking through Washington State this last month, whose incredible mountains tower above you and over the horizon, but also cut you off from any contact with the rest of the world. Isolation in nature can be beautiful, but it can also be suffocating when you need support. I struggled through that section not being able to chat with family.

I also usually eat quite healthy at home and I anticipated before the trail that I’d struggle with the food. Hiking diets are a balancing act between weight, cost, and nutritional value, but are also largely dictated by what you can purchase in quite often remote areas. This is made even more difficult by being vegan. I was previously prioritising weight and cost, but now nutritional value is the number one priority in order to support both my physical and mental health.

I’m certainly looking forward to being home with my family and eating good food again.

What has been one of the most inspiring moments?

San Jacinto! Day 15 - we ascended to our base camp of San Jacinto. An early night was needed as we had set our alarms for 2 am the next morning so we could summit before the snow became too slushy and dangerous. But, as we had our dinner just before sunset I looked over my shoulder to see the clouds that had encircled us since arriving starting to break apart. I can’t say no to a sunset, and this one felt like it could be special.

I quickly finished my dinner and told my trail family I’d be back at camp before dark. I scampered across the nearest rocks and saw a beautiful sunset in the making, but knew I had to find a better spot. As I started to explore the western mountainside to find the clearest view, I was stopped in my tracks by looking down upon a sea of clouds caressing the jagged slopes that fell away beneath my feet. An orange glow started to illuminate the sky above me and a smile started to beam across my face.

I continued scrambling through the forest and over boulders for the perfect view point. When I climbed atop the largest boulder I could find I was simply in awe. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed. I stood there trying to soak it all in until I felt the need to get back to camp so the others weren’t worried about me. They didn’t need to be though, I felt so at peace.

As you live and breathe the natural world around you, what is your hope for the future of our environment?

It hasn’t been all beautiful along the trail. The Pacific Crest Trail winds its way up through California, Oregon and Washington. A lot of areas that the trail passes through have been burnt from wildfires. I’ve met many hikers who are returning to finish their hikes from previous years when the trail was on fire. It’s painful to witness the subsequent devastation, walking through countless burn scars that will take so many years to recover from, unless they are burnt again.

However, as many challenges we and our environment face across the world, I am inspired by the impact others have had and the potential that every one of us can have, be it big or small. I previously thought I had to solve the big issues in climate change to feel like I was contributing to the solution, but now I realise that even just talking about it can make a significant difference.

I hope in the future that everyone feels empowered to care for our environment so we can all create a better future, one step at a time.