Brigitta Gunawan

Brigitta Gunawan is a National Geographic Young Explorer and a Darwin200 Leader from Indonesia who connects intergenerational communities through science, education, and storytelling. She is the founder of 30x30 Indonesia and Diverseas where she harnesses the power of communities to co-create a world where people and planet prosper - both in the ocean and on land. Her initiatives have engaged with over 16,000 people using immersive media, providing hands-on opportunities for policy advocacy, and collaborating with diving communities to build artificial reefs.

As a certified scientific scuba diver with a background in ecology and conservation biology, her work spans from coral reefs in Indonesia to greater gliders in Australia. She has been recognized as a Generation17 Young Leader by the UNDP and Samsung, a Millennium Oceans Prize Winner, Global Citizen Youth Leader Awardee - among other awards. She has shared her journey at international conferences like the UN Ocean Conference, Asia Parks Congress, and Global Citizen NOW Summit where she spoke alongside the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Ocean and the Duchess of York.

LOCATION:	Sydney	AREA OF STUDY:	Greater Sliders
NATIONALITY:	Indonesia	SPONSOR:
FILMMAKER:	Josh Clarke

START DATE:	27th August
END DATE:	2nd September
LOCATION:	Sydney
END POINT:	Indonesia

AREA OF STUDY:	Greater Sliders
SPONSOR:
FILMMAKER:	Josh Clarke

Area of Study: Greater gliders

Greater gliders are one of the world’s largest gliding mammals, found high in the eucalypt tree canopies of eastern Australia (WWF Australia, 2018). They possess a membrane of thin skin between their front and hind legs that can be extended like a ‘parachute’, allowing them to glide distances of up to 100 meters to seek food and nesting hollows (Great Eastern Ranges, 2023).

In the last 20 years, greater glider populations have declined by 80% due to habitat destruction such as forest clearing for agriculture and urban development (WWF Australia, 2023). The impacts of climate change heightens the intensity of bushfires, heat waves, and droughts, accelerating the decline of these native species.

As humans continue manipulating primary ecosystems, greater gliders and other tree-dwelling species are becoming increasingly threatened. However, these nocturnal mammals are often out of sight and out of mind for humans, particularly in urban areas. This project explores the efforts made by organizations like the Great Eastern Ranges and Kanangra Boyd to Wyangala Link to reconnect fragmented forests through the power of communities, technology, and science.