In a striking fusion of art and activism, a vibrant installation of woven baskets crafted from ghost nets is taking centre stage at the Global Nature Positive Summit.
Each intricately designed basket tells a story of resilience and transformation, repurposing ghost nets into pieces of art.
Alongside this installation is a children's poetry competition that has invited young Australian voices to express their visions of nature positive future.
Together, this artistic expression highlights the purpose of nature positive discussion similarly to Birrang, the Summit's feature artwork.
Ghost nets installation
Indigenous elders, skilled in traditional crafting techniques are reclaiming ghost nets to weave beautiful baskets.
Ghost nets are abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear and are one of the most damaging types of plastic pollution found in our ocean.
More than 70 ghost net baskets, wulbung, created by master weaver Yulki Nunggumajbarr are displayed at Sydney's ICC venue, on Gadigal Country.
Yulki is a senior weaver from Miwal Country in the Northern Territory, who learnt to weave baskets from Old Gagadi and other Elders within the Numbulwar mission. Yulki has enthusiastically adopted the use of ghost nets in her wulbung weaving and is well-known for her distinctively bright and chunky woven baskets.
By weaving ghost nets into her wulbung, Yulki is helping to rid Numbulwar's shores on the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory of harmful ocean debris and use this plastic in a sustainable way. Agency Projects, in support of the Numburindi Arts, have generously facilitated collection of the ghost net baskets featured in the Summit installation.
Nature positive poems by young Australians
Submissions from the Red Room Poetry's Poem Forest competition are displayed at the Summit meeting place (exhibition space), for global leaders and experts to read the perspectives of young Australian's and help amplify their voices.
Students and teachers from across Australia have crafted their words to support positive climate action by submitting a nature poem to the competition. For every poem received a tree is planted, helping heal habitats and create a Poem Forest for future generations.
Since 2021, more than 17,100 poem trees have been planted on Dharawal and Wodi Wodi Country at the Australian Botanic Garden at Mount Annan and across the Wollongong Local Government Area.
To read some of the poetry submissions, please visit Red Room Poetry.
Indigenous artwork and its message
The Summit's feature artwork, 'Birrang', by artists Daniel Apps and Bec Salcole was created to illustrate the intentions of the Summit.
Birrang is a Wiradjuri word, meaning 'journey to another place'. This word was chosen to represent the figurative and literal journey to a better future, resulting from a nature positive approach.
