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Ian McBurney is an ecological sustainability practitioner who has inspired and enabled tens of thousands in business, manufacturing, government, schools and communities to move towards a better future.  He believes passionately that at this time in history when every natural system is in decline, it is people and therefore culture change that will gift us a sustainable society.  That society will be better for us in nearly every way. We'll be more local and connected, happier, healthier, more profitable and more proud of who we are.

Ian McBurney is an ecological sustainability speaker, facilitator, MC and educator.  He also assists large businesses to make the transition to sustainability. He will help you reduce environmental costs, understand and integrate sustainability into your business and set up and inspire your green team - you'll be ready for the new economy. He can be a sustainability researcher, thinker and planner on your project, plan, product or program. He can MC, facilitate and speak at your sustainability event on message, on time and with flair.  His sustainability presentation is a vibrant mix of stories, AV, info and interactivity that inspires, excites and challenges us to change.

He believes passionately that at this time in history when every natural system is in decline, it is people and therefore culture change that will gift us a sustainable society.  That society will be better for us in nearly every way. We'll be more local and connected, happier, healthier, more profitable and more proud of who we are.

And why did he make this career choice? Who knows?! At age eight, Ian's family began a mud brick home in the bush near Bendigo. At 12, he spent a day following an echidna. At 14, he threw a rock at a flying duck and killed it. At 15, he read Jane Goodall's "In the Shadow of Man" and heard David Suzuki speak. At 24, he met Frank Ryan, the incredibly gifted environmental educator of Vox Bandicoot fame, and followed him around, soaking up his wisdom. He spent five years as a Director at the Vox, delivering the world famous environmental theatre program to 10,000 students, Sustainability Street to 150 communities, workplace culture change training to 6000 in manufacturing and local government and many writing, publishing, interpretation and event projects.  At 30, he read Janine Benyus's "Biomimicry" and fell in love with the earth and our human potential all over again.

Ian has a degree in Environmental Engineering from RMIT University, helped to found the Bendigo Sustainability Group, was its Inaugural Vice President and is still heavily involved.  He is on the board of the Sustainability Street Institute, was the sustainability representative on the Bendigo Plus 25 project, is helping to organise "Bendigo: a Thinking Community" and with others, has set up Bendigo's first Coworking Hub. He is a member of the Bendigo Professional Services Group. He set up Live Ecological in 2006 and has been running and loving it since.

Ian happily married Claire in 2004 and is still happy with that choice.  He is the proud father of Tadhg, Tara and Kieran. He habitually quotes Spike Milligan, yells at Collingwood, does magic tricks, is a retired cricketer who could bat a bit and has been to Inverloch every summer with a bunch of cousins for 34 years. He's also a lot of fun.

 

Former Director, Vox Bandicoot 2002 - 2006

Ian McBurney has delivered sustainability education to tens of thousands in the community, business, school and government sectors.

He was responsible for the expansion of the Sustainability Street Approach, which is now in one hundred villages across Sydney and Melbourne, delivering over 1000 community training sessions with wonderful groups of neighbours in community halls, lounge rooms, backyards, parks and even in the middle of the street.

  • He has trained over 100 Local Government Environment Officers, educators and professionals in the 30 hour Sustainability Street "Train The Community Mentor" Course. The course covers environmental education and communication as well as community development approaches.
  • For two years he delivered the City of Port Phillip's "Sustainable Living at Home" workshops at the St. Kilda Town Hall.
  • He delivered workplace sustainability training to over 6000 staff from small business, to local government and large manufacturing companies such as City West Water, South East Water, Australian Arrow PL, Bosch Australia and Banyule, Nillumbik and Whitehorse City Councils.
  • He has delivered small business sustainability programmes in Campbellfield, Eltham and Springvale.
  • Ian has co-written, edited and produced environmental educational films, curriculum, books, theatre and interpretation.
  • He delivered the famous Vox Bandicoot theatre in education program to over 10,000 students across Victoria and NSW.
  • He also ran teacher professional development workshops in environmental education for the Williamstown schools cluster and co delivered similar sessions in Bendigo and at the Melbourne Museum.
  • Ian has delivered environmental education programmes to shop-floor manufacturing staff, local government officers, community BBQs, students, festival crowds, Ministers, professionals and small business people, from diverse language groups and backgrounds.
“I can confidently say that Ian is one of the most knowledgeable and capable leaders, facilitators and educators of community- school- and business- education for sustainability that I have known.”
— Dr Colin Hocking l Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Sustainability and Innovation and Convenor of Iramoo Sustainable Community Centre, Victoria University