Sonder Stories: September
Honouring Forgotten Heroes: Restoring Veterans’ Graves on the South Coast
In Narooma Cemetery on the NSW South Coast lies the grave of war veteran Charles Duncan Davis, a Brisbane-born member of the Australian Imperial Force Medical Corps who served until 1919. Decades later, his resting place, like many others, has fallen into disrepair. Now, a small community-led initiative is working to ensure such graves are not forgotten.
The project, launched in 2021 by Narooma RSL sub-Branch member Ian Noormets-Booth, is dedicated to restoring veterans’ graves that no longer receive family care. Inspired during the COVID-19 pandemic, Noormets-Booth noticed neglected headstones marked with military symbols and felt compelled to act. “I want to do something in the community and highlight the people who sacrificed themselves,” he said.
Unlike the graves maintained by the Office of Australian War Graves, this program focuses on veterans who died later in life and whose graves have since been overlooked. Before work begins, the team seeks council approval and carefully researches each veteran’s history, often using archives, social media, genealogical records, and even AI tools to piece together a biography.
Once relatives are identified, or confirmed as no longer traceable, the restoration begins. Volunteers contribute by cleaning, gardening, or realigning headstones, while donations support the costs. The initial focus is on six World War I graves, though Noormets-Booth hopes to expand.
Community involvement is central. Plans include fundraising stalls in Narooma, sharing veterans’ stories with locals, and encouraging more volunteers to join. For Noormets-Booth, himself a veteran, the mission is deeply personal: “It’s about honouring those who came before us and ensuring their legacy is not lost.”
For more information and photo credit, see: https://aboutregional.com.au/grave-restoration-project-connects-south-coast-veterans-with-family/484962/
From Extinction to Encore: Outback Children Shine as Storytellers of Conservation
In the remote outback town of Tibooburra, children from across New South Wales’ Corner Country gathered to perform ‘Safe Haven’, a play telling the story of the bilby’s return to the desert. Around 25 children travelled from distant stations to take part, entertaining an audience of 100 with a tale that combined conservation, culture, and creativity.
The performance celebrated the successful reintroduction of greater bilbies to Wild Deserts in Sturt National Park in 2020, where their population has now grown to more than 400. Nine-year-old Grace Maxwell starred as Tilby the Bilby, while her sister Sophie played an ecologist, highlighting the role of science in protecting native species once threatened by cats, foxes, and rabbits.
The project was the result of a year-long collaboration between Broken Hill literacy charity Big Sky Stories, the Wild Deserts conservation team, and local families. Ecologist Rebecca West, who has lived and worked at Wild Deserts with her husband, project coordinator Dr Reece Pedler, said the initiative united her passions for science, conservation, and education. “My motivation has been to make sure these animals are here for future generations,” she explained.
Workshops gave children hands-on experiences with bilbies and quolls, blending literacy, science, and storytelling. Parents said the immersion deepened their children’s understanding while giving them rare opportunities to perform and share knowledge on stage.
To mark the event, each child received a copy of Little Tilby Bilby, a picture book co-created by Big Sky Stories and the children themselves. For West and Vaughan, the project is as much about raising new storytellers as protecting wildlife, ensuring that future generations not only conserve the outback’s biodiversity but also keep its stories alive.
For more information and photo credit, see: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-17/tibooburra-tilby-the-bilby-safe-haven-play-nsw-outback/105649400
Where local people lead: Villages Become the Frontline in Orangutan Conservation
On the island of Borneo, local communities are playing a vital role in protecting orangutan habitat that extends far beyond national park boundaries. According to the Nature Conservancy, millions of acres of forest are being sustainably managed by forest-dwelling villages, balancing conservation with livelihoods.
Research shows that when logging concessions are abandoned, the land often falls prey to illegal logging, poaching, and agricultural expansion. Instead, communities practicing selective logging, removing only a small number of mature trees in rotation over 30 years, maintain intact forests while generating income from hardwoods. This approach sustains families, safeguards biodiversity, and deters illegal activity.
Kutai National Park, one of Borneo’s largest protected areas, faces similar threats due to its remoteness, which often conceals illicit operations. Yet the reality is that 80% of orangutans live outside such parks, often near villages. For this reason, community-managed forests have become critical. Around 1.3 million acres are now actively protected by local guardians, supporting ecotourism, honey production, scientific research, and long-term conservation.
These efforts receive backing from the Indonesian government, which oversees most of Borneo, and from international donors such as Arhaus, a furniture company supporting conservation initiatives.
Matt Miller, the Nature Conservancy’s director of science communications, observed firsthand how communities see themselves as stewards of their forests. As one local program director explained: “The communities are the leaders here. They are the key to the conservation of Borneo’s forests and biodiversity. We are here to support them... but this is the reflection of their dream.”
By combining traditional knowledge, sustainable practices, and global support, these forest guardians are ensuring a future for orangutans and the ecosystems they call home.
For more information and photo credit, see: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/local-communities-protecting-millions-of-acres-of-orangutan-habitat-beyond-nat-park-boundaries/
