Liv Child is one of my favourite humans to walk earth. She lights up any room she walks into. I met Liv during uni and we just clicked. Since, we have been a major part in each others lives. It has been so nice to watch Liv really embrace her new career, as it suits her caring nature. Liv embraces challenge, is so kind and you will never have a dull moment around her. Enjoy this raw, unedited chat with Liv. Speaking everything sustainability, living with nature and life.
About you?
My name is Liv, I currently live on Dharawal country in Kiama on the South Coast. I was fortunate enough to have grown up in the area with nature right on my doorstep. My sisters and I were water/nature babies; my childhood consists of memories playing in the ocean or pool - rain, hail and sunshine - and running around in an untamed pocket of land adjacent to our home.
As a kid/teenager I was never really passionate about anything, I gave almost everything a go and had a whole lot of fun whilst doing it. This uncertainty carried on into my Uni days; I started out studying public health and then switched to public relations after a roommate came home boasting about it. I certainly live up to my Sagittarius traits - free spirited, thrives off adventure and welcomes change.
After a whole lot of travelling/living in Europe and North America I came back to Australia wanting to seek a career with more purpose. My travels were an incredibly enlightening experience that awakened my love and care for the environment. I am now studying Environmental Management at UNSW and absolutely loving every second of it. My areas of interest are in shifting dominant anthropocentric paradigms (the idea that humans are superior to nature) towards eco-centric ideologies (the idea that humans are part of nature and not separate from it). In the future I hope to be involved in bridging the gap between western science and Indigenous knowledge in land management.
During Ohti's development, sustainability was at key of every thought. I don't want this passion to have footprint... Since being in production, I am already inspired to make more changes. I could imagine that during your learning path you have hit many moments like this. What inspired you to make a change?
The first prevalent moment I knew I wanted to lead a more sustainable lifestyle was when I was living in Nelson, Canada- almost 3 years ago now. Constantly surrounded by such epic beauty made me start to question how my actions were affecting all those amazing natural features that I loved so much. It came at a time where I was starting to shift from a young adult caught up in her own little world, into a woman that started to really listen and feel nature. Since then, I have tried to adjust my lifestyle choices as best I can, with the environment always on my mind. Humans are always discovering better ways to do things and at times it’s hard to keep up, so I try not to place too much pressure on myself or others. We are all at different stages in terms of our relationship with nature, it’s important not to push too hard because sometimes it’ll have the opposite effect.
Ohti's tea packaging and shipping is all biodegradable, that can have some nasty effects right if not done properly. What's your advice? I found it so wild that any sustainable product are nearly twice the price and some products very hard to find, it took days/ weeks to search for packaging, even simple things... What's your thoughts on this?
Biodegradable products are obviously the preferred option but as a business owner myself it’s hard for these products to compete with things that are a third of the price. This puts a lot of strain on businesses to incur the difference in cost. Whilst I believe businesses have their role to play, government intervention is critical. More waste services are necessary that support biodegradable products and are easily accessible to consumers. In doing so, products can be disposed properly and we can start to become a more closed-loop system. Ultimately, we need governments, business owners and consumers all on board and working together.
What are you go to suggestions for being a better human for the planet?
I think starting simple is always key - think about what you do every day that can make a difference and set achievable boundaries based on those goals. For example, I love an oat latte but not at the cost of the environment. I’ll always avoid single use cups so if I don’t bring my own keep cup, I won’t allow myself to have a coffee – simple.
I would also suggest to reconnect yourself with nature. As we live our lives online, technology has become a social norm. This has caused humans to lose direct experience with nature and without these, we are unable to develop a connection with nature and the need to care and protect it.
One of my Uni assignments was to complete 48 hours without technology- no phone, laptop, tv or music. It sounds really basic but I honestly couldn’t believe how liberating the experience was. It opened up all my senses – I was able to notice my frangipani tree starting to sprout, I could hear all of my surrounds (the ocean and the birds chirping in nearby trees) and rather than being dictated by my schedule I was able to be present in the moment. I found more time in the day to complete outdoor activities that made me feel happy and wholesome! So, I highly recommend everyone to do this exercise and continually implement it into your life. It’ll help to realign your soul and feel the magic of nature.