We are pleased to welcome Sharon Willoughby into the role of Truro’s Diocesan Environment Officer.

The Diocesan Environment Officer’s mission is to engage the hearts and minds of people across the diocese to Cherish Creation, Cut Carbon and Speak Up. The officer role is there to support, encourage, challenge and inspire.

Image shows Sharon smiling at the camera.

Sharon Willoughby, Truro’s Diocesan Environment Officer.

Caring for Creation has been a lifelong passion for Sharon who has worked in science communications and environmental engagement in botanic gardens for more than 25 years – most recently at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

She is looking forward to bringing this experience to her role.

Sharon says: “I see myself as a supporter – pollinating or sharing Creation Care ideas from one church to another across the diocese.”

Ever since school, where she was involved with campaigning about environmental issues, Sharon has cared about the natural world and the importance of speaking out.

At the University of Melbourne, she completed a science degree before securing a job at Monash University as a Research Assistant where she carried out field surveys in the tall temperate rainforests outside Melbourne.

Taking a break in 1993, she went backpacking, as so many young Australians do. Arriving in the UK, she found herself low on cash so took a job in a Penzance Youth Hostel – here she met her future husband, Rick, and fell in love with Cornwall. Youth Hostels care for nature and part of the role of the YHA is to encourage young people to learn to love and understand the countryside around them.

“I see myself as a supporter – pollinating or sharing Creation Care ideas from one church to another across the diocese.” – Sharon

Moving on to Devon, she became the manager of Beer Youth Hostel where she worked with the local community on the development of a Marine Heritage Centre, interpreting rock pool life and the traditional industries of fishing and mining in the village.

Sharon said: “I was still very much focused on the public understanding of the natural world in these roles and the place of hospitality in caring for community.”

In 2000, she returned to Australia to work at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne, in the areas of interpretation, education and placemaking. Her projects included the development of a new botanic garden – the Australian Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne and the development of First Nation lead education programmes.

In 2017, Sharon returned to London to work at Kew Gardens as Head of Interpretation. She was involved in projects such as the renovation of the Temperate House, COP26 in Glasgow and the creation of a new Carbon Garden, which opened in July – encouraging visitors to explore the role of carbon in all life on Earth and our ability to repair our climate supporting the roles of plants and fungi in the ecosystem.

Sharon hopes to bring this experience to cutting carbon across the diocese with those in the Buildings, Environment and Land team.

“Churches have important roles to play as places for worship and reflection, community connection and active creation care – cutting carbon, building biodiversity and our capacity to work together to create a sustainable future.” – Sharon

In 2020, she completed her PhD at the Australian National University in Environmental History, exploring the connections between gardening the Australian landscape, identity and belonging in the Australian environment. Most of this work was completed during the Millenium drought in southeastern Australia which sharpened community focus on the need to create sustainable futures through the reduction of water and energy use in gardening.

Two years ago, Sharon and her husband moved to St Just in Penwith.

She said: “My commute to London became a bit much. I was beginning to miss that local connections in Cornwall. I wanted to feel more embedded in my community.”

Sharon is excited about working within the diocese in her new role.

She said: “Churches have important roles to play as places for worship and reflection, community connection and active creation care – cutting carbon, building biodiversity and our capacity to work together to create a sustainable future.”

 

 

 

Creationtide is the annual event in the Church of England’s calendar to celebrate God’s creation and renew a promise to look after our planet.

Many churches hold special services to mark the event, which runs from September 1 to October 4.