How might reimagining our relationship with the Birrarung River unleash pathways for just and transformative adaptation futures?
In collaboration with the WonderLab team at Monash University, Tomorrow's River convenes policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working across climate adaptation, water-sensitive planning, integrated water management, and the rights of nature to reimagine our relationship with a healthy, climate-resilient Birrarung Yarra River. Through collective story-making and guided time-travel into possible futures, participants envision a thriving river and reflected on what it means to act in its service today. While strategies such as Water for Life and the Yarra Strategic Plan already exist, collective action is not occurring at the pace or scale requires. This project moves beyond cognitive understanding to connect heads, hearts, and hands; fostering an embodied shift in how we relate to the river and to one another. By practicing alternative imaginaries together, participants strengthened shared agency and explored pathways for just, transformative adaptation grounded in care, creativity, and collective responsibility. We are now exploring how we might creatively evaluate the shift in relationship with the river and show how that is moving people towards collective action.
Through this project we co-design and co-host experiences that inspire imagination and deepen or connection to the life-force that is the Birrarung Yarra River. We also act as a research and learning partner, exploring changes at a personal level and how they effect action towards a thriving river.
We are exploring the next steps of our collaboration, with an emerging focus on creatively evaluating the shift in relationship with the Birrarung River.
Participated in WonderLab's climate anticipatory policy-making workshop and followed up for potential intersections with the Climate Change Exchange
Started co-designing a Birrarung Riverfest event centring the river, with connection, care and commitment
Collaborative painting workshop to prepare a representation of the River
Co-hosted Tomorrow's River as part of 2025 Birrarung Riverfest
Post-event debrief session
Explorative session by the river
Research, guides, and stories from the work underway.
