Amelia Telford

Amelia Telford is an Aboriginal and South Sea Islander woman from Bundjalung country who founded and serves as the National Director of Seed, Australia's first Indigenous Youth Climate Network.12 Born in Tweed Heads and raised in Riley's Hill, Amelia has been a prominent figure in climate activism, particularly focusing on empowering Indigenous youth to take action on climate change.12

Amelia co-founded Seed in 2014 as an offset of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC).1 Under her leadership, Seed has grown into a national grassroots network that connects and amplifies the voices of young Indigenous people in the climate movement.1 Her work emphasizes the importance of centering marginalized voices, particularly those most affected by climate change, in climate activism.1

For her efforts in building the next generation of Indigenous climate activists, Amelia has received several prestigious awards, including:

• National NAIDOC Youth of the Year (2014)13
• Bob Brown's Young Environmentalist of the Year (2015)13
• Australian Geographic Young Conservationist of the Year (2015)13

Amelia's approach to climate activism is deeply rooted in Indigenous perspectives and values. She emphasizes the long-standing connection between Indigenous peoples and sustainable land management, stating, "This is something that our mob has been doing for a very long time: looking after our land. For generations, thousands and thousands of years, we've looked after this land sustainably".1

Through her work with Seed, Amelia aims to build a network of young Indigenous leaders across Australia to advocate for stronger action on climate change and sustainability.3 Her vision includes intensively training and mentoring Indigenous youth, engaging high school students, and creating opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to work together on climate issues.3