I first met Neil Blake back in the early 1990’s. I was co-producing the first of three Indigenous cultural theatre productions with my dear friend the late Robert Mate Mate, and Neil was already well known as the Port Phillip Penguin caretaker.

Since then Neil’s clear vision and total commitment to the environment have ignited many educational and ecologically sustainable ventures. Two of the most outstanding are the collective works of the Eco Centre, at St Kilda Botanical Gardens and the Port Phillip Bay-keeper.  Among Neil’s strengths is his ability to inspire and collaborate.

As a budding ‘greenie’ and ignorant of most ongoing ecologically sustainable ways of living, it was easier for me to just don the ‘blinkers’,  turning a blind eye to the negative impact that my daily practices had on our native environment and all its non-human inhabitants.

It is people like Neil Blake and his lifework that give me a window of freedom to look and learn and feel good about moving towards being part of sustainable solutions today and for the future. And for me solutions come with education, knowledge, understanding and practice.

I was privileged to be at the first screening of a brand new documentary commissioned by Neil and filmed in Melbourne by talented young Irish filmmaker Michael J Lutman. Titled ‘Baykeepers’ it is a film about the impact of the plastic age on the living inhabitants of Port Phillip Bay.

Not knowing what to expect, I was deeply moved and elated by the amazing story that unfolded.

For those of us who often feel impotent and overwhelmed by our negative impact on the bay and the surrounding environment, this is a must-see film that illuminates current issues and points towards practical solutions that we can all implement today.

The next viewing of ‘Baykeepers’ is on the18th of November at the Eco Centre. For further information click here

For an enlightening preview of “Baykeepers” click here

To read ‘Nurdle Soup’ the report click here