Turning the Tide on the Cooks River Sydney - Citizen COP 2026

What happens when we see the health of a river and the health of its communities as deeply intertwined? Bringing together voices from Cooks River Alliance, Finding Nature, Regen Sydney and Wild Hope, this conversation will explore the initiatives already taking root. Along the Cooks River, people and organisations are working to restore the waterway and reconnect neighbourhoods with the rhythms of the river. We’ll hear about Our Backyard River, the Alliance’s ambitious catchment-wide campaign, and its vision to rethink how we manage the river and our relationship to it. Meanwhile, in Melbourne, the movement to make the Yarra River swimmable again shows what can happen when community momentum aligns with public leadership. Yet sometimes we find ourselves stuck in the mud of bureaucracy. This conversation offers a chance to return to the stories, experiences and connections that inspire us. Our relationship with rivers rarely begins with policy. It starts with morning light glinting on the water, the arc of a swallow at dusk, or the simple feeling of belonging to a place. Together, we’ll explore what becomes possible when we re-story our relationship with the Cooks River — and imagine a future where healthy rivers and healthy communities can thrive together. This is a public session hosted by Wordstruck/Wild Hope x Cooks River Alliance x Regen Sydney x Finding Nature. For any questions or support, please contact: Claire Scobie | [email protected] About Citizen COP Australia Citizen COP Australia is a decentralised, people-powered movement running alongside the global COPs in 2026. Enabled by People For Nature, but intentionally independent and distributed, Citizen COP invites communities, organisations, schools, businesses, artists, and local groups across Australia to host their own events during the COP period. Rather than a single central event, Citizen COP is a nationwide network of conversations, workshops, and actions that bring global climate and nature discussions into local communities. It connects people to science, solutions, and each other, strengthening civic engagement and ensuring citizen voices contribute to Australia’s climate and nature conversations. https://www.peoplefornature.org.au/citizen-cop About People For Nature People For Nature is a volunteer-powered environmental charity empowering communities through climate and biodiversity education, citizen conservation, and science. We believe that when Australians understand and connect with nature, they’re more likely to protect it — safeguarding our climate, ecosystems, and well-being. Your tax-deductible donation helps us bring initiatives like Citizen COP Australia to life and inspire real change for the planet. https://www.peoplefornature.org.au/donate