Libby Fisher, 16, Wildlife Conservationist
No Voice is too little No Hands are too small To Help Save Our Wildlife.
Libby's Motto
Libby has grown up with her mum, dad and younger brother in a house filled with pets; Chickens, turtles, rabbits, fish, cats and dogs, you name it, she has cared for them. But as Libby has grown older she became aware of the native animals that live around her own backyard and learned that some of them need help too.
At 11 years old amongst a very busy swimming training schedule of 6 sessions a week, Libby discovered that one of her favourite Australian animals, the Koala, was listed as a vulnerable species, which means there is less and less of them living in the wild.
Straight to action, Libby started what she now calls her ‘crusade’. “Rather than sitting and doing nothing I wanted to be part of a solution”, she said.
Combining her strengths of being passionate about animals, being determined, curious, hopeful, and positive, Libby set about being the change she wanted to see in the world. In 2016 small but mighty Libby launched “Libby’s Koala & Wildlife Crusade”. Since then her charity has raised almost $75,000 that has been donated direct to volunteer wildlife carers, rescuers and organisations all around Australia.
“I think about all the animals that I have helped be a voice for and all the younger kids that I can help inspire. This inspires me.”
Image supplied by Libby Fisher
As a young conservationist, Libby enjoys looking up to one of her role models, Bindi Irwin from Australia Zoo, a fellow crusader. Libby also views Dr. Jane Goodall as an important role model for conservation work and in 2019 was lucky enough to spend time with her.
“Meeting Dr. Jane Goodall was one of the craziest experiences ever. I was terrified, but when I started sharing my work with her it was so natural”.
In the future Libby would like to continue to educate people on Australian native wildlife through interviews and live talks at schools and clubs, and help them to learn to appreciate our native wildlife more. She wants to include more young people and her community in the growth of her work, and help more species receive more care like the Kangaroo.
“I would like for other kids to use their voice for animals. Really use their voice to stand up for the environment, it’s our future being affected at the moment so we should be the ones to have a say.”