When I arrived to talk to Raana, she was planting lavender cuttings, gifted by a friend, in a bed that lined the entry into the produce filled garden. The optimism of a gardener is limitless, and she is hopeful that the scented twigs will take root, even though summer is literally days away.

As we sit on the veranda the shade from mature trees keeps us cool, even though the afternoon sun bites into the cloudless day. The family lives only a short walk from the Esperance Bay, and the beaches that are an integral part of their lives.

Both Raana and her partner are scientists who have worked in the field of natural resource management for years. Raana is a quiet and studious person, one who enjoys working in the field, abhors attention and would prefer to spend quite time with her young children, in the garden growing food.

So, when I found out that she was about to take a political stance that would see her participating in a Climate Strike action and sitting outside the office of the Member for O’Connor, Liberal Senator Rick Wilson, I was surprised. Though Raana has always been calm and competent when training people or presenting information, it was out of character for her to be putting her own neck out and deciding to make herself vulnerable to the attentions of “sceptics” and community members who might not agree with her actions or attitude towards climate change.

What could drive a young mother to take such a step in a regional town where anonymity is not a shield to protect those taking a stance on issues that are politically tainted? The answer lies in her knowledge, and the realisation that the actions of individuals taking steps to mitigate and adapt to climate change will not be enough to drive the changes that are needed to benefit her own children and others like them.

After a childhood of constant movement and homes in New Zealand and places around Australia, Raana studied conservation biology at Murdoch University in Perth. Her travelling days continued, and she worked for 18 months in resource planning in Kaikohe, in New Zealand’s north island, and after a period of “bits and pieces”, she found herself in Esperance working on the Birdlife Australia Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo Recovery Project.

“I can’t even remember not talking about climate change, though when I was younger it was called the Greenhouse Effect. When I was young, I was not fearful of it…it was far away and I thought we would implement measures that would change the trajectory we were going on,” Raana said.

But years have passed by, and she has not seen the action she thought would occur.

“For scientists who see climate change clearly, it is challenging to deal with the denial. I don’t like conflict, so I have always just gone with the flow. But I have become increasingly more vocal about it,” she said.

“This is science, not a fairy-tale. I listen and believe, based on the science, on research, on studies, on peer research and modelling,” Raana said.

Consolidating the knowledge gained through the work of others are observations made in her own environment, like trees flowering earlier than they used to. While she has always believed in the science of climate change, she was convinced that by quietly leading by example, carrying out individual actions and encouraging others to follow suit, would be enough. On this subject, she has changed her mind.

She says that after a while, she realised that “doing your own bit” was not enough anymore.

“I feel like the fossil fuel industry has put too much money into government. We need to make our voices heard at a higher level,” Raana said.

It was no longer enough to be a “Quiet Australian”.

The formation of the Esperance Climate Action group and a Climate March in Esperance during September this year, involving hundreds of people, have given Raana heart in the ongoing struggle to force policy that recognises climate change and its impacts.

“There are a lot of people in our community that care, more than I had imagined. Now that I know that, I feel that I have got to push myself out of my comfort zone to allow others to do the same. We need to show our politicians that we are out there. We are not hysterical. We are rational people who care,” Raana said.

She said that while rallies in cities attracted huge numbers, regional politicians and policy makers might be thinking “my constituents don’t care, why I should I stand up for change”.

“It is harder for people in a small community to take action and put yourself out there, because you are not faceless in a crowd. You’re allowing people you are likely to know make judgements about you. But activism works, it gives voice to the seeming minority, which could actually be the majority. It gives people a way of coming forward and voicing their opinions,” Raana said.

She said that politicians in regional areas needed to look past the “dollars”, and recognise the challenges that lay ahead, while looking at benefits of making the transition from a fossil fuel-based economy to one that is based on renewable resources.

Raana said that while she was, at times, fearful for the future, especially for her children, the need to act was driven more broadly by her role as a citizen of the world.

“We should be able to leave this place in better shape…. there is no reason to suck the life out of it,” she said.