For over a decade, Nicole Kearney has been at the forefront of one of Australia’s most ambitious efforts to preserve and protect biodiversity – not in the field, but in the archives. As Manager of the Biodiversity Heritage Library Australia (BHL), Nicole works with institutions across the country to make centuries of biodiversity knowledge freely accessible and interconnected. This critical work forms the backbone of scientific knowledge and is essential to ongoing research in conservation, climate change, and environmental adaptation.
Nicole has been selected to join Homeward Bound’s ninth cohort. Over the past year, she has been part of a global group of 64 women engaging in an intensive online program exploring the personal, collective and planetary dimensions of leadership. “This experience has helped me find my voice as a leader,” Nicole says. “For so long, I’ve focused on amplifying knowledge and supporting others behind the scenes. Homeward Bound has challenged me to step forward – to lead with clarity, purpose, and courage.”
The final component of the program is the immersive Global Leadership Summit, taking place in Tanzania in November 2025. This first-of-its-kind Summit will unite women from across all Homeward Bound cohorts in an immersive, in-person experience. It offers a rare and powerful opportunity to collaborate, connect, and respond to the world’s most pressing challenges.
For Nicole, the decision to take part in the Summit is deeply connected to both her professional mission and personal sense of purpose. “For the last 10 years, I’ve been working to make historical knowledge and biodiversity data accessible to better protect our natural world. That’s the core mission of the Biodiversity Heritage Library – a collaborative, open-access project that digitises centuries of biodiversity literature so it can inform research, conservation and education today. But now, as science is defunded and efforts to promote diversity, equity and climate action are increasingly sidelined, I’m having to fight for the project itself. Vital work like ours is at real risk.”
As the new cohort (HB10) cohort prepares to kick off, Nicole has advice for those thinking of applying – and for anyone considering stepping into something that feels bold or uncomfortable:
“One of the best pieces of advice I received was to really engage in the first part of the program: SELF. I’ve never been good at personal reflection, but over the past year, I cleared time and space for deep self-analysis (and care). It was hard but (as promised) transformational. Embrace the discomfort and be honest, real and open to hearing what people think of you – and to the fact that you might be your own biggest critic.”
Nicole is fundraising to cover the program fee and travel costs to Tanzania. The Summit is self-funded, and she’s reaching out to her community to help make it possible. If successful, it will be her first return to Africa in nearly 30 years.
“When I was 20, I hitchhiked through southern Africa. It was an experience that shook and shaped my worldview. I’m so excited to return – this time with sustainability and leadership front of mind.”
With your help, Nicole can be part of our experiential Global Leadership Summit. You can support her by donating to her GoFundMe campaign, and by sharing her story. You can also support Nicole by attending her IMAX fundraiser on 12 August – a screening of SERENGETI 3D at IMAX Melbourne, complete with drinks, nibbles, a raffle, and a presentation from Nicole sharing insights from her leadership journey.