Mini Goats. Devils. Conservationist. | Interview with Kylie
MEET KYLIE
EF: You absolutely blew us away when you reached out and told us not only that you had supported our Kickstarter campaign but you were coming to The Melbourne Tea Festival (2018) and would drop by to see us! We would love to know how you discovered East Forged and what it was that appealed the most to you?
KE: From memory I saw something on Facebook that I followed through to Kickstarter (KS) - I have never backed a project on KS before nor since, but this just felt good! I adore my tea, I don't drink sugary drinks and East Forged filled a void in my life I didn't know I had. More then anything, from when I first saw East Forged, I wanted it to succeed - which means sharing, being involved, because if it wasn't a raging success - it would not be available for me!
EF: I have a sneaking suspicion that you might be a fellow animal lover. Some people may not know but Tania (our Victorian Co-founder) is very passionate about Australian native animals. Can you share with us what animal causes you are really passionate about?
EF: Wow, ok, a couple lines would never cover this, but aside from my furry babies, I will touch on just one - the Tasmanian Devils.
When the facial tumour disease was first discovered, (we literally came across a devil in the wild a year or so before it was announced and had no clue what was wrong with it), we were spending a lot of time camping and staying in areas where we could see the decline.
I was super lucky to be involved with a program, with The Tasmanian Unzoo (previously known as The Devil Park), the program trapped diseased mothers and removed their babies and raised them in semi captivity, from the first carers who bottle fed these babies, we volunteered to daily feeding and cleaning, enrichment, and worked with vets and other experts. It was deemed that if the babies went 12 months in quarantine and showed no signs of the disease, there were disease free.
Of the babies rescued from dying mothers, a percentage were released back to the areas they were captured from - allowing nature to play a part in the species fate, a percentage to breeding programs across Australia, and a percentage that were kept in locations should the need arise later to repopulate nature. The project as a whole was amazing, devils are a truly amazing creature and each one with its own personality. Now sadly we are seeing the Wombat population suffering of mange.... I am forever thankful for the volunteers in our communities that make so much change yet get so little credit.
EF: As a tea enthusiast we know that you are a big believer in the ritual of sharing in leaf tea (and our nitro teas). What is it about the ritual of drinking tea together that is important to you?
KE: I love Nanna's old saying; “there is nothing that a cup of tea doesn't make better” it may not solve our problems, but it can certainly take the edge off. And a problem shared is a problem halved - add tea and it shrinks further still.
Side note specific to East Forged, I have a medical issue that makes me thirsty all the time, I have so far found nothing as thirst quenching as a cold can of East Forged.
EF: You're invited to a party, you can only take one of the East Forged crew with you (Mico🐵 Stay Wondrous | Notsu🐷 Live Connected | Saka😼Forge an independent life) with you. Who would you take and why?
KE: Saka, no question, not only is Saka my favourite to drink, but I think an independent life and being at one with your individual self and fully confident in our abilities to overcome anything is essential to helping others in this journey of life.
EF: How would you describe our East Forged brews? Who do you think they would appeal and when would you crack one open?
KE: I love to have one with lunch. I like to have a healthy lunch, and a can of East Forged is the ideal accompaniment, also when I am super thirsty- or any celebration. I do not consume alcohol, and for me, East Forged Tea is a regular treat I allow myself. They are fresh, alive even, and I think there would be appeal as an alternative to alcohol (or an accompaniment). It will not appeal to people who enjoy very sugary fizzy drinks, but it may be an amazing alternative to those wanting to make a healthier change.
Order your East Forged Craft Nitro Tea here!
