Youth Environment Council Leadership Camp 2024
The annual Youth Environment Council of SA (YEC) Leadership Camp was held at Arbury Park Outdoor School in the Adelaide Hills during the school holidays. Green Adelaide and the school collaborated to deliver a program for YEC members to connect with nature, challenge themselves and think deeply about their goals.
Forty-four students enjoyed both outdoor and indoor activities to build their skills as young changemakers, link their learning to real world practice, and develop and plan their environmental projects.
Arbury Park Outdoor School contains a series of interconnected wetlands, native woodland and a revegetation area alongside Cox Creek. These outdoor areas provide places for students to deepen their knowledge of sustainability and increase their leadership, problem solving and team building skills.
In planning their projects, the students identified support networks, funding opportunities and next steps. They hope to tackle sustainability issues that are important to them. Some project ideas include: revegetating local reserves to increase biodiversity; transitioning to low carbon foods in the school canteen; protecting a nearby creek by reducing litter and planting local species; investigating local impacts of microplastics in coastal ecosystems; working with community members to plant verges in urban areas; running a carp fishing event to educate the public about the impact of introduced fish; and creating a school vegetable garden.
The YEC members had a great experience and formed close friendships at the camp. A highlight was a presentation around the campfire from First Nations storyteller and educator Trent Hill. YEC members learnt about Aboriginal culture and connection to Country; were shown various tools and discovered their uses; and were treated to a traditional story and animal sounds played on the Yidaki (didgeridoo).
Other highlights included hearing Young Australian (SA) of the year Tiahni Adamson’s story; orienteering; a night frog walk where some of the students came face to face with a threatened frog species; planting at the YEC Landcare site along Cox Creek; hearing from others about their experiences volunteering; bushwalks; and building new friendships.
The YEC members will continue working on their projects throughout the year and will share them at the end of year event in November.
Forty-four students enjoyed both outdoor and indoor activities to build their skills as young changemakers, link their learning to real world practice, and develop and plan their environmental projects.
Arbury Park Outdoor School contains a series of interconnected wetlands, native woodland and a revegetation area alongside Cox Creek. These outdoor areas provide places for students to deepen their knowledge of sustainability and increase their leadership, problem solving and team building skills.
In planning their projects, the students identified support networks, funding opportunities and next steps. They hope to tackle sustainability issues that are important to them. Some project ideas include: revegetating local reserves to increase biodiversity; transitioning to low carbon foods in the school canteen; protecting a nearby creek by reducing litter and planting local species; investigating local impacts of microplastics in coastal ecosystems; working with community members to plant verges in urban areas; running a carp fishing event to educate the public about the impact of introduced fish; and creating a school vegetable garden.
The YEC members had a great experience and formed close friendships at the camp. A highlight was a presentation around the campfire from First Nations storyteller and educator Trent Hill. YEC members learnt about Aboriginal culture and connection to Country; were shown various tools and discovered their uses; and were treated to a traditional story and animal sounds played on the Yidaki (didgeridoo).
Other highlights included hearing Young Australian (SA) of the year Tiahni Adamson’s story; orienteering; a night frog walk where some of the students came face to face with a threatened frog species; planting at the YEC Landcare site along Cox Creek; hearing from others about their experiences volunteering; bushwalks; and building new friendships.
The YEC members will continue working on their projects throughout the year and will share them at the end of year event in November.
