Meet the 2025 Mentors
The YEC mentors are older students (typically Yr 9-11), who have been a member of the YEC for at least one year. The YEC mentors' roles are to welcome and guide the newer members, continuing the inclusive and supportive culture of young people taking action for sustainability.
This has the added benefit of the mentors developing their leadership skills, whilst also transitioning these older members onto other things beyond the YEC.
This has the added benefit of the mentors developing their leadership skills, whilst also transitioning these older members onto other things beyond the YEC.
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Teesha
How many years have you been in the YEC? I joined the Youth Environment Council (YEC) of South Australia in 2024, and this year, I am a mentor supporting new members. What do you love about the YEC? What I love about the YEC is that it educates and builds awareness about the environment. It opens up new, positive, and creative perspectives on sustainability while providing hands-on experiences. Through various activities, members develop creativity, leadership, communication, and collaboration skills. Additionally, new members can look forward to meeting like-minded people and having fun while learning so much along the way. What do you love doing in the environment? The environment is a privilege—it sustains plants, animals, and humans. I find it fascinating how things grow naturally, from the beauty of flowers to the fresh scent of the earth. Last year, I created a biodiversity garden at my school to attract pollinators, which was an incredibly rewarding experience. My schoolmates joined in to help plant the native species, showing how an initiative can spark collaboration. The plants are still growing in good condition, and it’s amazing to see the positive impact it has had on the local ecosystem. What are your particular environment and sustainability interests? • Urban greening – creating nature-friendly spaces in cities and schools. • Sustainable architecture – designing buildings that work with the environment. • Environmental education – helping others understand and appreciate sustainability. • Renewable energy & innovation – exploring how technology can help fight climate change. I am also a member of the Youth Collective Committee (YCC) of Marion, where I am able to explore broader sustainability issues. At the SHAPE APAC 2025 SMART workshop, I gained insights into innovative sustainability solutions and learned about Flinders University’s sustainability initiatives. |
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Django
What do you love about nature/the environment? I love to be out in the natural world and exploring different habitats. I particularly love birdlife and how it interacts with the plants and landscapes. It amazes me how the ecosystems work to create a bond that support each other. My favourite bird and the one that especially got me into bird watching is the Superb-fairy wren, they are a tiny brave bird with the males being bright blue and they have been hopping around me and my backyard for as long as I can remember. What environmental/sustainability projects, actions or groups have you been involved in? I am lucky enough to be a part of the YEC since 2022. I have an environmental project ’Create and restore habitat for Fleurieu birds’ that I have been working on for two years. I have planted over 1000 indigenous plants over many beautiful and diverse ecosystems. I have also experimented with making my own nesting hollows, assembling kit bird boxes, installing them and monitoring them. I have also started a small nursery to grow specific species that belong to the different ecosystems I have been restoring through different weed control methods. I have memberships with Birds SA and Birdlife Australia. I participate in bird counting with local groups, Birds SA and Birdlife Australia. I also participate in projects through my school such as the Youth Climate Summit and do voluntary planting and bush care with a local Friends Group where I can. What has your YEC experience been like? What do you love about the YEC? I started the YEC in 2022 as a member and last year becoming a mentor. I enjoy helping others, and I have loved meeting like-minded people who all inspire and push each other to achieve great projects - it can make such a difference! I was ecstatic that I got the chance to make a change in my first year. I learnt lots about revegetating, seed collecting and a bunch of other crucial things to create a sustainable environment for birdlife. But my favourite take way is how much the staff try and build great leadership among the mentors and they boost our confidence. They do all these things through little workshops that can improve our leadership and public speaking skills. Without the support of the YEC I may have not been able to turn my passion into a meaningful project that I could work on. |
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Astyn
How many years have you been in the YEC? 4 (including this year) What do you love about the YEC? I love having the opportunity to meet like-minded people and talk about matters that are close to my heart. I love that I get to raise my voice and have it heard, and that I meet so many people that are so incredibly keen to do the same. What do you love doing in the environment? I love going to the beach, hiking, four-wheel-driving, and just being in nature. Whether that be swimming in the ocean, hiking in the pines, or just sitting in the middle of a garden. What are your particular environment and sustainability interests? My particular environmental interest is the incredibly broad topic of “wildlife”, and my sustainability interest is upcycling, specifically creating new things out of old or broken items. |
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Ameera
How many years have you been in the YEC? I’ve been at YEC for two years now! What do you love about the YEC? I love many things about YEC, they include the projects, environmental initiatives, and the brilliant staff that have inspired me in so many ways. What do you love doing in the environment? I love doing many things in the environment such as learning about different species of plants, hiking and planting. What are your particular environment and sustainability interests? Some of my environmental and sustainability interests include preventing soil degradation, reducing pollution and lastly conserving resources. |
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Stella
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Esther
How many years have you been in the YEC? I have been in the YEC for 4 years. This is my second year as a mentor. What do you love about the YEC? I love the camp and all the fun activities and project planning as it helps me get an idea for my project. I love the food, it is really good. What do you love doing in the environment? I love the beach and learning about the coastal environment. I love swinging and surfing even though I look like a fish out of water. I enjoy exploring new places and what they have to offer. I love going on trips up to Martins well where we camp with only the thing we bought it is so pretty out there. I think it is one of my favourite places. What are your particular environment and sustainability interests? My interests in the environment are
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Harry
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Alexis
How many years have you been in the YEC? I have been in the YEC for two previous years, and am excited to spend my third year in the group as a mentor. What do you love about the YEC? The YEC has been a wonderful experience for me. It’s given me the opportunity to meet so many new people and grow close bonds with like-minded students. What do you love doing in the environment? My family has a tradition of camping two or three times a year, since I was young. Those experiences were definitely what drove my passion for the environment. I’m not a fan of the ocean, but there are some beautiful beaches around where I live that I love to visit. What are your particular environment and sustainability interests? My personal interests within the environment are the animals in particular. I’ve always had a soft spot for all animals, and the YEC has given me an amazing opportunity to learn ways to help. |
