Young people from bushfire-affected communities on the Mid North Coast recently participated in an award-winning environmental leadership program.
Healthy North Coast, which delivers the Australian Government’s Primary Health Network program, sponsored OzGREEN’s YOUth LEADing the World two-day camp. It was held at the Cascade Environmental Education Centre, north-east of Dorrigo.
The camp aimed to help local young people take an active role in helping their communities rebound from the effects of the 2019-20 bushfires. OzGREEN successfully applied for a $10,000 grant under the ‘Supporting Communities in Bushfire Recovery’ scheme.
The camp began with participants having a heartfelt yarn with Gumbaynggirr Elder, Uncle Cecil. During the program, participants heard about local global environmental concerns and voted on their top five. These were:
- Extinction, lack of local knowledge, loss of culture
- Lack of political leadership
- Deforestation
- Greed and overconsumption
- Plastic pollution.
The group discussed a collective vision for the future, including living in harmony with each other and the earth, and brainstormed ideas to achieve this. Among their ideas were:
- Building a social movement to create wildlife refuges in urban centres
- Developing and distributing educational material raising community awareness about local threatened species
- Organising a tree planting and clean-up Dorrigo community day
- Propagating and planting native tree species in forests that have been destroyed.
The bushfire recovery scheme’s goals include building social connection, mental wellbeing and resilience. The bushfires left a lasting impact on many North Coast communities and recent flooding in some of these same communities has compounded people’s stress.
OzGREEN’s program supports healing and recovery from the impact of the bushfires and empowers young people to address the challenges they are facing in a positive manner.
OzGREEN Program Manager, Anna Juodvalkis, said: “YOUth LEADing the World helps people move from despair to hope, and equips them to become active and engaged leaders in their communities. It’s an incredibly empowering program that enables young people to realise their full potential.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Healthy North Coast to deliver a program that engages young people in bushfire recovery and resilience efforts,” Ms Juodvalkis said. “Our overnight camp aims to increase wellbeing, build youth resilience, foster friendships and encourage a sense of connection and belonging.
“Young people are very effective at leading change. Our goal is to support them to develop innovative solutions that address the many challenges caused by the bushfires.”
OzGREEN’s program guides participants to find their voice by working with targeted questions. Young people are encouraged to work collaboratively to identify their ideal vision of the future, discuss ideas that will strengthen their communities and brainstorm solutions to local and global challenges.
At the conclusion, participants planned, organised and delivered a community forum where they presented their ideas to friends, family, business and community leaders. They finished the program with a renewed sense of empowerment and belief in their own ability to make positive changes in the world.
Featured image: Participants in the program hear from Gumbaynggirr Elder, Uncle Cecil.