Youth & Students

Making scrub fun at festival time

Posted on September 8, 2011
Black Breasted Button Quail (female)

Imagine yourself crawling through a dark, shrubby tunnel. Suddenly you spot a Black Breasted Button Quail!  This is what faced kids visiting the Fitzroy Basin Association Inc. (FBA) display at Ecofest in Gladstone this year.

FBA’s Boyne Calliope Sub Region ran the activity to help young people in the Gladstone region understand the relationship between ecosystems and animals.

Boyne Calliope Sub Region field officer Vicki Dart said the display featured a tunnel with the walls lined with images of dry rainforest.  “Stuck onto the walls of the tunnel were laminated images of different critters like birds, frogs, snakes and lizards that rely on dry rainforests for food and shelter,” Ms Dart said. Continue Reading…

Tomorrow’s farmers get expert advice today

Posted on September 6, 2011

A Condamine Alliance project, Leadership through the Ages, will link industry experts with enthusiastic young farmers to equip them with the knowledge and skills for the future.

The project will connect 20 young people with a network of active and semi-retired scientists across the disciplines of climate science, policy, teamwork and community engagement.

Young and emerging rural operators will benefit significantly from the network program, by learning strategies to adapt to climate variability and the potential effects of climate change that are anticipated over the next decade. Continue Reading…

Passion, environment and lifestyle lures young land stewards

Posted on September 5, 2011
Left to Right: Joe, Gerry and Sam Deguaras

The future is bright for the Deguara family, a Mackay Whitsunday sugar cane family who not only works the land, but has expansion of their operations on the cards with a strong focus on improving the environment.

Sugarcane grower Gerry Deguara heavily involves his two sons, Sam and Joe, in his farming operations. Based in the Reef Catchments area of Mackay Whitsunday, Gerry says a key ingredient to keeping younger growers interested in being land stewards is to offer a bit more of a challenge. Environmental issues certainly makes this possible with a great effort into improving their soil, irrigation, chemical and nutrient to improve water quality through their participation on ‘Project Catalyst’, a project with partners including NRM groups Reef Catchments, NQ Dry Tropics, Terrain in addition to the Coca-Cola Foundation, WWF and the Australian Government through the Caring for our Country’s Reef Rescue program. Continue Reading…

Bunya Mountains Kids on Country

Posted on September 4, 2011
Kids on camera at Murgon State School

The ‘Kids on Country’ Program which is run by the Bunya Mountains Murri Rangers got off to a flying start in 2011!

With some seed funding provided through Fauna & Flora International and the Coca Cola Australia Foundation and supported by the Burnett Mary Regional Group, the Department of Education and Training and Education Queensland, the team worked to develop a curriculum based on the culturally significant Bunya Mountains in South East Queensland, before trialling activities with schools. Continue Reading…

Outdoor classroom hosts new biodiversity lessons

Posted on September 3, 2011
Left to Right: Anastasia Morrison and Tayla Gilchrist from Thuringowa State High School

Students at Thuringowa State High School are the first to try out a new biodiversity learning initiative that’s allowing them to get up close and personal with some scaly and furry friends.

NQ Dry Tropics has developed ‘Healthy Habitats for Schools’ to enable schools to meet new Education Queensland curriculum requirements relating to the management of grounds and the teaching of biodiversity concepts. Continue Reading…

NRM, Far North Queensland style!

Posted on September 3, 2011
Terrain thongs – Far North Queensland style

Terrain is rising to the challenge of how to get more young people interested and involved with natural resource management (NRM). Using social media seems to be an obvious way to give some new ideas a go.

In a creative attempt to engage and attract younger recruits to the business of NRM and volunteerism, Terrain asked visiting prospective students at James Cook University’s (JCU) Open Day, to take a pair of ‘Terrain’ thongs and post photos of them on facebook. The best photo reflecting what NRM means to them, wins 1 month of paid work experience with Terrain. Continue Reading…