Applications are now closed for Green Adelaide’s popular Youth Coastal Ambassadors program.
Only 32 students will be accepted into this free, 2-day program, which will run in Port Noarlunga in the April school holidays.
Green Adelaide Board Presiding Member Professor Chris Daniels said the program is perfect for students who are passionate about Adelaide’s coast and marine environment and really want to learn about and help look after it.
“This is the 3rd year of the Green Adelaide Youth Coastal Ambassadors program and it has been invaluable in giving young people practical knowledge and skills in marine and coastal conservation,” Professor Daniels said.
“This is an opportunity to be really immersed in Adelaide’s stunning coastline and rich cultural history, and applications are very competitive.
“It’s a great opportunity for any students who are considering pursuing a career in this field – or who just want to get involved in their local blue space.”
Topics covered in this year’s program include marine ecology, environments and organisms of the Adelaide coast, pathways for study and marine conservation, and Tirkandi – Country, Culture and Connection with Burka-Senior Man Karl Winda Telfer, founder of Yellaka – Old Wisdom-New Ways.
Participants will take part in activities such as snorkelling the Port Noarlunga reef, kayaking in the Onkaparinga estuary, connecting to Kaurna Meyunna (people) Country through cultural story, fire ceremonies and native foods, attending interactive workshops and a virtual reality experience.
Professor Daniels said the program has lasting benefits for participants.
“Graduates of our Youth Coastal Ambassadors program have used their skills and passion to help with environmental projects at school and in the community, such as raising awareness through public murals and being involved in coastal conservation projects,” Professor Daniels said.
“We’ve also had some graduates that have gone on to do work experience in environmental jobs, and gain their scuba diving licenses.
“At the end of the program, we hope that the new ambassadors will share what they have learnt with their family and friends, and really become advocates for our coast.”
The program is led by Ocean Imaging marine biologist and filmmaker Stefan Andrews, and Burka-Senior Man Karl Winda Telfer, and funded and coordinated by Green Adelaide.
The 2023 program offers 2 sessions, with 16 students in each, and applicants are asked to pick their preferred dates as part of the application process.
No prior experience and knowledge is required. It’s free and open to Year 8 and 9 students living in the Green Adelaide region, which extends from the Gawler River in the north, down to Sellicks Beach in the south.
Applications are now closed.
Main image courtesy of Claire Lock.