YOUTH FOR CONSERVATION 

BY KAYLA A. (YEAR 10 STUDENT)

During his speech in April 2019, David Attenborough stated that ‘nature once determined how we survive, now we must determine how nature survives.’ This is a moral that I’ve always believed in, and what inspired me to take part in the Youth Leadership Program through Zoos Victoria earlier this year. 

The Youth Leadership Program was an 11 day course based at Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary, that was run for year 9 and 10 students across Victoria. It was a program that brought together like minded students with a passion for protecting the environment, and particularly the endangered and critically endangered wildlife within it, that without our help would face the risk of extinction. 

Over the 11 days that we participated in it, our focus was on developing a community engagement plan to raise awareness on the critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum, a species endemic to the Yarra Valley region as well as Victoria’s faunal emblem. We worked on developing this plan by going out into the field to places such as Yellingbo Reserve and Haining Farm, where Zoos Victoria is applying their extensive recovery programs for Leadbeater’s, as well as talking to a range of stakeholders who are involved in the protection of the species. At the end of the 11 days, our group came up with a range of ideas for engaging and involving the community in the conservation work of the possum, including spreading the message to primary schools in the area, involving locals in tree planting days, and spreading the message to cat owners about the benefits of keeping your cat indoors, not only to prevent wildlife from suffering from cat predation, but also to protect your cat from the risks they face by being outdoors.   

Despite the program coming to an end in Term 2, I have had the privilege of being involved in some amazing events that have happened through Zoos Victoria over the past months, including attending the 70th annual Australian Mammal Society Conference at Melbourne Zoo, and speaking to members of parliament about the program for National Science Week at Parliament House. 

Overall this has been an incredible opportunity to be a part of, and has been a way to prove to youth environmental enthusiasts like me that you are never too young to take a part in conservation action.