First Young Environmental Leaders Forum on KI
On Tuesday, 21 November 2024, over 120 students from Kangaroo Island Community Education's three campuses, Penneshaw, Kingscote and Parndana, attended the first Young Environmental Leaders (YEL) forum at Flinders Chase National Park.
KILB Chair Andrew Heinrich said this year's YEL forum theme celebrates the new Flinders Chase Visitor Centre and all the amazing conservation work being undertaken across the island.
At the YEL forum, the students were not just attendees, but active participants. They engaged in a diverse range of activities, from small mammal recovery to leadership development, demonstrating their commitment to environmental education.
YEL, a successful program adapted from the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board, has been running for over 10 years. The program provides opportunities for primary school students to learn about the local environment by participating in hands-on activities and projects and developing as leaders within their school community.
"Environmental education is a critical aspect of learning that instils respect, admiration and care for our natural world in children," Mr Heinrich said.
"Environmental education helps children to understand the importance of preserving our natural resources and provides them with the tools to become responsible environmental stewards," he said.
"The Kangaroo Island Landscape Board gratefully acknowledges the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board for their invaluable resources that made the Young Environmental Leaders Program possible on Kangaroo Island."
The YEL forum is supported by the South Australian Government's Landscape Priorities Fund (LDF) and Our Town Kangaroo Island funding.
