Engaging Youth: Lessons in the Bush
Exploring the collaboration between Boys to the Bush and Murrumbidgee Landcare, empowering disengaged youth through environmental education, hands-on conservation activities, and community engagement to foster resilience and ecological stewardship.
Collaborations - LEP23_036_LLC9_5
The issue
Boys to the Bush empowers disengaged young males through mentoring and community engagement. However, accessing the natural environment—a core component of its mission—presents challenges due to diverse environmental topics, limited public access points, and inherent safety risks. Determining where to begin can often be difficult. The collaboration between Murrumbidgee Landcare’s Local Landcare Coordinator in Narrandera and Boys to the Bush’s Leeton branch has created opportunities for environmental education while addressing these challenges. By providing structured access to natural spaces and mitigating associated risks, this partnership has enabled meaningful learning experiences that connect participants with nature and their community.
The solution
The collaboration between Boys to the Bush and Murrumbidgee Landcare addresses challenges in accessing natural environments and learning opportunities by combining their strengths. Murrumbidgee Landcare suggests local natural spaces, guidance in environmental education, and structured programs partnering with similar organisations. Boys to the Bush integrates these opportunities into their mentoring framework, enabling disengaged young males to participate in hands-on projects like tree planting and citizen science initiatives. This partnership fosters environmental stewardship, builds personal resilience, and strengthens community connections, ensuring participants gain meaningful experiences while safely engaging with the natural environment.
The impact
Recent events involving Boys to the Bush and Murrumbidgee Landcare have had a profound impact on participants and the environment. A guided koala tour through Narrandera’s flora and fauna reserve shared knowledge of native wildlife and ecosystems. Tree planting at Grong Grong contributed to local biodiversity restoration, connecting participants with hands-on conservation efforts. The freshwater mussel collection and documentation with YACTAC engaged participants in citizen science, raising awareness of mussels’ role as natural biofilters and their importance to waterway health. These activities combined environmental education with community engagement, empowering participants while making meaningful contributions to ecological preservation and scientific understanding.
Key facts
- 30 participants and their mentors have gained valuable knowledge about the natural environment.
- The collaboration opens opportunities using minimal funding and is based on knowledge sharing.