Since April 2025, ReGen Alliance has been working alongside Hunter Region Landcare Network to deliver the Youth in Landcare Pilot Program with Alesco Secondary College, Elermore Vale. This eight-month project is connecting young people who face barriers to mainstream education with hands-on opportunities to care for their local environment and learn practical skills in ecology and conservation.
Students have participated in both on-campus lessons and site visits with local Landcare groups. To date, they have joined Nobbys Beach Landcare with Chris and Barb, Shortland-Wallsend Wetlands with Carol Rayner, and Sylvia and her volunteers at Aries Way Landcare. These visits have included native planting, weed removal, dune restoration and wildlife monitoring. Back at school, weekly classroom sessions have explored topics such as plant adaptations, ecosystem communication, and community awareness campaigns, with students designing their own signage and environmental messaging for their peers.
Highlights of the program so far include planting over 80 native tubestock and 30 pigface cuttings at Nobbys Beach, clearing invasive weeds to open space for native grasses at Elermore Vale, and the use of the HRLN wildlife camera on the school site that captured a sugar glider — a sighting that has sparked great excitement amongst the students and local community. These moments show the direct impact that young people can have in restoring biodiversity while building their own sense of purpose and belonging.
The program is making a difference not only to the environment, but also to the students themselves. Many have reported feeling more confident, engaged, and proud of their contribution. Teachers have shared that students who previously struggled in the classroom are showing new levels of participation and teamwork when learning outdoors. By creating safe, practical, and meaningful connections to Landcare, the project is supporting both youth wellbeing and environmental outcomes.
ReGen Alliance is grateful for the support of Hunter Region Landcare Network, Newcastle City Council, and the dedicated Landcare groups who have welcomed our students. Together, we are showing that by healing the land, we can also help heal young people — and in turn, empower the next generation to care for Country. The program is proudly funded by the NSW Government’s Local Small Commitments Allocation Program (LSCA) with support from Tim Crakanthorp MP (Member for Newcastle).
When asked last week whether they felt the program was making an impact in their lives, the students responded with an enthusiastic and unanimous “Yes!” Many shared that they now notice and pay attention to nature in a way they never had before, and that they feel more connected to the environment. Their curiosity has been sparked, and they are genuinely enjoying learning about the natural world around them.
Come and hear more about the project at the Hunter Landcare Muster 13th September. Bec and Joe will be giving one of our Soapbox Talks.