Two of our Board, Christopher Johnson and Miranda Braakhuis, joined the conference in Gimuy/Cairns and developed and co-hosted the NextGen Conservation pre-conference workshop with our collaborators at Co-Exist Australia and the Biodiversity Council. Here’s the (very) short version of a big afternoon:
🔎 What we explored
1️⃣ Why youth leadership matters – and what young people say they need to lead effectively (grounded in a pre-conference survey of Intrepid & Co-Exist volunteers). 🗳️
2️⃣ Barriers that persist: cost, time, tokenism, access, confidence – structural, not motivational. 🚧
3️⃣ What’s working: grassroots collectives (Co-Exist) 🤝, flexible youth-led models (Intrepid Landcare) 🌿, and structured intern and Mentoring programs (Conservation Ecology Centre and ALCA) 🎓
4️⃣ From talk to action: participants used Intrepid’s Design for Wiser Action canvas to leave with tangible next steps, not just good intentions. ✅
📌 Key takeaways
— Young people care deeply and are already acting, but need clear, supported pathways. 🧭
— Real inclusion = shared power, paid/flexible roles, and trust. 🤝
— CoDesign is non-negotiable: youth aren’t just “at the table”; they help design it. 🛠️
— Action follows awareness: tools + partnerships turn ideas into delivery. 🧩
Huge thanks to our co-hosts and contributors for bringing evidence, lived experience, and practical solutions into the room: Co-Exist Australia (Kurt Jones), Biodiversity Council (Jaana Dielenberg), Conservation Ecology Centre (Lizzie Corke OAM), and ALCA (Salman Sarwar PhD) 💚
Whilst in Cairns we were invited to join Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Drive and for the thoughtful convo about Youth in Conservation, Nature, and where action meets wellbeing.
Key threads that really landed:
1️⃣ Young Australians care deeply – the gap is mostly structural (cost of living, time, access, confidence), not motivational.
2️⃣ Youth-led pathways like Intrepid Landcare (that’s us) and Co-Exist Australia help people plug in through co-design, community, and real roles – often alongside existing hashtag Landcare groups.
3️⃣ Getting involved isn’t just good for nature; it’s good for Mental Health and connection.
4️⃣ It’s not only “boots on the ground” – we need to amplify youth leadership and share decision-making (CoDesign).
Big thanks to Jaana Dielenberg (Biodiversity Council), Mackenna Minstrell (Climate 200), and Monique Jeffs (Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC)) for the kind words and for spotlighting this work while in Gimuy/Cairns. And thanks to the ABC Drive team for the platform.
Here is the link to the conversation on ABC Far North
