Hobart’s youth lead climate crusade

A small group of youth leaders in Hobart is encouraging young people in the community to get involved in conservation efforts and improve the habitats of local native species.

The Co-Exist Collective is leading the New Town Rivulet Platypus Project, which received $7,500 in funding through the City of Hobart’s Youth Climate Action Fund.

The project aims to restore the platypus habitat in New Town Rivulet by engaging students from five local schools and conducting rubbish clean-ups, pest identification and planting native species in partnership with Nipaluna Nursery.

Co-Exist team leader Josh Smith said the collective’s mission was to get young people invested in the future of the natural environment.

“We believe in the idea that you won’t protect what you don’t know and look forward to this being a chance for lots of young people in our community to get to know their own backyard,” he said.

“Hobart is a special place and we are privileged to have the opportunity to look after it.

“Climate change is a global issue and the scale can be overwhelming but having an outlet to do something, no matter how small, is important.

“The recent State of Environment Report reiterates the increasing number of challenges our environment faces but also the incredible opportunity to do something about it.”

Mr Smith said it was inspiring to see what happened when curious young people got together and created moments and conversations that snowballed into greater change.

“I have been lucky enough to share some pretty incredible moments with species like the Platypus over the years and that’s something we should all be able to experience,” he said.

“This isn’t just a chance for young people in the community to practice what it means to be good stewards of the environment but also to develop strong leadership skills that are increasingly important.”