Caring for the Environment
Earthwatch Australia
Overview of Year Three
VFFF is aware of the growth of investments in solar power, energy storage and grid integration. This is accelerating the electricity transition, building a grid with an increasing share of renewable energy generation. With the regions sitting at the heart of this transition, regional communities hope this will bring opportunities for local young people and nurture aspiring leaders who can be part of building a lasting legacy for future generations.
The environment continues to be an area of concern for many young Australians. 19,501 young people aged 15-19 years participated in Mission Australia's annual youth survey in 2023 and the environment was again identified by respondents as one of the most important issues facing Australia. VFFF hears from young people that they hope to align employment to their values and areas of interest. Young people seek to lead the change they want to see in their community.
At the midpoint of VFFF's Backing Young People granting strategy, VFFF reflected on the outcomes sought from the Caring for the Environment focus area and introduced an additional funding outcome:
“Young people pursue opportunities to participate in the green economy”.
VFFF will seek to support initiatives that work towards this outcome, particularly for young people in rural and regional communities who face barriers to employment. Building the understanding of pathways to jobs in the growing green economy will be a focus.
This year in the Caring for the Environment focus area, VFFF funded the development of future environmental leaders.
A three-year grant to Taronga Conservation Society Australia enabled the expansion of the Youth at the Zoo program at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. Through this initiative, Taronga is seeking to immerse young people in nature, conservation and community engagement, fostering a love for animals and the environment, while empowering them to become advocates and change agents.
A two-year grant to Co-Exist Australia will enable the organisation to transition to a staff-led operation and grow the communities of young people across Australia making a positive impact on their local environment. Empowering young leaders and raising awareness about conservation and the environment is central to the organisation's purpose.
Two other organisations benefitted from an Exploration Grant. VFFF supported the Australian Land Conservation Alliance (ALCA) to build a technical solution to deliver structured intern learning opportunities and frameworks for early career conservationists. Greening Australia was supported to explore how the skills of First Nations young people could enable them to lead the native seed sector.
Grants Snapshot
$1.6m
approved
4
grants
16%
of total funding
58%
for program funding
82%
to regional areas
Grants
2024
Co-Exist Australia, $537,000 over two years
Support for Co-Exist's transition to a staff-led operation
Taronga Conservation Society Australia, $930,000 over three years
Expansion of the Youth at the Zoo (YATZ) program at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo
Exploration Grants
Australian Land Conservation Alliance, $75,000
Development of the learning component of a sector-wide internship platform
Greening Australia, $60,000
First Nations young people seed collector program
Ongoing
$225,251 distribution ($754,819 total)
Seeding the Future program
Earthwatch Australia
$450,000 distribution ($1,120,000 total)
Agents of Change for the Environment (ACE) program
WWF-Australia
$384,000 distribution ($384,000 total)
Innovate to Regenerate program with a focus on solutions that benefit young people
Highlight: Co-Exist Australia
''Since we received our grant from VFFF we have grown exponentially into a thriving youth-led organisation that has hosted over 100 community events in 2024, attracting over 1,600 attendees. We are grateful that VFFF has chosen to support us as we continue our mission of inspiring young people to explore and protect our planet."
Kurt Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Co-Exist Australia
“Advancing youth-driven approaches to environmental challenges” is an outcome VFFF seeks in the Caring for the Environment focus area. The alignment to this outcome was clear from the first time VFFF met young environmental leader, Kurt Jones, and heard about his efforts to establish Co-Exist Australia.
Born out of an idea for a Year 11 school assignment, once Kurt graduated high school he worked on the idea until establishing the organisation in 2022. Initially volunteer run, a grant from VFFF has enabled Co-Exist Australia to transition to a paid staff led operation to accelerate its impact.
Co-Exist Australia's model is to operate collectives across the country, run by passionate young local leaders. Collective leaders coordinate and promote community activities in their region, with a focus on nature-based recreation, education and conservation. Through practical action such as tree plantings, beach clean-ups, revegetation work and citizen science activities, the aim is to foster amongst these cohorts of young people a deep connection to nature, instilling values of environmental stewardship. Co-Exist Australia creates positive impact on the lives of the young people involved, as well as the planet.
Kurt's leadership is well recognised. This year he was awarded Queensland Young Achiever in the Connecting Communities category, as well as Sunshine Coast Young Citizen of the Year. VFFF is delighted to be backing Kurt's leadership and supporting the development of Co-Exist Australia over the course of this two-year grant.