FIVE students from Laidley State High School have become the first participants to complete an innovative environmental partnership between Lockyer Valley Regional Council and the Kokoda Youth Foundation.
The initiative forms part of the Foundation’s six-month On the Right Track program, which combines outdoor challenges, community service and personal development to build confidence, resilience and a stronger sense of community among young people.
Council’s Environment Portfolio Councillor Cheryl Steinhardt said the partnership had already delivered outstanding results.
The students completed four sessions at Council’s Seven Mile Lagoon revegetation site, rolling up their sleeves to plant native vegetation, spread mulch and assist with environmental restoration.
As part of their activities, the students deployed wildlife monitoring cameras to investigate which animals were calling the area home.
After just one week, the cameras captured images of foxes, hares and rabbits, along with a much more welcome discovery – a female koala carrying her joey.
“The participants were involved in planting and mulching activities, birdwatching sessions and helped deploy field monitoring cameras to identify wildlife species inhabiting the area,” Cr Steinhardt said.
“After a week in the field, the cameras captured images of several pest species, including foxes, hares and rabbits, as well as a resident female koala carrying a joey, which was a real highlight for the group.”
Local Indigenous contractor Jake, from JTA Services, joined the group for one of the sessions, sharing his knowledge of the site and its environmental restoration while assisting with planting, mulching and wildlife monitoring.
The partnership was developed after the Kokoda Youth Foundation approached Council earlier this year seeking opportunities to incorporate practical community projects into its youth development activities.
Cr Steinhardt said the success of the inaugural group highlighted the benefits of bringing community organisations and local government together to support the next generation.
“Not only did the participants gain practical skills and confidence, but they also developed a greater appreciation for the natural environment and the importance of caring for it,” she said.
