Youth in Conservation

The aim of a recently established group, Youth in Conservation, is to encourage young people between the ages of twelve and twenty to learn principles of conservation through the practical exercise of planting native plants in the Upper Clutha basin, and through the educational aspects of these projects. Youth in Conservation is the brain child of the Upper Clutha Branch of the Royal Forest and Bird and has been formed in response to number off issues developing in the Upper Clutha region. One being the lack of representation of students in membership of the Royal Forest and Bird and the ability for students to take part in the community lead environmental activities.

The Upper Clutha branch of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society administers the group's activities, through co-ordination with the Mount Aspiring College. Several of the keener participants are offered one year's free membership of the Royal Forest and Bird Society. Three projects are planned for each year - two during autumn and one during spring - with preparation of each site to be carried out in the season prior to planting. This plan enables the Forest and Bird Society to work both with young people and the local nursery in supplying and setting up each native planting project.

Some of these youth have been involved in the predator control work on the Haast Highwayas seen below









Since 2005 there has been several planting secession taken place on the Millennium Track with the help of the students from Mount Aspiring Collage. There work has been very valuable to the restoration of the habitat on the track.