Local youth tackle rubbish in Creeklands

Pulling rubbish, especially plastic, from local waterways in the Armidale Creeklands is the latest project the EACH Youth Leadership program is tackling head-on. EACH is a community health organisation delivering four youth-focused programs to assist young people in Armidale and surrounding areas. Combined, the four programs assist young people to achieve their learning and personal goals, address youth homelessness, provide an alternative learning space and train young people to become leaders in their community.
“The Youth Leadership team is keen to reduce the amount of rubbish in our local environment by educating the public of our practices inland and how it impacts on a larger scale, with our ocean fishing and estuaries as breeding grounds for fish and other biodiversity,” said Charlie Winter, Youth Leadership Coordinator.
“We must stop trashing our streams. There’s an island of plastic debris as large as the state of Texas floating where the three main currents in the Pacific Ocean meet.”
Currently the Youth Leadership team has been holding weekly ventures to help young leaders understand workplace practices, and gain experiences of work situations by helping out with community projects. The team has successfully painted a shed at the Armidale Showgrounds and now turns their eye on the Creeklands.
“The lads have been giving up some of their time to undertake the massive task of pulling debris from the creek, so that it is more aesthetic for the people of Armidale and visitors who use the bike track and playing fields in the area,” said Charlie.
“We hope to keep going and stay on top of the trash and help Armidale Urban River Care Group (AURG) by undertaking weeding and plantings along the creek.
“Thanks to the lads, Armidale Dumaresq Council and AURG for their help to make this happen.”