Green Corps--helping rural youth look after Australia's environment.

Green Corps provides a great opportunity for young people in rural and remote areas to get involved in environmental projects. With 85% of projects located in rural and remote areas across Australia, Green Corps is a great way for rural youth to gain valuable life experiences.

Green Corps is an Australian Government youth development and environmental training program for young people aged 17-20 years. The program gives young people an opportunity to volunteer their time and effort to conserve, preserve and restore Australia's natural environment and cultural heritage.

Each Green Corps project involves 10 young people taking part in a range of activities and experiences over 26 weeks. They receive accredited training and a participant allowance ranging from $189 to $361 per week.

The impact of the Green Corps experience on participants can be life changing, helping to increase self-esteem, employment and education prospects and environmental awareness.

A participant in a Queensland project made the following observations about her Green Corps experience:

"Some of us were pretty down on life and didn't have a positive outlook on ourselves. Often, young people get really depressed because they don't know where to go or what to do next, or what they want from life altogether. My own perception on Green Corps is that it has done wonders for all of us. I never used to want to work at all. Four months down the track into this program and I am willing to try anything. Green Corps has benefited us in so many ways. Now we have confidence in ourselves, it has given us so much more worth in our lives. We know we can go out into the world with our heads held high and believe in ourselves."

Local Partner Agencies are integral to Green Corps and are the source of project proposals. A current ACT project involves the ACT Rural Lessees Association as the Partner Agency. This project is helping rural lessees repair their properties after the ACT bushfire disaster.

Farmers have benefited throughout this project via various fire recovery activities such as

* re-fencing and conducting of vegetation surveys to identify more fire resistant and fire prone species

* collecting local seed and dispersing on affected areas for soil erosion control and revegetation

* determining areas necessary for conservation and assisting to fence off areas

* carrying out water quality testing and monitoring at various locations.

If you are interested in participating in a Green Corps project or developing a project in your area please visit:

www.greencorps.com.au

or call

Job Futures Greening Australia on the

Green Corps toll free number:

1800 077 700.