Environmental Excellence Awards
We acknowledge and reward high school students for excellence in "sustainability" and "environmental action and awareness". Watch the video.
Starting our first awards at Maclean High School over 25 years ago, we now offer these annual awards across the North Coast of New South Wales, from Coffs Harbour to Murwillumbah.
Each participating high school is eligible to win at least one award, and a Regional Leadership Award is presented to the most outstanding student overall. We have also rewarded an outstanding university student from Southern Cross University each year for over a decade. Please contact us for more details, or if you would like to donate towards the prizes.
Regional Leadership Award 2019
Stella Rees, Yr12, Bellingen High School
Stella is our Regional Leadership Award winner this year. This award is provided to the student who excelled amongst all the other school award winners. Way to go, Stella!
Stella has been inspirational in her quiet enthusiasm for environmental issues this year. She organised students and liaised with staff and community for both student strikes for climate. She was a leader in the OzGreen Youth Congress and was involved in the Riverwatch water quality monitoring of the Bellinger River. Stella is a keen advocate for social justice, especially in regard to First Nations Peoples. She also helped in the creation of a Gumbaynggirr Seasonal Calendar mural, outdoor learning area and garden.
Runner Up 2019
Vindi Ferguson, Yr11, Byron Bay High School
Vindi is the runner up for our Regional Leadership Award 2019, and has been instrumental in helping organise Climate Crisis awareness and helping to achieve change within the school. She has given countless hours of her own time to helping younger students understand climate issues. Vindi is involved in a group called Byron Youth 4 Climate. This collective of students helps spread awareness and understanding of climate issues. She is also part of a group that works within the school to raise awareness on individual actions and reducing the carbon footprint of the school.
Award Winners from each High School 2019
(listed in alphabetical order of school)
Coen Acret, Alstonville HS, Yr8. Coen initiated a composting system at school. They setup black bins around the school for compost waste only and Coen maintains the composting system by take this waste to the agriculture plot for composting back onto the Ag plots.
Hope O’Connor, Ballina Coast HS, Yr 8. Hope participates in Student Leadership organisations (SRC and LEOs) with a commitment to encourage and promote sustainable practices at school and in the community.
Charlotte Penhall, Coff Harbour HS, Yr 10. Charlotte has been unwavering in her dedication to the preservation of the environment. She leads by example and is always willing to volunteer her time to raise awareness, funds and people power in her pursuit to protect and educate. Charlotte has participated in peer to peer education programs and has shown excellence in leadership within the ERC. She also played a pivotal role in fundraising for habitat rejuvenation and access to clean drinking water projects. Charlotte has demonstrated a great commitment to future environmental sustainability.
Sunny Gillespie, Evans River Community School, Yr 8. Sunny is a young indigenous student of the Awabakal Nation who has proven that he is very connected to the land and his indigenous roots. He is very interested in sustaining the environment, cultural preservation and the significance of this. He is a vocal advocate for inspiring others to also be involved. Sunny is a member of School Environment Group, is highly motivated with many ideas for implementing sustainable initiatives in the school such as recycling and PBL Tiny house Project for sustainable living. He is enthusiastic about spreading awareness of important environmental issues and has participated in activism for causes he believes in.
Oskar Robertson, Grafton HS, Yr 9. Oskar has participated in multiple climate change strikes over the last year. He took the initiative and contacted the local council and arranged to speak at the Climate rally. His passion for advocating awareness around human induced climate change is to be commended.
Mia Taylor, Kingscliff HS, Yr11. Mia Taylor completed an Outward Bound leadership program in 2018. Following this experience she established an Environmental Club at Kingscliff High School. She currently remains chair of this club.
Eva Macnamara, Maclean HS, Yr7. Eva consistently and tirelessly makes an effort to keep Maclean High School environment litter free. She voluntarily takes responsibility for ensuring the school grounds are clean and tidy. Eva is observed doing this on a daily basis both in her own time and in outdoor lessons.
LS2 Class, Murwillumbah HS: Jack Latham, Jade Tatam-Lube, Jayde Johnson, Jye Hackwood, Meghan Butler, Nimai Havey, Tahliya Bennett. The LS2 class has completed a considerable amount of recycling in the school. They have established paper recycling in every classroom; used paper is shredded and used as mulch at the school farm, the one sided paper is used to make note pads, all the cans and bottles are collected from around the school and recycled for the 10c refund program, which helps raise funds for projects such as sustainable gardens. This class makes a significant reduction in the amount of rubbish that the school sends to landfill every week!
Kai Prikulis, Nimbin HS, Yr11. Kai was instrumental in the creation and ongoing running of our new whole-school recycling program. He ran a school assembly to educate the school body of our recycle system and he promotes recycling during school assemblies. Kai has also been an organiser and participant in the School Strike for Climate Change events as well as speaking and performing at the events in Lismore NSW.
Belle Crowe, Orara HS, Yr7. Belle began high school this year and has taken a keen interest in environmental initiatives. She participated in the Clean Up Australia Day and developed a positive attitude to cleaning up the school playground during this event and also as a continued activity of her own accord. Belle signed up to participate in the School's National Tree Day event and helped plant in our Native Bush Tucker Forest.
Belle signed up for Cool Australia's Enviroweek and ran a waste management stall in the school playground helping students understand how to sort waste into the correct bin. She organised this with her friends and made this a competitive activity, which gained support from a number of boys in the playground who were competing to toss the items in the bin from the chalkline to get a prize for a) getting the waste into the correct coloured bin and b) making sure the waste is in the bin and not adjacent.
Abbey Bailey, The Rivers Secondary (Lismore) HS, Yr11. Abbey planted multiple trees to regenerate a bush scrub in our school grounds. She took on a leadership role and assisted other students to participate in the planting of the trees. Abbey encourage numerous students to get involved promoting the activity.
Bowen Law, The Rivers Secondary (Richmond River) HS, Yr10. Bowen has an excellent approach to his studies in Agriculture and has completed impressive work on sustainability programs in and around the Richmond River High Campus. Bowen has exhibited a custodian relationship and an holistic approach to the care and management of our local ecosystem.
Eleonor Logan-Cole, Trinity Catholic College, Yr12. Eleonor showed environmental leadership by reinvigorating the student-led environment team, inspiring many younger students to engage in positive sustainability actions. She rebranded the environment team - ECO (Environment and Climate Organisation), presented at multiple school assemblies to raise student awareness and participation in sustainability actions at the College and leads team meetings to plan and action sustainability initiatives.
Jazmine Cooke, Tweed River HS, Yr12. Jazmine is a committed, well-informed environmentalist who worked hard with our green team and various other projects this year, whilst in Year 12. During Clean Up Australia Day 2019, Jazmine led a school clean-up at Tweed Heads South Primary school and also spoke to students about sustainability and climate change. She is a member of the Tweed Shire Youth Council and was asked by Katie Milne to help coordinate the climate emergency.
Tahlia-Belle Janetzki & Ella Curtis, Wollumbin HS, Yr11. In 2018 Tahlia-Belle and Ella were involved in the Tweed Schools Environmental Leadership program where they attended a 3 day Outward Bound Wilderness experience, 2 days of environmental workshops and prepared an environmental action plan. As a result, this year they have introduced a recycling system at our school for plastic bottles and cans, which was part of their environmental action plan. Through the ‘Return and Earn’ system, the school receives credit which goes towards new sports equipment for the students. These two students have increased awareness around the importance of recycling in terms of minimising the amount of recyclable material that ends up in landfill by decorating the recycle bins with paintings of our local scenery and wildlife.
Megan Elliot, St Johns College, Yr9. Megan has been a member of the Environment Committee for 3 years and attended the Youth Environment Council Camp at the start of the year. She recycles anything that is possible, having 10c bottle bins at home and reuses scrap paper as spare paper. She conserves water and turns off powerpoints. She has water tanks and solar panels at home. Megan has also been involved in the production of a book about the Big Scrub for the past 3 years.
Taryn McCarthy, Woolgoolga HS, Yr11. Taryn has, of her own initiative, actively travelled throughout the community in her own time to clean up rubbish along roadways, parklands and beaches. She has been committed to this for a long period of time, seeks no particular recognition and does this simply because she is deeply committed to environmental issues. She has been a tremendous example to all members of the school community. She is also a leader in the School Representative Council and involved in environmental initiatives within the school
* All photographs are from previous year winners. We are waiting for current winners to send us photos of their endeavours! If you are one of the 2019 WINNERS, please email us your photo NOW : )
Criteria for these awards are that students have shown demonstrable interest, leadership, passion and commitment towards environmental excellence and sustainability through actions, programs or effort either in school time and/or out-of-school hours. Prizes for the winners from each school include cash (!), publicity, and a printed award. The Regional Leadership Award includes mentoring by the Sustainable Futures team and a scholarship for The Joyality Program.
This environmental award is now acknowledged by most participating high schools as a key student award, presented alongside more traditional academic, sporting and citizenship awards. Recipients have used it effectively in resumes for employment and submissions for university and other tertiary placements.
Past Winners
2018 (details here)
Regional Leadership Winner:
Ziggy McCartin Cole, Evans River Community School
Runners Up:
LS2 Class, Murwillumbah High School: Owen Findlay, Nimai Havey, Meghan Butler, Keshav Biswas, Kerry Clark-Arthur, Jessie Ross, Jayde Johnson, James Severs, Jack Latham, Christopher Hourn.
School Winners:
Zoe Fairfull & Rose Christmas, Alstonville HS
Hayley Hill, Ballina Coast HS
Summer Storm, Bellingen HS
Lucia Miles, Byron Bay HS
Felix Egan, Coff Harbour HS
Katie McGuire, Grafton HS
Ryan Adams, Maclean HS
Zoe Arias-Walker, Mullumbimby HS
Kai Prikulis, Nimbin HS
Cameron Mustard, Richmond River HS
Jasper Williams, Toormina HS
2017 (details here)
Regional Leadership Winner:
Samual Gribben, Bellingen HSRunners Up:
Ruby Reeve, Byron Bay HSYee Ming Goh, Maclean HS
School Winners:
Lily Christmas & Charlotte Lopes, Alstonville HS
Keshav Biswas, Murwillumbah HS
Neem Solomon, Nimbin Central School
Alyssa MacDonald, The Rivers SC, Richmond River High Campus
Elkan Novak, The Rivers SC, Richmond River High Campus
Decklyn Brown, The Rivers Secondary College, Richmond River High Campus
Rachel Holm, Toormina HS
2016
Regional Leadership Winner
Edward Hubbard, Murwillumbah HSSchool Winners:
Bella Rubbo-Fairbairn, Byron Bay HSBenjamin Soden, Maclean HS
Edward Hubbard, Murwillumbah HS
Kai Prikulis, Nimbin Central School
Damon Cook, The Rivers SC, Richmond River High Campus
Elkan Novak, The Rivers SC, Richmond River High Campus
2015
Jake Fitzpatrick, Byron Bay HS
Morgan Koekemoer, Grafton High School
Braydon Connor, Maclean High School
Freya Hughes, Mullumbimby High School
Kaliah Fletcher, Mullumbimby High School
Jason Williams, Murwillumbah High School
Megan Lee, Nimbin Central School
Joel Mudge, Wollumbin High School
2014
William Sykes, Ballina High School
Nickolla Clark, Byron Bay High School
Taylah Holwerda, Coffs Harbour High School
Annabel Green, Grafton High School
Tayla Letts, Lismore High School
Besse Groves, Maclean High School
Lily Bullock, Mullumbimby High School
Romany Claringbull, Mullumbimby High School
Rhiannon Hayes, Murwillumbah High School
Jessie Kenneally-Clarke, Nimbin Central School
Jesulin Duray, South Grafton High School
Jake Kennedy, Wollumbin High School
2013
Daniel Martenet, Ballina High School
Ruby Tavener-Graham, Coffs Harbour High School
Matilda Lynch, Dorrigo High School
Bethany Bayliss, Evans River K-12 School
Melissa Picone, Grafton High School
Jakira Toniello, Lismore High School
Benjamin Pilcher, Maclean High School
Charlotte Higgins, Murwillumbah High School
Kudra Falla-Ricketts Trinity Catholic College Lismore
Luacy Vieria-Silva, Trinity Catholic College Lismore
Samuel Cook, Wollumbin High School
2012
Jack Norris, Ballina HS
Jack Christian, Byron Bay HS
Joel Ashworth, Byron Bay HS
Tiarne Hely, Coff Harbour HS
Grace Jones, Dorrigo HS
Briony Moore, Grafton HS
Maddy Braddon, Lismore HS
Robert Baker, Maclean HS
Courtney Bailey, Mullumbimby HS
Vanamali Hermans, Murwillumbah HS
Haven English, Murwillumbah HS
James Smykowsky, Richmond River HS
Rachael Payne, South Grafton
Genevieve Payne, Trinity Catholic College
Bridget Lea, Trinity Catholic College
Zak Thomas, Wollumbin HS
2011
Ellyssa McGinley, Ballina High School
Zeb Branton, Byron Bay High School
Juliette Kidston, Coffs Harbour High School
Teegan Ellis, Dorrigo High School
Reba Blake, Grafton High School
Maddy Braddon, Lismore High School
Kyah Hurrell, Maclean High School
Courtney Bailey, Mullumbimby High School
Monique Orell, Murwillubah High School
Hayden Cridland, Murwillumbah High School
Brianna Morris-Grant, Murwillumbah High School
Peter Macklin, South Grafton High School
Amelia Telford, Trinity Catholic College Lismore
James Lea, Trinity Catholic College Lismore
Kurtis Foulkes, Wollumbin High School
2010
Penny Skehan, Alstonville HS
Guy Luckenby, Coffs Harbour HS
Ryan McCallum, Grafton HS
Alice Batcheldor, Maclean HS
Jessica Bohan-Jensen, Murwillumbah HS
Soraya Quaine, Murwillumbah HS
Luke Asi, Nimbin HS
Sapote Hudd, Nimbin HS
Mahalia Jackson, Nimbin HS
Liam Dudgeon, South Grafton HS
Mikayla Robinson, Toormina HS
Madilyn Brady, Toormina HS
Haydn Maynard, Wollumbin HS
Megan Vynne, Southern Cross Uni
2009
Kel Gale, Alstonville HS
Henry Garrad, Bellingen HS
Sarah Trende, Byron Bay HS
Matt Flanders, Coffs Harbour HS
Katherine Sangster, Dorrigo HS
Tegan Morgan, Grafton HS
Gwen Palmer, Kyogle HS
Maree Dibella, Maclean HS
Chi Chi Mester, Mullumbimby HS
Jessica Bohan-Jensen, Murwillumbah HS
Jasmine Russ, Murwillumbah HS
Eileen Hodgkins, Murwillumbah HS
Soraya Quaine, Murwillumbah HS
Andrew Attwater, South Grafton HS
Alethea Cotmore, Wollumbin HS
Gwenaella Anne Seznec, Southern Cross Uni
2008
Zoe McClure, Lismore HS
Sasha Hunt, Lismore HS
Jake Farrell, Wollumbin HS
Matthew Skelton, Toormina HS
Kaitlin Cowan, South Grafton HS
Oli Landreth, Nimbin HS
Rowan Campbell, Murwillumbah HS
Kirsty Sheridan, Mullumbimby HS
Nikki Gibson, Maclean HS
Lucy Barker, Kadina HS
Alice Lane, Grafton HS
Kymbalee Tarran, Dorrigo HS
Shiloh Mignot, Byron Bay HS
Jacob Rodney Daley, Southern Cross Uni
2007
Keeghan Silcock, Alstonville HS
Cooper Dames, Byron Bay HS
Kymbalee Tarran, Dorrigo HS
Lucia Botta-Stanwell, Lismore HS
Karlee Gosewisch, Lismore HS
Erin McKenzie, Lismore HS
Alana Hutchison, Lismore HS
Jessica McLachlan, Maclean HS
Natasha Allen, Mullumbimby HS
Leanora Collett, Murwillumbah HS
Rennie Mitchell, Richmond River HS
Craig Evers, South Grafton HS
Ian Francis Hayes, Southern Cross Uni
2006
Sorelle Warzecha, Ballina HS
Chester Pierson, Byron Bay HS
Adele Finch, Coffs Harbour HS
Leah Varley, Coffs Harbour HS
Brianna Parbery, Dorrigo HS
Emma Quinlivan, Grafton HS
Lara Casson, Grafton HS
Tegan Morgan, Grafton HS
Alyson Hewett, Kadina HS
Victoria Jenkins, Kingscliff HS
Brendan Bedding, Kyogle HS
Reid Shipway, Murwillumbah HS
Angus McDowall, Maclean HS
Tenielle Joyce, Mullumbimby HS
Jeremy Hill, Richmond River HS
Crystal Jongen, South Grafton HS
Andrew Carroll, Wauchope HS
Adrian Peter Woodman, Southern Cross Uni
2005
Tim Murphy, Southern Cross Uni
2004
Kieran Searle, Maclean HS
Tiffany Keenan, Byron Bay HS
2002
Marika Tyas-Tunggal, Maclean HS
2001
Sue Jeong, Maclean HS
Sasha Kerr, Maclean HS
Frankie Sergeant, Maclean HS
Michael Schilling, Maclean HS
Scott Urquart, Maclean HS
2000
Marika Tyas-Tunggal, Maclean HS
1999
Marika Tyas-Tunggal, Maclean HS
Isabelle Nicoll, Maclean HS
Josh Dinham, Maclean HS
Jessica O’Connell, Maclean HS
Previous winners ... lost in the mists of time!
