YACCA – Celebrating 10 years of achievement.

Reproduced from the special commemorative booklet published on the occasion of the Willunga Environment Centre’s 30^th Anniversary earlier this year.

YOUTH AND COMMUNITY IN CONSERVATION ACTION is the name the original group came up with. It was a play on words and the group was very creative. YACCA was created because the Enviro Kids, the environment group run out of Willunga Primary School, was no longer supported as a program. It was also evident that once the kids left primary school, there was no program that they could join at the high school, and we felt that all the hard work and knowledge gained by our youth would be lost.

Enter Karen Lawrence (Enviro Kids leader) and Janine (WEC Centre Coordinator and supporter of Enviro Kids at the school level), and YACCA was born. That was 10 years ago this year.

Saskia Gerhardy, our first leader, did a fantastic job instilling enthusiasm and guiding the group. Over the years, YACCA has participated in numerous significant projects. They’ve worked with First Nations peoples on projects like the Washpool project, Lot 50 Kanyanyapilla, and just started working at Karla Yerta Kanyanyapilla. They’ve also collaborated with local action groups including Landcare and Trees for life (and so many others) and the City of Onkaparinga Council on initiatives such as the Basset Street Park, Stipiturus, Reefwatch, Wirra Creek, Hart Road Wetlands, the Bandicoot Highway project, and the Miyawaki planting and maintenance project. Additionally, they’ve engaged in trapping and monitoring at Tatachilla Eco Classroom and participated in various training camps, including trips to the Arid Lands at Roxby, the Otways in Victoria, Monarto, and local conservation parks. They held displays at the Almond Blossom Festival full of kids’ activities to inspire more young people.

YACCA has been highly supported by local action groups, conservation groups, Onkaparinga Council, other outside agencies, NRM (at the time) Green Adelaide and Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu and even the Willunga Bakery who fed the group for many years! Financially, the group has had minimal support and relied on two grants from NRM and GA and fundraising efforts.

They are the recipients of several Landcare nominations and awards, both for group and individuals.

YACCA has been fortunate to have excellent youth leadership over the years, with leaders like Saskia, Alex, Ida, and Grace. These leaders, alongside our dedicated members, have mentored younger participants, including the YACCAlings group. Our group have gone on to achieve great things in the environmental and other fields, but notably several earning degrees in Conservation and Land Management, Botany, Science (Biodiversity and Conservation), Environmental Engineering, and Chemical and Mechanical Engineering. We even have a PhD candidate among our ranks.

The group experienced a brief slowdown due to leaders transitioning into professional environmental and other roles, and the impact of COVID. However, YACCA is now beginning to thrive again under the capable leadership of Grace Kennedy, one of our original members who is soon to complete her Diploma of Conservation and Land Management.

YACCA embodies the principle of youth leading youth, achieving meaningful environmental impact over the past decade. What started as a response to a need for environmental action among young people has grown into a powerhouse of conservation efforts. This year, we proudly celebrate YACCA’s 10th anniversary and look forward to many more years of impactful action.