Growing tomorrow's kaitiaki: How the C3 Collective is shaping youth environmental leadership

Across the Whakatipu, a wave of place‑based environmental learning is taking root - and the Conservation Curiosity Collective (C³) is at the heart of it. This partnership of local organisations is working alongside schools to help rangatahi understand the landscapes they live in, care for the ecosystems that sustain us, and grow the confidence to imagine the future they want to inherit. 

It’s hands‑on and grounded in the local environment, helping rangatahi learn practical skills that grow genuine kaitiaki for our district. 

C³ brings together Whakatipu Reforestation Trust, Whakatipu Wildlife Trust, Southern Lakes Sanctuary, Enviroschools, ORC’s Upper Lakes Catchment Advisor, and QLDC Parks. Each organisation contributes its own strengths - from native planting and predator control to biodiversity monitoring and freshwater health - creating a shared pool of expertise that schools can draw on throughout the year. 

By taking a catchment‑wide approach, C³ helps students connect the dots between forests, waterways, wildlife, and people. Four Queenstown schools are already involved in multi‑year restoration projects, giving students real opportunities to plant, measure, restore, and observe the living systems around them. 

“It’s been great to be part of a group of environmental educators whose skills fit together like a puzzle… I’m excited to see where C³ takes us - and what opportunities it opens for local schools to grow their stewardship and restoration mahi.” Jaylene Harper, Otago Regional Council

In the last week of April, Queenstown Primary were back at Matakauri Wetlands where they planted over 450 natives, bird watching & identification, water testing, checking predator traps and tracking tunnels.  C3 was impressed by the mahi and knowledge of the students and received great questions that have never been asked before.