Engaging Young People with the Mountains

September 2022 update

by Kay Weltz, Director Wollangarra

It has been a wonderfully busy winter at Wollangarra this year, as we have run every community event and program on our Calendar. What a welcome change to the last few years!

Around the homestead flats many projects have reached completion, including the building of a new tractor trailer, mug shelf and a re-do of the garden. Two new lambs Havre joined our heard of dorper sheep as well as some new chickens. Having eggs from our chickens, vegetables/greens growing in the garden and lambs from the property for our legendary programs Thursday night ‘lamb stew’ is allowing us to showcase to young people visiting what it is like to live in a sustainable way off the land.

Our community events, including Wood chop and garden Party were well attended and it was wonderful to see the community come together to share stories around the bonfire, chop wood and fill the woodsheds and work together to establish some new raised garden beds and plant spring and summer seedlings in the ‘Wollangarden’.

Most importantly, being sable to host all the young people on our school and Holiday programs has been fantastic. We have just finished 6 weeks of back-to-back programs, super busy but super awesome getting so many young people ingot the mountains. Stage 2 Holiday crew even got to chase some snow in the High Country this winter and go tobogganing, what fun. As always we provide ample down time for young people to truly connect to nature around them, themselves and each other, fostering a deep love and appreciation for the natural world and life itself, and highlighting the importance of being a part of an all-inclusive community.

Spring has sprung and the fruit trees are in blossom, the wattles yellow blooms can be seen far and wide along the river and distant mountain valleys and happiness is in the air at Wollangarra! Thanks once again for all the support from GlobalGiving which helps us make this magic possible!

May 2022 update by Kay Weltz, Director Wollangarra

The first few months of this year were focused on training up our new Staff team for 2022. We have four very enthusiastic and capable individuals at our side this year and they have been put through some amazing training, including bronze medallion, a 4WD courses qualification, communication skills, hike training and program training, Wilderness First Aid qualifications and a new Bushwalking qualification tailored specifically for Wollangarra Outdoor Leaders. Everyone learned a lot and had a lot of fun!

Since then our Staff have competently lead 5 programs and run a number of community events at Wollangarra. All programs, including school and holiday programs, went smoothly and we managed to get ~350 young people into the mountains and introduce them to the simple and beautiful ways of living! We have had teams working in the garden, making jams and chutneys and passata at Fruitbottling/Labour Day weekend to take out on hike, chopping wood, and helping with general property maintenance and sustainability. The new composting toilet was finished, we welcomed some new sheep onto the property and the garden is doing well!

With life at Wollangarra returning somewhat to normal after all the changes the Covid Pandemic brought over the last few years, it has been wonderful having so many young people and community members back at Wollangarra - there have been many cups of tea with locals in Heyfield and catching up with local community wherever possible. Additionally, there is a new little Wollie on the flats, as the current Directors welcomed their second son, South, into the world on the 5th of May. Everyone is in high spirits after the first few months of this year and as winter settles in, we all look forward to some more excellent programs and upcoming community events (Wood Chop in June) at beautiful Wollangarra! Thank you to all the support from GlobalGiving which has allowed us to get to where we are now – back in the full swing of things and doing what we love for the future of our young people and planet!