About Us

OUR mission is to create vibrant, sustainable and resilient regional communities.

We know that a healthy environment and connected communities are essential for this.

We deliver programs, events and resources to reduce waste, protect rivers, plant trees, increase wellbeing and encourage people into STEM.

  • waste

    We deliver waste and re-use projects to redirect waste from landfill and build skills towards a zero waste future.

  • rivers

    We deliver river health workshops and projects to collect citizen science data and educate communities about protecting rivers.

  • trees

    We coordinate tree planting projects and events to engage communities in revegetating the environment.

  • wellbeing

    We host walks, camps, events and groups to increase wellbeing - connecting people with nature and each other, building capacity, confidence and motivation.

  • Stem

    We deliver events that encourage people into stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) for our planet’s future. 

We employ and mentor

regional people

With a particular focus on regional young people and regional women.

What We do

how we work

  • We work across five interconnected and interdependent focus areas.

  • We align ourselves with the bigger picture.

  • We design action-focused programs.

  • We host experiential, inclusive events.

  • We build relationships with our participants, volunteers and partners.

  • We gather feedback, and actually listen to it.

  • We work with communities over a long period of time to achieve a deeper impact.

  • We create a share free resources.

Events

award-winning programs

Our programs and events have been recognised nationally and internationally.

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A team led by love for Planet Earth.

Our passionate and dedicated staff and volunteers are the heartbeat of OzGREEN.

They are fuelled by a drive to help foster positive change that supports the protection all life on Earth.

Join us

We define sustainability holistically

 We see sustainability as a balance of human, social, economic, and environmental vitality.

Objects

Our statement of objects guide us in all that we do.

  • To promote ecologically sustainable development in Australia and globally to achieve equity for present and future generations and preserve ecological integrity and biological diversity.

  • To alleviate poverty by providing assistance to communities who suffer from the effects of polluted water in developing countries.

  • To promote informed community participation in the management of water resources through the provision of environmental education, monitoring and training programs.

  • To assist communities to develop strategies and to implement the actions needed to protect and restore the environment.

  • To promote networking between groups involved in environmental education, protection and restoration activities.

  • To promote inter cultural communication and understanding.

  • To foster the awareness of the global context of local environmental issues.

  • To promote ideas and actions which will enhance peoples understanding of the interdependence of all life on Planet Earth.

  • To seek donations, sponsorships and grants in pursuance of the objects of the Association.

  • To produce and distribute environmental education resources in support of the objects of the Association.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF OZGREEN

Some highlights from our 30-year story…

  • 1990

    Freshwater High School science teacher, Sue Lennox, and her year nine students win a United Nations Media Peace Prize for their environmental river work at Curl Curl Lagoon.

  • 1992

    Sue Lennox and her husband Colin leave their jobs as teachers and establish OzGREEN with the intention of empowering and supporting young people to care for their local environment.

  • 1992 - 2007

    OzGREEN designs and develops a suite of award winning programs:

    • My River

    • Youth Lead

    • Youth Leading the World

  • 2008

    OzGREEN relocates from Sydney to Bellingen.

  • 2008 - 2015

    OzGREEN develops relationships with people and organisations on the North and Mid North Coast and continues to deliver its flagship programs.

  • 2015

    Following a mass mortality event that killed approximately 90% of the Bellinger River Snapping turtle population, OzGREEN works with government and other organisations to establish Bellingen Riverwatch, a citizen science water quality monitoring program.

  • 2016 - 2018

    OzGREEN continues to deliver Bellingen Riverwatch, but otherwise, beomes dormant while Sue Lennox grieves the sudden passing of her husband.

  • 2019

    Sue Lennox invites Anton Juodvalkis to become OzGREEN’s Chief Executive Officer.

  • 2020

    OzGREEN:

    • Pilots Resilient Communities, a community resilience program with 8 groups, involving 145 participants in Bellingen Shire.

    • Pilots a Riverbank Restoration program, planting 300 trees on the Bellinger River.

  • 2021

    OzGREEN:

    • Launches Bellingen Riverwatch’s macroinvertebrate monitoring program (requested by the turtle recovery team).

    • Delivers Resilient Communities in the Byron Shire.

    • Delivers MyRiver in Coffs Harbour.

    • Delivers Youth Leading the World camp in Dorrigo.

    • Delivers Changemakers as a follow up program to Youth Leading the World.

    • Delivers Food Resilience Vision for Bellingen Shire.

    • Pilots a range of Nature Connection events for adults.

  • 2022

    OzGREEN :

    • Expands its Resilient Communities program to Kempsey Shire, Nambucca Shire, Coffs Harbour, Clarence Valley, Kyogle Shire and Richmond Valley.

    • Partners with local psychologists to deliver a personal resilience program.

    • Launches Rethink Waste, initially focussed on single-use plastic and then expanding to many types of waste.

  • 2023

    OzGREEN:

    • Delivers its inaugral Thrive Festival in partnership with community.

    • Employs its second Youth Activities Coordinator.

    • Commences its Youth Inspiring Youth project.

    • Pilots a range of Nature Connection events for young people.

    • Pilots Campme, a wellbeing camp for young people.

    • Pilots waste workshops with schoo groups.

  • 2024

    OzGREEN:

    • Works with a vast number of community partners to launch Riveryouthfest, a youth-focused tree planting project at the Bellingen Skatepark.

    • Pilots myhive in Coffs Harbour.

    Anton Juodvalkis invites Kathleen Hannah and Amy Denshire to become OzGREEN’s Co-Chief Executive Officers.

Partner with Us

We partner with government, philanthropic, corporate and community organisations to create positive change in the world.

Contact Amy, our Co-CEO, to design a mutually beneficial partnership today.

Stay in the loop.