“I helped build a sustainable garden at my school as part of my Youth Environment Council project. I started by organising a national tree day in 2019, where students and staff at my school gathered and planted trees, fruit trees and native plants in the garden. Our garden now includes 13 fruit trees, six garden beds, four compost bins and a lot of native plants. The garden also includes two benches, both of which are made from recycled plastic. Future plans for this garden include adding the garden into the school curriculum and putting in a recycled water irrigation system. This garden will provide fresh vegetables and fruits to my school in the future. I am very happy to work in this garden as part of my youth environment council project.” Sharif Noorzai, Student and Member of the SA Youth Environment Council.

Sharif Noorzai is an 18-year-old student from Salisbury East High School and a member of the SA Youth Environment Council (YEC), as well as a mentor and support for other students in his school’s student leadership group, and the SA Youth Parliament.

In 2018, Sharif began a garden project at his school to reinvigorating a patch of garden overrun by weeds. The garden project has been running ever since and continues to grow today. Sharif then formed a sustainability group with other students for 2 years, to help maintain and promote the garden and has led the expansion of the area to include more herbs, vegetables and fruit trees.