Youth environment leaders are being asked to nominate for two new awards, which were added in their honour for the first time this year by a local awards program.
The 2026 Noosa Biosphere Awards now includes a $500 Emerging Custodian Award and a $2,000 School or Class Biosphere Custodian Award. Both awards are sponsored by the Noosa Community Foundation.
The former will recognise a school-aged individual demonstrating leadership, initiative and care for people, place and the environment.
The latter will recognise a school, class or home school group whose project has embodied UNESCO Man and the Biosphere values and delivered positive outcomes for the Noosa Biosphere Reserve.
The awards program includes five other categories: the Environmental Steward Award, recognising individuals over school age for leadership and long-term contribution; the Thriving Nature Award, for biodiversity and ecosystem projects; the Smart Biosphere Award, for innovative projects delivering environmental or social outcomes; the Social Impact Award, for initiatives strengthening community wellbeing and inclusion; and the Sustainable Business Award, recognising sustainable business practices delivering environmental, social and economic benefits.
Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation (NBRF) general manager Anna Macklin said the awards continued to highlight the people and organisations working towards a more sustainable future for the region.
“Every year the awards remind us just how much passion and effort goes into looking after this place we call home,” she said.
“Introducing the Emerging Custodian Award and the School or Class Biosphere Custodian Award felt like a natural next step – our young people are going to inherit the responsibility of caring for this biosphere, and many of them are already stepping up.
“We want to back that with real recognition and real support, and we’re grateful to the Noosa Community Foundation for helping us do that.”
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NBRF youth representative Jarrah Small said the new categories would give young people a platform to showcase their environmental work.
“Young people in Noosa are already doing incredible things for our environment – and these awards are a great way for them to get the recognition they deserve,” Ms Small said.
“These two new categories are a chance to put a spotlight on their work, whether it’s one student leading a project on their own or a whole class getting behind something that makes a real difference.”
The Noosa Biosphere Awards are an NBRF initiative and supported by Noosa Council.
Entries close September 21. Finalists will be announced in early October, with winners announced at an awards ceremony November 12.
