Giving Australian kids good quality, ongoing environmental education is one of the foremost priorities of leading environmental advocacy agencies.

While state and federal government environment departments have plenty of hands-on work to get done with regard to protecting and enhancing the natural environment, plenty of initiatives are undertaken each year at primary and high schools to inform younger generations about environmental care.

A range of programs is carried out, from information about waste management and how to plant trees, to advice on recycling and animal safety.

The organisations that work towards increasing the environmental education of young Australians differ from state to state, but collaborative partnerships between educators are often formed.

A good example of a successful environmental educator is the Victorian Association for Environmental Education, which has existed for 25 years and regularly produces textbooks.

In addition to the textbooks, the Victorian Association for Environmental Education runs hands-on training sessions suitable for sustainability educators.

In New South Wales, an Environmental Education Unit is incorporated into the Department of Education and Training.

Examples of good work carried out by this unit include the Sustainable Schools Project, which ran between 2002 and 2004 and sought to maximise the efficiency and sustainability of schools.