This week, we had the absolute joy of celebrating the 2025 Busselton Jetty Crew graduates! Eight incredible young people – Zahra, Abigail, Bronte, Drew, Ginger, Emma, Zac, and Sarah have completed a year packed full of learning, adventure, and personal growth. Family, supporters, donors, and Jetty staff came together at Shelter Brewing to cheer on the graduates and reflect on all they’ve achieved over the past year. The evening concluded with an inspiring send-off from Busselton Jetty’s Patron, Lyn Beazley AO, who encouraged the graduates to go forward into their next chapter with curiosity, kindness, and with an aim to make the world a better place every day, even if for just one other person.
The Busselton Jetty Environment Foundation’s Jetty Crew Program is designed to empower young people aged 16–18 to develop as leaders, build confidence, and become passionate advocates for our oceans and coastlines. Over the course of 2025, the Crew worked through a mix of interactive workshops, hands-on excursions, and real-world environmental projects – all while earning credit toward their WA Certificate of Education. Session highlights included planting over 500 native seedlings at the Ludlow Tuart Forest, presenting at a Busselton Jetty Members meeting, spotting Pygmy Blue and Humpback Whales on their annual migration, and running a community beach cleanup that removed over 18kg of marine debris from our coastline. The Crew will celebrate their program graduation by completing their Skippers and Open Water Dive Tickets.
Niamh, our Jetty Crew Coordinator, said it best at the graduation: “We’ve loved every minute of this year with the Crew. It’s a privilege to see these young leaders grow in confidence, tackle challenges, and support one another. Their energy, curiosity, and dedication have been inspiring.”
Celebrating Growth and Community
This year marked the 8th anniversary of the Jetty Crew Program, which has now graduated 58 young people since 2018. The program continues to evolve, offering new activities and challenges to help participants grow as confident leaders, coastal stewards, and community advocates.
Dr. Natasha Teakle, Chair of the Busselton Jetty Board, said, “Watching these young leaders grow in confidence is what this program is all about. They leave not only with new skills but with a deep sense of responsibility for our oceans and coastlines, becoming the future stewards of Busselton Jetty and its marine environment.”
The success of this year’s program wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of our local businesses – Bendigo Bank Busselton, Busselton Jetty Swim, The Goose, Innovation Cluster, O2 Marine, Peter May McAuliffe Legal, Shorewater Marine, and Tronox Inc. – as well as the support of a number of local experts that volunteered their time to deliver sessions.
Applications for the 2026 Jetty Crew are now open. If you’re aged 16–18 and want to gain leadership skills, hands-on marine experience, and make a real difference in your community, find out more and apply here: https://busseltonjetty.com.au/jetty-crew/
