Congratulations to Sunshine Coast Biosphere Awards finalists

It’s time to celebrate our region’s leaders driving positive change, as finalists are announced for the Sunshine Coast Biosphere Awards 2026.

The awards recognise individuals, organisations and businesses creating lasting impact across our UNESCO Biosphere Reserve through innovation, collaboration and stewardship.

Finalists in every category highlight initiatives that strengthen community connection, protect the environment, champion sustainable business and inspire future generations.

The Sunshine Coast Biosphere Awards showcase the region’s commitment to sustainability and collective action at a local and global scale.

Congratulations to all finalists! We look forward to recognising your achievements at the Sunshine Coast Biosphere Awards ceremony on 26 June.

Biosphere Ambassador – sponsored by Channel 7

Fien Van den Steen

Fien Van den Steen is a sustainability champion, driving impact from local to global scale with initiatives such as Earth Charter and the United Nations Association of Australia. Co-founding the Upskilling Sustainability initiative, advancing education, advocacy and social entrepreneurship, Fien inspires students, professionals and community to be part of impactful solutions to sustainability challenges.

Ingrid Devlon 

Ingrid Devlon champions nature-based health. As a registered nurse and a member of the Therapeutic Horticulture Australia, she combines her passions to create healing garden spaces that foster connection, wellbeing and inclusion. From launching a palliative care program to accessible community gardens, she inspires others to nurture nature and each other, reaching thousands through advocacy, education and a vision for nature-based care and collective resilience.

Kerry Neill 

Kerry Neill leads the activation of Hope Dreaming Centre, creating inclusive, culturally grounded programs that connect community to Country. Through school programs, cultural workshops and community events, he empowers others, strengthens cultural understanding and builds a more resilient local community.

Dr Leah Barclay

Dr Leah Barclay champions biosphere reserve values through innovative projects like Marine Ecoacoustics and Taste the Biosphere, connecting communities to nature through sound, science, and creativity. By generating new biodiversity data, hosting global collaborations and inspiring businesses and researchers, she fosters stewardship, amplifies conservation impact, and reimagines how people experience and value the biosphere.

Dr Leon Stensholm

Dr Leon Stensholm champions biosphere reserve values through Lookout07, a youth sanctuary fostering inclusion, wellbeing and connection. Following the loss of his brother and four clients to suicide, he created a safe space offering free fitness, mentoring, and mental health support. Reaching 18,500 young people, he builds resilience, pathways to employment, and community collaboration. Through Lookout07, Leon inspires hope and belonging.

Rising Biosphere Star – sponsored by Sea Fm and Mix FM

Aisling Jones

Aisling is empowering connection through horse trail riding, Scouts and community service. By leading inclusive riding experiences, preserving Lighthorse traditions and promoting gentle horsemanship, she inspires others to build confidence, wellbeing and connection while creating new opportunities for youth engagement and leadership.

Lincoln Knight

Lincoln is a driven young changemaker leading and growing the STUFFit Student Film Festival. As Festival Director, he empowers students to develop creative, technical and event management skills while connecting young filmmakers with industry opportunities. Through leadership and innovation, Lincoln inspires youth to pursue creative pathways and build confidence, purpose and real-world experience. Students have gone on to gain employment with local companies such as QuEvents, White House International and Horizon Festival.

Nate Nelson

Nate is dedicated to supporting inclusive education through fundraising, advocacy, and volunteering for STEPS Pathways College. Through long-distance fundraising walks, community engagement and school leadership, he raises awareness and inspires others to give back. As the first STEPS Ambassador, Nate is building connections, empowering students with disabilities, and helping create pathways to thriving futures.

Tali Szudrich

At 9 years old, Tali is leading community connection through her CANGIVE initiative. Dedicated to tackling hunger, she drives canned food donations and support for those in need. Through her leadership, the CANGIVE initiative is growing its impact each year, as Tali inspires other young people and demonstrates that even small ideas can create meaningful, lasting impact.

Taylor Ladd-Hudson

Taylor is a passionate changemaker inspiring ocean stewardship through education, advocacy, citizen science and hands-on conservation. By sharing real wildlife rescue experiences, leading youth engagement, and promoting “shark smart” awareness, Taylor empowers young people to replace fear with understanding and protect the marine ecosystems and wildlife they grow up alongside. That education is also influencing decision-makers, with Taylor invited to speak in Queensland Parliament on humane shark management.

Biosphere Business Leader – sponsored by Unitywater

Jam Espresso

Jam Espresso has embedded sustainability into its core operations by eliminating single-use cups and implementing a circular reuse model through the Good Cup System at the UniSC Arena café. In the first day they eliminated 150 cups from landfill with over 4,500 single use cups They are proving that a closed loop reuse system can be implemented within the hospitality industry by engaging with customers and driving behavioural change, proving circular models can succeed at scale.

Little Ones Coolum

Little Ones Coolum is a community-driven business championing circular retail for families. By making preloved children’s items accessible through a simple exchange model, they reduce waste, build customer loyalty and encourage sustainable habits. They are keeping quality goods in use, supporting local families and embedding practical sustainability into the way people shop.

Sunshine Coast Grammar School

Sunshine Coast Grammar School is a values-driven leader embedding sustainability across education, operations and community. Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, student-led initiatives and partnerships foster environmental action, social responsibility and leadership. This whole-school approach builds strong community connections, empowers future changemakers, and reinforces a culture of purpose, resilience, and global citizenship.

Waste Free Systems

Waste Free Systems is a sustainability leader helping small businesses reduce waste through simple, practical solutions. Their comprehensive hair salon recycling program diverts over 90 per cent of waste from landfill while supporting circular economy outcomes. By making sustainability accessible and achievements measurable through their real-time ECO Profile dashboard, they empower businesses to operate responsibly and strengthen community-driven environmental impact.

Zest Element and Harvest ResQ

Zest Element is redefining sustainability by transforming surplus produce into high-value, shelf-stable ingredients. By partnering with growers and innovating on-farm solutions like Harvest ResQ, they reduce food waste while creating new revenue streams, proving that circular, zero-waste approaches can deliver both environmental impact and scalable commercial value across the food system. You will start to see these products appearing in a major grocery store from August 2026.

Community Connection – sponsored by My Weekly Preview and Sunshine Coast News

Bamboo Projects

Bamboo Projects delivers inclusive, community-led experiences that foster connection, belonging and shared purpose. From accessible clean-ups to all-abilities boat trips and inclusive employment initiatives, they create opportunities for everyone to participate, build relationships and feel valued, strengthening social bonds and empowering individuals across communities on the Sunshine Coast.

Connect Rugby League and The Lavender Sky Foundation 

Connect Rugby League and the Lavender Sky Foundation bring communities together through co-designed, inclusive sport experiences. Through Social Impact Days, Breaking Down Barriers events, and Queensland’s first All Abilities Rugby League Academy, they create safe, welcoming spaces for people of all abilities to build connection and understanding, strengthening belonging across players, families, clubs and the wider community.

ECOllaboration Ltd

Ecollaboration brings people and nature together through hands-on learning, shared experiences and community action. From inclusive traineeships to citizen science programs and local workshops, they create opportunities for connection, collaboration and belonging. By engaging participants, Ecollaboration strengthens social networks, builds confidence and nurtures a community united by purpose and care.

Our Mate-Ship Limited

Our Mate-Ship Limited creates connection-led wellbeing experiences for veterans, emergency services personnel and their families. Through small-group boating adventures, Mate-Shed workshops and immersive retreats, participants build trust, friendships and purpose. Removing barriers to access, Our Mate-Ship fosters belonging, reduces isolation and empowers individuals to support one another and strengthen resilience.

Rise & Thrive Co

Rise & Thrive Co creates safe, honest spaces where young people and their communities connect, feel heard and build stronger relationships. Through No Filters Needed and Generation Connect, they foster open conversations, bridge generational gaps and empower individuals to support one another, reducing isolation and strengthening a genuine sense of belonging within schools and communities.

Healthy Planet  – sponsored by Australia Zoo

Bamboo Projects

Bamboo Projects actively protects waterways through large-scale debris removal and restoration, extracting nearly 90 tonnes of waste while restoring vital mangrove and estuarine habitats. Through citizen science, inclusive programs and over 1,800 volunteers, they inspire community action, reduce pollution at its source and drive lasting environmental stewardship across the Sunshine Coast.

ECOllaboration Ltd

ECOllaboration actively protects waterways through PlatyTracker, empowering volunteers to monitor platypus populations and restore habitats. With 95 volunteers delivering 450+ surveys and planting along creeks, they generate vital data and inspire community stewardship, transforming local passion into measurable conservation action that strengthens biodiversity, informs planning and reconnects people with their ecosystems.

Eco Villages Australia

Eco Villages Australia restores degraded land through immersive community living, engaging 85 volunteers in 2,500 hours of conservation work. At Maleny,  invasive weeds are being rapidly controlled, transforming ecosystems. Their hands-on model inspires participants to adopt sustainable lifestyles, empowering them to replicate restoration initiatives and champion environmental stewardship globally.

Ian Webster and Di Lanskey

Ian Webster and Di Lanskey actively protect and restore our natural environment by restoring 12.9 hectares into thriving forest, planting over 38,000 native trees and creating vital wildlife corridors. Their hands-on stewardship improves water quality, protects biodiversity and inspires others. Through collaboration, innovation and long-term commitment, they are regenerating landscapes and strengthening resilient, connected ecosystems.

University of the Sunshine Coast - SEQ Bull Shark Research Program

The SEQ Bull Shark Research Program, led by UniSC, actively protects estuarine ecosystems through non‑lethal research tracking over 100 sharks and identifying critical nursery habitats. By informing planning, achieving  International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognition, and engaging communities, it inspires science‑based conservation, empowering stakeholders and future researchers to protect vital waterways and biodiversity.

Knowledge Innovator – sponsored by University of the Sunshine Coast

Daniel Munday | Franknstein Pty Ltd

Dan Munday inspires young changemakers through Kangamoo and the NOT NEW Crew, using storytelling, creativity and hands-on learning to reframe waste. By engaging children in reusing and repurposing everyday items, he builds confidence, sparks imagination and empowers families to adopt sustainable habits that extend beyond play into everyday life.

Emily Rose Boyd | Growing Together 

Emily co-leads Growing Together, an intergenerational program connecting students from Immanuel Lutheran College with aged care residents at Immanuel Gardens Aged Care through gardening and shared learning. Engaging over 40 students and 50 aged care residents, the program fosters connection, builds skills and inspires participants of all ages to recognise their ability to create positive change within their community.

Kerry Neill | TribalLink

Kerry Neill leads innovative cultural education through TribalLink, delivering immersive, on-Country learning that integrates First Nations knowledge with environmental practices. Engaging over 5,000 participants, Kerry inspires respect for Country, builds cultural understanding, and empowers communities to apply sustainable practices. It's about fostering stewardship, connection and meaningful action through hands-on, intergenerational learning experiences.

Reef Check Australia

Reef Check Australia empowers community-led ocean stewardship through hands-on citizen science, education and action. By training volunteers to monitor reef health and lead clean-ups, they turn data into impact, engaging thousands locally. They inspire lasting connections to marine ecosystems and equip people to actively protect the Sunshine Coast’s reefs.

Dr Sarah Pye

Dr Sarah Pye advances conservation education through storytelling, research and immersive learning. Through her book Curious Kai Asks Why and engaging school workshops, she connects young people with real scientists, sparks curiosity about wildlife and empowers students to take action. Her actions foster environmental stewardship, creativity and a deeper understanding of the natural world.

Froggie Award – supported by Sunshine Coast Environment Council

Bamboo Projects

Bamboo Projects delivers environmental sustainability through large-scale marine debris removal and recycling initiatives, extracting nearly 90 tonnes of waste and restoring critical estuarine habitats. Engaging over 1,800 volunteers and inclusive employment programs, they inspire lasting behaviour change, empower communities through citizen science, and drive collective action to protect and sustain healthy waterways.

ECOllaboration

ECOllaboration delivers environmental sustainability through traineeships, citizen science, and community action, connecting people with nature. Programs like PlatyTracker, marine debris clean-ups, and conservation training achieve measurable outcomes in employment, habitat protection, and data collection. By empowering participants, they inspire lasting stewardship, all while strengthening community resilience, wellbeing and a shared commitment to protecting natural ecosystems.

Ian Webster and Di Lanskey

Ian Webster and Di Lanskey are champions of conservation, restoring 12.9 hectares through planting 38,000 native trees, eradicating invasive species, and creating vital wildlife corridors. Their innovative, collaborative approach improves water quality and biodiversity while inspiring landholders through education, partnerships, and on-ground demonstrations. They are fostering long-term stewardship and resilient, connected ecosystems across the region.

Kerry Neill | TribalLink

TribalLink delivers environmental sustainability through culturally grounded programs connecting over 5,000 participants to Country. Led by Kerry Neill, it integrates First Nations knowledge, hands-on learning, and partnerships to teach sustainable practices. By fostering respect, cultural awareness, and stewardship, TribalLink inspires communities to actively protect ecosystems and strengthen resilience for future generations.

Dr Leah Barclay

Dr Leah Barclay is a leader in conservation, blending science, creativity, and technology to connect communities with the biosphere. Through Marine Ecoacoustics, Taste the Biosphere, and global collaborations, she contributes to biodiversity research, inspires stewardship and amplifies impact. Locally and internationally, she empowers people and industries to embrace environmental action.