Looking For A New Beginning?

Running around in the bush, often barefoot, was once a defining part of Australian childhood, helping children connect with nature and develop a lasting love for the outdoors. This connection was a core principle for how many children learned about their environment. In recent years, however, studies have shown a decline in this behaviour due to technological advances. As a result, children are now less likely to engage with nature or become involved in conservation efforts later in life.

Bernd (Ben) Braeuer is the founder of New Beginnings International. This non-profit charitable organisation is dedicated to bringing positive change to the lives of Australia’s most vulnerable young people, reducing antisocial behaviour among young people, and making communities safer and more liveable.

Ben developed his charity’s programs with a passion for conservation that began at the age of five. The programs primarily achieve this by focussing on wholesome community principles and getting children back outdoors, with the main aim of the programs to “create positive change and get children involved at an early age and interested enough… to either volunteer, go into further study or a career in marine conservation,” Ben explained.

New Beginnings first came to the Whitsundays in 2012 with their ‘Way of Community’ in-school Workshops, then again in 2025 with their ‘Youth Marine Conservation Program’ comprising three levels. Levels one and two cover basic and advanced theory on marine conservation, climate change, and career opportunities, with the level 2 lecture prepared by a Master of Zoology - Marine Biology and Cognition - from the University of Vienna, Austria while on holiday in Australia. Level three is the practical component, and this year’s consisted of beach clean-ups and reef activities, working with Tangaroa Blue/AMDI to record the data nationally. Ben explains this data, “In the end, creates changes in laws like banning plastic straws.”

“The success of our marine programme has just blown my mind.”

“The feedback from kids, parents, and teachers has been phenomenal,” he enthused.

The 2025 Whitsundays-based marine program began with 90 Level One students, with numbers narrowing to 25 by Levels Two and Three through a process of elimination, and the final exercise with four of these 90 students completing all mandatory activities and receiving a Certificate of Course Completion.

Ben believes education on conservation helps kids who may be struggling by giving them purpose and direction. He explains, “it’s a multiple effect,” because kids pass their knowledge on to “their parents, siblings and peer groups.”

He also highlights the simple actions that he teaches kids: “Take three for the sea… just pick up three things.” “If everyone were to do that, the impact would be phenomenal.”
Bernd stresses that people on land have a significant impact on the ocean: “It’s actually as much the people on the land that can have a significant impact.”

Coral surveys conducted by the group in November 2024 showed significant water cloudiness coming from land runoff, highlighting the need for greater awareness and action.

After the success of the 2025 program here, Ben intends to keep on running his Marine Conservation programs and conducting further reef surveys. He explains that being independent allows them to do things differently: “We’re independent, so we’re not locked into GBRMPA funded programmes.”
For further information on the charity’s programs, please see:

https://www.newbeginningsinternational.com
and,
https://www.facebook.com/NewBeginningsMarineProjects

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New Beginnings Marine Conservation Program. Photo supplied.

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