Our Coastal Ambassadors Program provides an educational experience to about 50 Adelaidians every year, to encourage conservation and advocacy.
A Coastal Ambassador can be anyone who wants to learn as much as they can about our coast and marine environment, and are driven to spread the word about and help protect it.
The program offers 2 separate courses – one for youth and the other for adults – to community members who are passionate about protecting and conserving Adelaide’s stunning coastlines and marine life.
Our Coastal Ambassador program for adults offers training, mentoring and interactive field trips to educate and inspire individuals about our coast and marine environments, and what can be done to help conserve them.
The program is open to anyone living in metropolitan Adelaide who is aged 18 years or above, and is free for participants.
Applications for our 2026 Coastal Ambassadors program for adults are now closed. Find out more about the program below.
The Youth Coastal Ambassador program is for young people in Year 8 or 9 to gain practical training, resources and guidance to learn about our local coast and marine environments.
Stay tuned about future intakes by subscribing to the Green Adelaide newsletter, or following us on Facebook and Instagram.
The 2026 Coastal Ambassadors Program for adults will begin on 1 February.
This free 7-week program gives 18 participants the opportunity to learn and be inspired about our local coast and marine environments.
Participants will attend workshops and hear from experts, and be immersed in these precious environments on field trips.
The program is led and coordinated by Dr Mike Bossley who has been engaged in research, conservation and education for the past 50 years.
It runs over 7 Sundays and covers:
Applications for the 2026 program are now closed. If you have applied to take part, you will find out if you have made it into the program by Monday 8 December.
The 2026 Coastal Ambassadors Program for adults runs over 7 weeks on Sundays, beginning on Sunday 1 February.
Participants must be available to attend all sessions of the program, which are held at locations along Adelaide’s coast, ranging from St Kilda to Sellicks Beach.
| Date and time | Venue | Topics |
| Sunday 1 February, 10 am to 4.30 pm | Seacliff | Course overview and temperate marine ecology. Greeting to Country – “Spirit of Place” ceremony with Karl Winda Telfer |
| Sunday 8 February, 10 am to 4.30 pm | Port Adelaide | Dolphins in the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. Kayak tour of Angas Inlet. Tirkandi – Country, Culture, Connection |
| Sunday 15 February, 9.30 am to 4.30 pm | Port Noarlunga | Marine life in Adelaide. Tirkandi – Country, Culture, Connection |
| Sunday 22 February, 10 am to 4.30 pm | Tennyson | The ecology of Adelaide’s beaches, includes coastal vegetation field trip. Tirkandi – Country, Culture, Connection |
| Sunday 1 March, 10 am to 5 pm | St Kilda | Pelicans, resident and migratory shorebirds, mangroves and salt marshes. |
| Sunday 15 March, 10 am to 5 pm | Sellicks Beach | Living Cultural Landscapes – Land, Sea and Sky Country with Karl Winda Telfer |
| Sunday 22 March, 5 pm to 9 pm | Glenelg | Course review |
Please note that running times may vary slightly.
The Coastal Ambassador program is offered by Green Adelaide and facilitated by Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s Dr Mike Bossley and Tirkandi – Country, Culture, Connection with Burka-Senior Man Karl Winda Telfer.
If you have any questions about the program, contact Coastal Ambassador program coordinator Kristy Watson.