Hayley Charlton-Howard

Youth Leadership Council Member

Hayley Charlton-Howard is a 20-year-old Science student at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Here she is hoping to major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, with a side focus of Zoology, Marine Biology, and Environmental Politics.

Living near Port Phillip Bay for most of her life, Hayley developed a passion for marine biology and environmental conservation from a very young age, which has shaped much of her world view. Her passions brought her to the Youth at the Zoo program in Melbourne, where she has helped conservation campaigns and education programs, and was chosen to present at the annual Zoos Victoria ‘Hall of Fame’ gala awards evening.

Always seeking to make a difference in global environmental conservation, she has travelled to the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia to kickstart a grassroots turtle conservation program. She has also travelled abroad for study; taking an overseas semester at McGill University in Canada where she helped with polar bear microbiology research.

Additionally, her passion for Port Phillip Bay and marine biology led her to the Marine Mammal Foundation, where she is currently helping to develop the new youth program Marine Champions; a program designed to empower young people through leadership and learning opportunities, in the hope they will develop their own conservation campaigns and help make a difference in their communities.

Her environmental conservation efforts were eventually recognised in the 2017 Margaret Andrews Memorial Prize for leadership and citizenship.

She is greatly looking forward to the opportunity to be on the Earth Echo Youth Leadership Council and is honoured to be working with the other incredible council members.