Will Frederick and Aurelia Parsley at the Wentworth Falls Station. (Photo: Quintin Handley)
Story by Quintin Handley
Aurelia and Will, two inspiring local teenagers, are making a difference in their community by volunteering with the Wentworth Falls Rural Fire Brigade. Learn more about their motivations and how you can get involved.
Key Points:
The number of young people in the RFS is steadily growing over time, according to members themselves.
The next generation of up and coming rural firefighters in Wentworth Falls are encouraging others to sign up to their local brigades.
Aurelia Parsley and Will Frederick are two otherwise regular local teenagers in their final year of High School, the kind you might grumble at for being loud on public transport. Aurelia hopes to study Agricultural Sciences at university, and volunteers at Taronga Zoo during the school holidays, and Will Frederick plans to join the army after school. But by night, on the weekends, and during their summer holidays, they are training to stand between your homes, lives, and property, and the devastation of bushfires.
The pair are just two of the many local volunteers in the Wentworth Falls Rural Fire Service Brigade.
Fire is not the only experience in the RFS however, and as Aurelia pointed out, it’s a close knit community of friends: “Sometimes it’s like a second family to me.” She stresses that though there is some danger, there is also excitement, opportunities for personal growth, and the fulfilling knowledge that you are doing something for the sake of your community that is both vital and difficult, and possibly even directly saving the lives and livelihoods of fellow locals.
“I one hundred per cent absolutely recommend it to anyone with an interest in helping others,” says Aurelia of joining the RFS, adding that they are ready to take more people on, and that the RFS as a whole has been experiencing a large influx of young volunteers in recent years. Anyone older than 16 is free to join up and, with parental permission, get out fighting fires once their basic training has been completed. Those older than twelve can serve in auxiliary roles away from danger.
Will Frederick said he found the RFS to be very welcoming and friendly, and that it was “definitely a good eye opener for those interested in jobs serving the community.”
Will Frederick working on one of the fire trucks kept at the Wentworth Falls Brigade. (Photo: Tim Parsley)
Aurelia officially joined up in 2018 at the age of 12, but told us that she had already been heavily involved in the community through her father Tim Parsley, who is captain of the brigade. “Growing up it was always a thing I was surrounded by. My parents were the inspiration really,” she said of her motivation to join. She explained that the process for joining is very simple, and that an online form followed by an in-person interview forms the bulk of the process.
Will said he joined “to help my community. Living in a bushfire-prone area, that gave me the urge to join, especially after the 2019/20 bushfire season.” The process started early this year after he participated in work experience for the Katoomba Fire Control Centre, where he was encouraged to volunteer for the RFS by the employees.
Left: Aurelia suiting up in RFS operational gear. Right: Aurelia Parsley and another RFS member during vehicle fire-fighting training. (Photo: Tim Parsley)
Aurelia gave us a description of the first fire she ever fought in the RFS at the age of 17: “My first fire was way down Westbourne Avenue in Wentworth Falls. It was my first time going to a fire in a truck and it was lights and sirens all the way there, really cool. The fire had started up a hill and was creeping down into a valley, so we were just chasing this fire with our hoses. It was a hard day, but a really fun one for a first time. Before you’re 16 it’s hard, wanting to go out and not being able to, but that day was great.”
Of the work in the RFS both said they found it adaptable and fun. “Training is pretty flexible, usually once a week. You’re always accommodated,” said Will. The time it takes to complete basic training and being able to get out and actually fight fires depends on the dates at which the course exams are held and the amount of time you are willing to spend each week to get towards that goal, but Aurelia estimated that on average it would usually take no longer than six months.
During that time the volunteer can assist in maintenance and auxiliary roles such as clearing fire trails in preparation for hazard reduction burning. As for responding to fires after basic training is complete, Aurelia said that “generally call-out is only if you’re already at the station, for routine fires we’re usually called when it’s near lookouts, deep in the bush, etc.”
There are 22 brigades throughout the Mountains which young prospective volunteers may consider joining, so there is sure to be one near you. Interested persons may apply through the RFS website, or by contacting the brigade they wish to join directly. Links are provided at the end of this article.
Statewide the RFS has more than 70,000 volunteers, which makes it larger than the entirety of the ADF. Though the role carries a deal of responsibility, as Aurelia said it takes “some courage – and a lot of resilience,” the brigade is a warm and welcoming community eager to teach those with the will to learn and the heart to serve.
Aurelia Parsley using the fire hose during an operation. (Photo: Tim Parsley)
Take Action:
Join up! All brigades are constantly looking for new members. The details of all 22 brigades in the Blue Mountains can be found here
If you don’t wish to join up or can’t join, but still want to support those protecting you and your family from bushfires, secure donations can be made to the RFS online here
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Join Andris Heks, Yogic Psychotherapist, winner Best Actor, Blue Mountains, for his workshop to laugh as you never laughed before, as part of a movement to globalise people-bonding cheerfulness through kookaburra laughter contagion as an antidote to distressing world divisiveness.
Purchase your ticket here: https://events.humanitix.com/kookaburra-laughter-workshop
View the trailer and the GoFundMe page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/globalise-unconditional-love-through-kookaburra-laughter
Key event information: - When? 10:15AM - 2:30PM, Sunday 4 October 2026 (1st day of Daylight Saving - 1 hour forward) - Where? Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, 33-39 Acacia St, Katoomba, NSW, 2780 - Fee? $60 or what you can afford - Note: please bring your own lunch
What to expect: - Learn how to stay cheerful for good - Learning the funny, human emulated, communal kookaburra laughter and meditation - How communal kookaburra laughter promotes bonding even amongst strangers - The awesome native treasure of the laughing kookaburra phenomenon - Why Kookaburra Yoga is the ‘most excellent of Yogas` - How communal kookaburra laughter contagion boosts the subtle and gross national product - How you could contribute to the kookaburra laughter contagion
This event is supported by Blue Mountains Planetary Health.
Purchase your ticket here: https://events.humanitix.com/kookaburra-laughter-workshop...
Come along to the Planetary Health Centre this Saturday for the next Skill Share Saturdays event!
This weekend`s agenda:
8:30AM - 10AM | Learn how to use your sewing machine class with Sherlie McMillan
8:30AM | Planetary Health Cafe open, serving Good Fat Pastry and Whisk and Pin
9AM - 10AM | Tai Chi and Qigong class with Virginia Field
10AM - 12PM | Learn how to grow WITH the Upper Blue Mountain permaculture workshop with Leni from Alchemy Farms
10AM - 3PM | Fashion Upcycling Workshop with Sherlie McMillan
10:30AM - 12PM | Learn to make focaccia from scratch with Laura Zucchetti (no experience needed)
1:30PM - 4:30PM | Planetary Health Bushcare with Karen Hising
For more information and to purchase a ticket, please visit the website: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre...
Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026
📣HEADLINE SPEAKER📣
Our headline speaker is Julian Cribb AM – a renowned Australian science writer, journalist and author who has spent more than 50 years communicating science, agriculture, climate and global sustainability issues. He is the author of several influential books, including The Coming Famine (2010), Food or War (2019) and How to Fix a Broken Planet (2023), which explore the future of food systems, planetary health and humanity`s long-term survival.
He is widely recognised as one of Australia`s leading voices on global food security and sustainable development.
To register for his talk, and view the rest of the program, visit the website: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair...
At our next Skill Share Saturdays event on Saturday 5th September, join Laura Zucchetti at 10:30am to learn how to make focaccia from scratch!
Come along for a 90 min class where you`ll mix, rest and stretch your own focaccia dough from start to finish, guided every step of the way. You’ll take home your dough to bake on the day in your own oven.
Sign up to this session, and view the other offerings on the day via this link: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre...
Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026
We are pleased to announce that the program and registration for Plate to Planet: Blue Mountains Food Security Fair 2026 is now live!
Follow this link to view the program and register your place: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair
Key information:
When? Saturday 10 October, 9AM - 4PM
Where? Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba
Who is it for? Families, gardeners, enthusiasts, community groups and businesses, anyone looking to learn about how to be more resilient through local and sustainable food systems.
What to expect? Talks, workshops, demos, market stalls, family activities, music, food
Is there a cost? Entry to the Fair and Markets is free. Talks and workshops are ticketed (both free and paid) and have limited capacity, so please register in advance.
Program highlights:
🌏Headline talk: The age of renewable Food – Julian Cribb AM 🎋Wild edibles foraging workshops – Diego Bonetto, Eat More Weeds 🏞️The importance of bioregions in uncertain times – Rowe Morrow, Permaculture Matters 🥒Home canning and food preservation workshop – Kirsty Berté, Permaculture Hawkesbury Valley 🏡Designing your own Permaculture Property – Leni Nyssen, Alchemy Farms 🍃Utilising what’s in front of you – Uncle Lex, The Ganya Shed 🪱How to worm farm - BMCC 🎸Live music by Olivia Dustmann 🌾Community crop and seed swap
Tickets are limited so please register your place now: https://events.humanitix.com/blue-mountains-2026-food-security-fair
We are also seeking stallholders for the event. If you are a grower, retailer, community organisation or business that would like to get involved, please reach out to [email protected]!...
Thank you to everyone that joined us at the Planetary Health Centre on Saturday for the first of our Skill Share Saturdays program!
The Centre was a hive of activity all day, and we heard from @alchemyfarms_permaculture, the @ediblegardentrailbluemountains team and Andy Mann. Also thanks to Sherlie McMillan from Greater Blue Mountains Rotary for teaching the Fashion Upcycling workshop, and Virginia Field for the Tai Chi and Qigong class.
The next event will be held on Saturday 1st August - you can register your place here: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre
🖐Get involved!
Do you have a skill, program or interest that promotes planetary health that you`d be willing to share with members of the local community? We are looking for more workshop and session hosts for our future events.
Join us at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba on the first Saturday of every month for Skill Share Saturdays!
Our July program includes: - What to grow in a Blue Mountains climate - Eating for Earth - Tai Chi and Qigong - Fashion upcycling and clothing reuse workshop - How to get involved with the Edible Garden Trail
You are also welcome to bring any surplus seeds or produce for our Crop Swap, or wind down in the Planetary Health Cafe (until 2pm).
If you have a skill that you want to share, or any questions or queries, please contact [email protected]
Visit the website to view the full program of events and register your place.
Join Andy Mann, a 23 year old Lawson local, for their Eating for Earth session 🌏
Eating for Earth is a judgement-free plant-based educational workshop that all types of eaters are encouraged to attend. There will be a presentation about the environmental impact of diets, a discussion section, and best of all, food! The food will be fully plant-based.
Andy wants to help inform our passionate community about how we can better reduce dietary environmental impact.
The session will run from 11AM - 12PM on Saturday 4th July.
Other sessions include: - What to grow in a Blue Mountains Climate - Fashion Upcycling - Tai Chi and Qigong - Bushcare on the Planetary Health site - How to get involved with the Edible Garden Trail
To register your place, visit our website: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre...
We’re excited to announce the second Blue Mountains Food Security Fair, taking place in Katoomba in October 2026.
This annual event will bring together growers, thinkers, makers, and community members to explore one of the most important challenges of our time: how we grow, share, and sustain food in a changing world.
Across the weekend, we’ll be exploring themes including: - Healthy soil and regenerative systems - Food and human health - Plant-based food futures - Home and community food resilience - Water-sensitive and climate-adapted growing - Indigenous food knowledge and systems - School food systems - Australia’s food procurement - Global food security challenges Expect a dynamic program of inspiring speakers, practical workshops, and hands-on experiences designed to leave you informed, empowered, and connected.
Key information Date: Weekend of 10th October 2026 Location: Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre, Katoomba, NSW We’ll be announcing speakers and program details soon.
We are also inviting expressions of interest from individuals and organisations who would like to contribute to the program, host workshops, run a stall or partner with us.
Do you struggle making the most of your veggie garden all year round?
Join Leni from @alchemyfarms_permaculture on Saturday 4th July for her Permaculture Workshop: Learn how to grow WITH the Upper Blue Mountains seasons, rather than battling against them.
During the two-hour session, you`ll cover crop selection for different seasons, what to grow from seeds vs seedlings, frost and wind protection, and nurturing your soil with a seasonal cycle.
Register for this and other sessions as part of our Skill Share Saturdays program via this link: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre...
From Saturday 4 July, we are opening up the Planetary Health Centre for our monthly Skill Share Saturdays program: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre
Throughout each day, you can expect to find a variety of sessions focused on restoring the health of the planet, in terms of the environment, community and economy.
Sessions at the first event include:
- What to grow in a Blue Mountains climate - Plant-based eating - Tai Chi and Qigong - Fashion Upcycling and clothing reuse workshop
You are also welcome to bring any surplus seeds or produce for our Crop Swap, or wind down in the Planetary Health Cafe (until 2pm).
Visit the website to view the full program of events and register your place: https://events.humanitix.com/skill-share-saturdays-at-the-planetary-health-centre
Registrations essential.
We are also inviting expressions of interest from individuals and organisations who would like to contribute to the program - please reach out to [email protected] if you are interested!...
Quintin is a student studying history at the University of Sydney and a graduate of Penrith High School. He is currently writing for the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative’s Local News and wishes to pursue a career in journalism.
In Katoomba, a grassroots litter-picking group tackles rubbish before it reaches our water supply. Their story shows how local environmental action, fueled by community connection, can drive meaningful change for planetary health.
Support the Future of Solutions-Focused Neighbourhood News
