Julia is a youth advocate and ambassador, passionate about sustainability and climate activism. She works in the homelessness sector with at-risk and vulnerable young people, and is actively involved in outreach volunteering for street-frequenting youth.

As well as working for Youth Projects, Julia is also a youth worker for Minus18 and studying full-time.

She currently volunteers for Whitelion, City of Port Phillip’s Youth Services, Minus18, and the Victorian Greens. She is a member of the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) for City of Port Phillip, and has previously participated in Whitelion’s Youth Advocacy & Ambassador Program (YAAP). She also helps the St Kilda EcoCentre when they need a hand maintaining the penguin habitat at the pier, and organises regular community beach cleans.

She is an Environmentalist and Sustainability Lead at City of Port Phillip’s YAC, where the team is in the process of generating a resource that provides tips on low waste living and sustainable solutions. Whilst volunteering in the Youth Advisory Council, she has had the opportunity to plan and facilitate community events, such as the St Kilda Eco Fest in 2019.

In collaboration with City of Port Phillip’s YAC, Beach Patrol and Trash Bags on Tour, 17 volunteers collected a total of 18kg of rubbish from beach cleans in Torquay and St Kilda (in 4 hours). The rubbish that was collected was then turned into an interactive mandala, displayed at the St Kilda Eco Fest, by Julia Pieters and Victor Holder (Trashformers / 4Dverse Gallery). The artwork raised public awareness about ocean pollution and the impact of plastic waste on marine life.