The Friends and Residents of Goulburn Swamplands (FROGS) hosted the students, who were part of the International Volunteers for Peace Movement.

FROGS president Ray Shiel took them on a guided tour of the wetlands, outlining the project’s structure and progress over the past seven years.

Then it was time to join the volunteers for a spot of morning tea before getting hands on experience with planting trees and weeding.

“Working alongside these young people and hearing about their studies and lifestyles was fantastic,” FROGS landcare volunteer Roslyn Thomson said.

“They live in high rise buildings and densely populated areas and have to work and study hard.”

The students were studying a wide range of subjects from sustainable high rise building design without air-conditioning to medical research, finance and business.

Mr Shiel said the International Volunteers for Peace Movement was looking at opening an office in Goulburn.

They run workshops to encourage understanding among different people and to promote discussion and appreciation of the challenges communities face in their struggles for social issues and sustainability. This is designed to break down barriers and prejudices between nations and establish paths to peace.

Each year groups around the world visit other countries to experience the culture as part of their studies.

This was not their first visit to the district.

“Visiting members have also been involved in environmental projects at Taralga over the past few years,” one of the organisers, Stephen Horn, said.

“They have refurbished part of the Stonequarry cemetery and worked along the Woolshed Creek.”

While in this area they will also visit Canberra and spend time in Sydney.