AAEE National E-Bulletin

AAEE National February E-Bulletin 

Welcome to our first e-bulletin for 2013.  Unfortunately, the first month of the year has seen Australia experience severe weather conditions ranging from destructive fires to cyclonic conditions resulting in major flooding.   As we are now witnessing on our televisions the amazing community resilience in the re-building/cleaning up process, our thoughts are with those affected.  

AAEE UPDATES

Reminder AGM Monday 4 February

A Notice of AGM and Audit Reports was circulated to members on 16 January to inform everyone of a supplementary meeting to be held via teleconference.  If you would like to phone in, please read the attached information sheet which contains details of how to participate.

If you require any further information, please send an email to admin@aaee.org.au 

Birthday Celebrations

Late last year, members of the Environmental Education in Early Childhood Vic. Inc. (EEEC) enjoyed the 20th birthday celebrations at their conference day in September and AGM in November. This milestone will be featured in the February 2013 ozEEnews with a focus on Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

This year also marks 10 years since the AAEE EC SIG was established in 2003. 

Australian Sustainable Cities Award 2012  Keep Australia Beautiful

Congratulations to AAEE members who are involved in The City of Cockburn in Western Australia for winning the 2012 KAB  Australian Sustainable Cities Award and Merici College in the ACT for winning the Initiatives in Youth Engagement.

The announcements were made at the national awards ceremony on 29 November 2012. Read more 

Marrakech Bound

Any AAEE members heading off to the World Environmental Education Congress in Morocco this June?  Larraine Larri is going.

Some of you might know her through her evaluations of AuSSI and CarbonKids. She is the new Project Manager of the Skilling Educators for Sustainability Australia (SESA) project. Larraine will be presenting a poster session on SESA, and a paper on her experiences in EfS research and evaluation. She is keen to connect with AAEE members who are also planning to go. Getting there is not easy, the best way is going through Dubai to Casablanca, flying Emirates / Qantas. Larraine has found a wonderful travel agent who can help with travel arrangements. Contact Larraine at renshawhitchen@bigpond.com for more information and to plan meeting up in Marrakech. 

Free ticket for the Waste 2013 Conference Coffs Harbour, NSW 30 April – 2 May

AAEE is once again supporting the Coffs Harbour waste conference, and we have one free ‘full conference’ ticket to give away to a member. The conference is in Coffs Harbour, NSW on 30 April to 2 May www.impactenviro.com.au/waste2013.

The recipient of the free ticket must agree to write an article for ozEEnews sharing their experiences and learnings from the conference, and will be responsible for all additional costs (eg travel and accommodation). To apply, email project@aaeensw.org.au  by Friday 1 March with a Word document of maximum one page length (600 words) addressing the following three points:

•Relevance to your work (or study, volunteering roles etc)

•Need for financial assistance

•Ability to disseminate information and outcomes arising from the conference 

Webinar – Implementing Environmental Education for Sustainability (EEfS) through the Australian Curriculum in Queensland Schools

Saturday 16 March 2013 9am – 3.30pm

All teachers, environmental educators and principals interested in Environmental Education for Sustainability (EEfS) in Queensland Schools are invited to participate in a webinar aiming to:

• •          engage with EEfS professionals and practitioners in your regional setting;
• •          share regional EEfS efforts with others across the state;
• •          participate in a call to action; advocacy for EEfS coordination and communication at regional, state and national levels and
• •          engage with Graham Tupper (ACF) Manager of the AESA research project

To assist in the planning and implementation of the Webinar, we have created a coordinating committee who are meeting regularly via Skype.  If you would like to be involved in the organisation of this meeting, contact aaeeqld@gmail.com

RSVP: Email “AESA Webinar” (in subject line) to aaeeqld@gmail.com

We encourage you to forward this information to your networks.   For further information view aaeeqld.blogspot.com.au  

Queensland Chapter Seeking Volunteers!

The Qld team are looking for a member(s) who would like to take on the publications officer role which involves accepting contributions from our members and working with Jo and Miranda, creating a PDF newsletter to be distributed via email bimonthly.  We are also looking for a Treasurer (this only takes a couple of hours a month).

If you have skills you think could move our organisation forward, please volunteer by expressing interest via: aaeeqld@gmail.com 

AAEE West Australia Network Group

A meeting is held every month on the third Thursday from 4.00 to 5.30pm at the Canning River Eco Education Centre (CREEC). This provides an opportunity to keep in touch about the developments in Environmental Education in WA and to plan for joint projects with a diverse range of people. http://www.aaeewa.org.au/contact-us.html 

Would you like to review a book for the Australian Journal of Environmental Education (AJEE)?

If you are interested in reviewing one of the below books for the Australian Journal of Environmental Education please contact the Editor Assoc/Prof Amy Cutter-Mackenzie acutterm@scu.edu.au 

Reviewers are sent a copy of the book which of course is provided complementarily (and yours to keep).  Book reviews for the Journal tend to be around 800 – 1500 words.  We will require these book reviews in 2013 either by May (for Issue 1, 2013) or September (for Issue 2, 2013). For author/reviewer guidelines please see Journals at Cambridge 

Macmillan Masterclass – Teaching for Sustainability – Inquiry, values and action across the curriculum

Jillian Cupitt & Syd Smith (Macmillan Teacher Resource) 

Sustaining The Earth

G. Tyler Miller & Scott E. Spoolman (Cengage Advantage Books) 

Environmental Science

G. Tyler Miller & Scott E. Spoolman (Brook/Coles Cengage Learning) 

CONFERENCE ALERTS

National Education for Sustainability Conference (EfS) 7- 9 February, 2013

Australia’s first national EfS Conference on ‘Transforming Vocational Education and Training (VET) through EFS’ is being held in Sydney.

National VET educators are invited to gather together with the broader Education for Sustainability community, industry and government representatives to share experiences gained in working to transform industry towards a low carbon sustainable economy. 

AAEE will be involved with this event as an exhibitor.

Conference Program 

AWA National Water Education Conference Sydney, NSW 5-7 March 2013

Join us at this joint conference to learn, share experience and network with other water professionals.

AWA conference website 

Economics of Happiness Conference The International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC) Byron Bay, NSW

15-17 March (early bird tickets available until 8 February)

Following on from the success of the first International Economics of Happiness Conference held last March in Berkeley, California, ISEC comes to Australia!

Through an interactive program of plenary sessions, workshops, and social and creative time, participants will have a rare opportunity to learn from and share with some of the foremost leaders in the worldwide localisation movement. The conference also offers the chance to make new connections, build on current projects and find new inspiration.

Conference program and full list of Australian and International speakers can be found on the website http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/ 

CALL FOR SPEAKERS

2013 Government Sustainability Conference Melbourne, VIC Deadline 22 March

Presentations providing case studies or expert advice on how government authorities can improve environmental sustainability within their own organisations or in the community are sought for the 2013 Government Sustainability Conference.

To propose a presentation for the 2013 Government Sustainability Conference, please email a 300-word summary of the presentation to the Conference Convenor, Ben Hutchison, via ben.hutchison@commstrat.com.au

The conference will be held Monday, October 7 & Tuesday, October 8, at the Melbourne Park Function Centre.  Super Early Bird Registration closes February 28 and online registration is available on the conference website  

World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) Marrakech, Morocco Early bird registration closes 31 March 2013

The 7th WEEC will be held from June 9 – 14, 2013 at the Palais des Congres in Marrakech, Morocco.  Previous congresses took place in Portugal, Brazil, Italy, South Africa, Canada and Australia.  This year’s WEEC will shine a spotlight on Morocco, the first Arab-Muslim country to host this Congress.

The event is organized by Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection and the WEEC Network. WEEC2013 

31st NSW Environmental Education Conference Dubbo, NSW 26-28 September 2013

The 31st NSW Environmental Education Conference will be hosted by AAEE NSW.

Convenor Sue Saxby, Principal, Wambangalang Environmental Education Centre, hopes to upend the normal conference structure a bit and have lots of practical and hands-on viewing/learning followed by roundtables/workshops & keynotes.  Well maybe just one keynote at the beginning!! Sue is on a mission to create links and understandings/commonalities between rural people/landscapes and others. For more information contact sue.saxby@det.nsw.edu.au 

42nd Annual North American Association for Environmental Education Conference Baltimore, Maryland, US  October 9-12, 2013,

The Call for Presentations will be loaded on their website shortly.  http://www.naaee.net/conference 

New Zealand Association for Environmental Education Biennial Conference Christchurch, NZ 15-17 January 2014

“Come and spend a bit of summer 2014 in the beautiful South Island of NZ; visit the exciting places popping up in our post-earthquake transitional city of Otautahi-Christchurch. We look forward to hosting our Australian colleagues and welcome expressions of interest for workshops and paper presentations.” http://www.nzaeeconference.co.nz/ 

2014 AAEE Biennial Conference Hobart, Tasmania

Save the date … 5-8 October at the 3C Church 64 Angelsea St, South Hobart. 

WHAT’S ON

World Wetlands Day 2013 2 February

The international theme for World Wetlands Day 2013 is Wetlands take care of water. Wetlands provide important hydrological functions such as groundwater recharge, water quality improvement and flood alleviation. The health of wetlands depends on the quality and quantity of water that reaches them. To secure their conservation and wise use it is essential that they are managed in the wider context of catchment-scale water resource management.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Piccaninnie Ponds Karst Wetlands – Australia’s new wetland of international importance

On 21 December 2012, Piccaninnie Ponds Karst Wetlands in South Australia was designated as a Ramsar site. The Piccaninnie Ponds Karst Wetlands Ramsar Site is located 32 kilometres south-east of Mount Gambier and comprises the 862 hectare Piccaninnie Ponds Conservation Park.

The site is an exceptional example of karst and coastal fen wetlands, with groundwater springs reaching more than 110 metres in depth. The pools are renowned for their water clarity, supporting aquatic vegetation down to 15 metres below the surface. It is one of the few remaining permanent freshwater wetlands in the lower south-east of South Australia.

More from DSEWPaC 

2013 Target Kids Teaching Kids Week  9-13 September

Registrations for the 2013 Target Kids Teaching Kids Week officially opened online 1 February 2013 and will close Monday 29th July 2013.

If you would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact admin@kidsteachingkids.com.au. Schools and organisations are encouraged to sign up to the program during Term 1 to allow adequate time for the Kids Teaching Kids Education team to work with hosts and presenting schools on event and workshop development. A basic timeline is available on the website. KTK website

Grants are available for schools hosting an event to assist with event costs as well as for schools who present a workshop during 2013 Target Kids Teaching Kids Week is $550 (inc. GST),  $1100 (inc. GST) Cluster Event and $330 (inc. GST) Teacher Relief Funding grants. Grant applications will close Sunday 18th August 2013 

2013 Melbourne Water Kids Teaching Kids Conference Melbourne, VIC 28‐29 October

Registrations open 13 February 2013*

This peer teaching and learning conference is about promoting Kids Teaching Kids as an effective form of learning for a cultural change in the way we view, use and perceive our natural environment, in particular our water resources. This eight month project based program culminates in a two day conference where kids from across Victoria and interstate come together to talk about sustainability topics important to them, their schools and their communities.

This Conference will Sell Out! For more information visit: www.kidsteachingkids.com.au or contact Vanessa at Kids Teaching Kids on 03 9329 3736/email vanessa@kidsteachingkids.com.au

*Early Bird Registrations open 1 February 2013 for Healthy Waterways Waterwatch WLILI and ResourceSmart AuSSIVic schools.

 Bridge to Beach Event Sydney, NSW Sunday 24 February 2013

The Manly Wharf Bridge to Beach is one of Australia’s largest open water paddling events and is regarded as one of the most spectacular in the world. 

The SEA LIFE Conservation Fund (SLCF) & SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium are looking for 1000 discarded plastic drink bottles to build two vessels for the Event. The boats will be used to highlight the impact of plastic bottles ending up in the harbour and bring awareness to the current debate around the National Container Deposit Scheme (CDS).

The government is set to make a decision on the CDS scheme in April 2013 after agreeing to trial various options this year. Northern Territory implemented a CDS scheme this year.

In Australia alone it’s estimated that almost 13 billion drinks are consumed in containers of which less than half are recycled. The rest end up in the environment or landfill.

SLCF is calling on help to build the boats by bringing in empty plastic bottles that they’ve found to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium on their next visit.  Stick a message in it for a chance to win a family entry to SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium upon successful completion of the February race. http://www.sealifeconservation.org.au/bridge-to-beach-24-feb/ 

Seaweek 2013 Marine Education Society of Australia

Seaweek is MESA’s major annual education campaign to increase understanding and appreciation of the sea and its living organisms. Seaweek will be held on the 3–9 March 2013, with the theme being – ‘Sustainable Seas’.

The theme provides a focus for students in schools and for communities to inform and inspire them about the diversity of our marine and coastal environments and how, through good management and individual action, we can all contribute towards the sustainability of these environments. http://www.mesa.edu.au/ 

San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival – Australian Tour March 2013

North America’s premier CINEMAQUATIC film event for ocean-related independent films.

Screening for one night only in Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth, Sydney and Townsville in 2013, the festival experience features a collection of breath taking films that are educating, engaging and entertaining audiences about the importance of our world’s ocean and its resources.

For dates, more info and bookings, go to http://www.oceanfilmfestivalaustralia.com.au/movies.html 

Toolbox for Environmental Change 2013  Greening Australia Melbourne Museum and IMAX Theatre, VIC

Thursday 14 March

Greening Australia is pleased to partner with major sponsors Sustainability Victoria and Melbourne Museum and key supporters Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and the Victorian Association for Environmental Education (VAEE)to present the 2013 Toolbox for Environmental Change Forum.

Now in its thirteenth year, the Toolbox for Environmental Change forum is Victoria’s premier conference for those involved in education for sustainability.  In 2013, the focus of sustainable learning partnerships will be explored in the context of school – community partnerships, leadership and ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic case studies and the VELs and National Curriculum frameworks..   Register before 1 March 2013 to secure your place.  Resources, lunch and refreshments will be provided.  For more information please contact Jim Mead on jmead@gavic.org.au or 03 9450 5321 

Whole School Sustainability Planning Workshop Education for Sustainability – Presenter Sandra Nichols Sydney, NSW 15 March

To be held at Pymble Ladies College, this course will explore on-site practical ways to incorporate sustainability into a whole-school plan.  For details of enrolment, visit EfS Workshop 

Wetland Education and Training (WET) Workshop: The Preparation of a Wetland Management Plan Sydney Olympic Park Authority, NSW Friday 5 April

This is an integrated one-day workshop with theoretical and practical components. The prerequisites for this course are that participants have some preliminary knowledge of wetland rehabilitation and management issues. For more information visit the website http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/education_and_learning/professional_development 

Centenary 2020 Vision Project SEE-Change Registrations Now Open

In Canberra’s Centenary year (2013), ACT community environment group SEE-Change is inviting ACT school students of all ages to imagine a sustainable Canberra by participating in the Centenary 2020 Vision project.  The project includes two events and aims to encourage deep thinking amongst ACT school students about the path to sustainability.

Students are invited to enter the 2020 Vision Competition by representing their vision of Canberra’s sustainable future using a medium of their choice, ie visual, written, performance, IT.  Entries close 23 August 2013.  The best entries from across Canberra will be displayed in a public exhibition – a Festival of Young Ideas – from 14 to 20 October 2013.

On 16 and 17 October 2013, the Centenary Parliament of Youth on Sustainability will bring together ACT school students of all ages to map out a path towards a sustainable Canberra.  After consideration of one of 19 sustainability topics in class or as part of a school environment or leadership group, and with the assistance of College student mentors, schools are invited to submit a one page response to their topic and send to the Parliament two student representatives in each of the following year bands – Kindergarten to Year 3, Year 4 to Year 6, Year 7 to Year 8, Year 9 to Year 10, and Year 11 to Year 12.  Youth Parliamentarians will deliver a five minute presentation on their topic including proposals for action.  The aim of the Parliament is to produce an agreed statement by ACT’s school students about how they think we can become a sustainable city, and to present this to local and federal politicians.

Year 11 and 12 students are invited to play a leading role in the Parliament by writing policy discussion papers, mentoring students in a partner primary or high school as they prepare for the Parliament, and/or working on event management and media. Visit website 

GOVERNMENT

Supporting the Tasmanian Forestry Agreement DSEWPaC 31 January 2013

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has announced the Government will put forward a nomination to extend protection of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area by an additional 170 000 hectares.

If supported by the World Heritage Committee this will incorporate areas of forest identified through the Tasmanian Forests Agreement for reservation under Tasmanian legislation. Media Centre DSEWPaC 

IN THE NEWS

Sun rises on National Arboretum Canberra Times 1 February

Around 500 people have attended a dawn ceremony to officially open Canberra’s National Arboretum. The 250 hectare site was once a pine and cedar forest but was destroyed by fires in 2001 and 2003. Over the past eight years the area has sprouted back to life, with 40,000 trees planted across 100 forests, many of which are threatened species. Canberra Times

The National Arboretum Canberra will feature 100 forests of Australian natives and various rare and endangered trees from Australia and around the world. This concept redefines the meaning of a public arboretum in the 21st century. As it develops into the future, it will become a significant recreational and educational asset with an important role for sustainability, the protection of biodiversity and for best practice in horticulture and water management 

UNESCO given Barrier Reef protection report ABC News 1 February

The Federal Government has submitted a report to UNESCO, outlining actions it is taking to preserve and protect the Great Barrier Reef.  The findings are due to be handed to the Government in June. ABC website 

Fremantle the first Council to ban plastic bags The West Australian – 31 January

The City of Fremantle has become the first council in Australia to ban the use of non-degradable plastic bags in shops. The West Australian 

Why did the pelican cross the border?ABC Rural – 1 February

The locals are calling it Percival – but whatever its name it’s more than 1000km from home.   A pelican has been spotted at the isolated Kulgera Roadhouse, near the South Australian and Northern Territory border.  To find out the theory read more ABC Rural

 RESOURCES

Resilience practice : building capacity to absorb disturbance and maintain function. Authors Brian Walker & David Salt

The book begins with an overview and introduction to resilience thinking and then takes the reader through the process of describing systems, assessing their resilience, and intervening as appropriate. Following each chapter is a case study of a different type of social-ecological system and how resilience makes a difference to that system in practice. The final chapters explore resilience in other arenas, including on a global scale.

Resilience Practice will help people with an interest in the “coping capacity” of systems—from farms and catchments to regions and nations—to better understand how resilience thinking can be put into practice.

About the Authors

Brian Walker is a Research Fellow in Australia’s CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Visiting Researcher in the Stockholm Resilience Centre, and Chair of the Resilience Alliance.

David Salt is a science and environment writer at the Australian National University, and has more than two decades experience writing and producing popular science magazines and books. Both authors live in Canberra, Australia. National Library of Australia  

Climate Action Publication 2012-2013

“Distributed widely to business, governments, think-tanks, environmental organisations, fund managers and business associations; Climate Action is particularly valuable in highlighting the widespread socio-economic benefits that will derive from reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

Achim Steiner, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Climate Action Publication 2012-2013

Time to Say Goodbye to the bulky Phone Books!  This year, go from yellow to green by cancelling the delivery of the Yellow Pages to your address. It can be done in a few simple steps online https://www.directoryselect.com.au/action/home or you can call on 1800 008 292. 

AWARD AND CAREER OPPORTUNITES

2013 World Environment Day Awards United Nations Association of Australia

Nominations open 4 February, closing 1 May

Each year, in support of UNEP World Environment Day (June 5), the UNAA recognises innovative and outstanding environmental programs and initiatives from across Australia and the important work of Australian environmental leaders through its World Environment Day Awards.

The annual national World Environment Day Awards invite nominations from individuals, organisations, businesses, local councils, schools, journalists and community groups whose work serves to protect, manage or restore our natural heritage.

The preeminent national awards play an important role in raising awareness about key environmental issues and challenges, and inspiring and motivating individuals, organisations and businesses to take positive steps towards sustainability and environmental excellence in their homes, schools, communities and workplaces.

Winners will be announced at the Awards Presentation Dinner on Friday June 7 at the Park Hyatt Melbourne.

For further information, please contact the UNAA Victoria office on (03) 9670 7878 or via email awards@unaavictoria.org.au  

Future Leaders Environment Award 2013 Nominations close 1 July

The Future Leaders Environment Awards recognise and reward young Australians who have shown outstanding environmental leadership. They also aim to inspire others to engage in environmental issues. Schools throughout Australia may nominate Year 12 students for the Awards.

The winner of the Award will receive a fully funded Fellowship to participate in an Earthwatch Expedition to Australia or New Zealand. For further information and nomination form please visit the website. http://www.futureleaders.com.au/index.php

 Environmental Educator

Port Phillip EcoCentre, Melbourne Closing Monday 4 February

• ·         work with primary schools and secondary schools, including students and staff;
• ·         assist in strategy, development and delivery of (adult) community-focused environmental programs;
• ·         have a holistic understanding of energy, waste, water, biodiversity, ecology and talk on any related topic, under water.

Position Description at www.ecocentre.com.  Applications should be made by email to applications@ecocentre.com 

Senior Project Manager Kids Teaching Kids, North Melbourne, VIC, Closing 15 February, Start date 13 March

Do you have a passion for the environment, education and management of projects and events? Do

you enjoy working in a small business environment with the ability to direct and grow your position?

A full Position Description is available on the following website NRM Jobs or enquiries to Arron Wood Phone: (03) 9329 3736 

FROM THE ADMIN DESK

We are delighted to announce Jo Kelly, Qld Chapter has stepped forward to take on the role of ozEEnews Editor.  Articles are welcomed for May, August and November issues and can be forwarded to ozeenews@gmail.com or admin@aaee.org.au.

Please contact us for a copy of required guidelines.

 

Kate Elder | Administration Co-ordinator | AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

P O Box 996  Cotton Tree  QLD  4558  Australia| (+61  7 5479 1424 | 

Office hours:  Monday & Wednesday 8.30am – 3.30pm

* admin@aaee.org.au | www.aaee.org.au

ABN 80 047 534 235 | Association Number A01300

 

YOUR PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION

Working Towards Sustainability

*Sharing learning | *Working for change | *Developing professionally

 

 

 

 

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