AAEE Newsletter Chapter Update April 2024

Dear Australian Environmental Educator ACT community

It’s been an exciting start to the year with 3 successful events in the ACT thanks to Bonnie Johnson upskilling us with the Communication and Strategic Planning event, Monty Nixon’s inspiring ‘Country as Teacher’ and Kate Rhook’s very engaging tour of the Icon Water facilities. Thanks so much for joining us. There is more news from Australia wide in the latest OzEEnews. 

We're looking forward to meeting new and familiar faces at these events and others throughout the year. Let's work together to strengthen our connection for education for sustainability and environmental education in our schools, universities, our workplaces and the wider community. It is such an important foundation for all of our lives. Please invite your colleagues to join the Australian Association for Environmental Education through this link.

Click read more for all the updates including our picks of events, local, national, regional and global EE calendar updates, with links.

To receive these updates in your inbox, contact aaeeact@gmail.com and say hi!

Autumn Mingle at UC FREE BUT BOOK NOW Tuesday 14th May

Connect with like minds to enjoy and grow in your EE journey...with some therapy, drinks, and nibbles on the side

Like what you see? JOIN AAEE THIS YEAR! 

Climate Change Education Summit Speaker Series

24th April 2024 - Next speaker is AAEE President, Dr Lisa Siegel 

Read more and register here: Speaker Series - Australian Climate Change Education Summit and Action Plan (deakin.edu.au)

The First Australian Nature Journaling Conference Brisbane May 2024

Be there!

Member group NatureArt Lab are thrilled to announce the first Australian Nature Journaling Conference, which will be held in Brisbane from May 23rd to May 26th! This is an incredible opportunity for anyone who loves nature journaling to connect with like-minded individuals and immerse themselves in a wonderful networking event.

Meet the 2024 ACT AAEE chapter team

A New Year and a FAB New Committee!

 

President- Julie Armstrong, artist, ACT for Bees founder, national AAEE Environmental Educator, to list but a few of Julie’s skills and interests. 

Vice-President -Glenys Patulny OAM, long term community, education and environmental activist, President Tuggeranong Community Council and Deputy Chair Southern ACT Catchment Group.

Secretary – Monty Nixon, PhD education student University of Canberra (U.C) and winner of the AAEE 2023 Brian Foreman Scholarship, which enable him to attend and run a workshop with fellow U.C student Jordan Harrison at AAEE 2023 conference on ‘Country as a Teacher’. 

Treasurer and Public officer - Jodie Green, National AAEE Treasurer and Public Officer, ACT Senior Secondary teacher.

Executive members 

Vivienne Pearce OAM (V.P. national AAEE, Educator Australian National Botanic Gardens-ANBG) Donella Johnston (secondary teacher and part-time educator at ANBG) 

Vacancy- if you are interested in joining Executive, contact us at aaeeact@gmail.com , we are interested particularly in help to assist our secretary in the area of member communications, help and mentorship to learn new skills are available. 

Previous Executive members, who will still be advising and helping this year’s executive: 

Tarun Whan, Secondary Teacher and SEAACT (Science teachers) member. 

Karon Campbell, Primary Sustainability Teacher and SEAACT member 

Julia Landford, founder NatureArt Lab, immediate past V.P. AAEEACT, winner 2024 Telstra Best of Business ACT State Award for Building Communities.

Dam to Tap World Water Day 2024 - Tour of The Cotter Dam, Pumping Station, Stromlo Water Treatment Plant

It's Kate Rhook, so it's going to be AWESOME

When: Wednesday 20th March 4:30pm-6:45pm
Where: Cotter Dam
Who: Kate Rhook ICON Water Community Engagement Officer

RSVP’s or changes to bookings close COB Friday 15 March 2024

Booking details below

 

Tour venues	Cotter Dam – Cotter Avenue Cotter Pumping Station, Cotter Road Stromlo Water Treatment Plant (SWTP) Stromlo Road.
Date:	Wednesday 20 March 2024
Time:	Time: 4:30 for 4:45pm -6:45pm
Attendees         Bookings and Registrations	Maximum 24 participants All participants are required to wear long pants, long sleeves and flat, fully enclosed sturdy shoes.   For the safety of our community Icon Water will not be able to accept participants who do not wear the correct attire to the site. We will supply the required PPE (Hard hats, High Vis vests, safety glasses, where required). Carpooling for parking at Cotter Pump Station and Mount Stromlo is recommended. Possible to carpool and park at the bottom of Stromlo Road, to Cotter Dam.   Pre-registration is required from all participants attending this tour event for Icon Water operational sites and guard notification. Please register through this pre-registration booking form link.   On the form, select the following tour name for your group in the drop-down tab: ACT Australian Environmental Educators Association: Cotter Dam, Cotter Pump Station, Stromlo WTP @ Wed 20/03/24 4:45pm -6:45pm (0 of 24 Bookings - Private Guided Tour)

Country as Teacher Workshop March 5 - Book now.

Country as Teacher Workshop with Monty and Ben

When: Tuesday the 5th of March, 4:00 – 6:30pm

Where: The Crosbie Morrison Room, Australian National Botanical Gardens

Who: The session will be co-run by University of Canberra PhD student Monty Nixon, and Dr Ben Wilson.

 
Event Information:
For many Indigenous people of Australia, indeed across the globe, Country is and has always been the central knowledge-holder. 

For Millennia, direct learning with Country taught people how to live in relational reciprocity, seeding social and ecological harmony and balance. 

This workshop invites you to consider the pedagogic opportunities of reinvigorating a way of knowing, being and doing in the teaching and learning of Environmental Education that honours this old wisdom. In the workshop, we will explore the foundational understanding of a Country as Teacher pedagogy, based on Senior Custodian for Karulkiyalu Country, Damu (Grandfather) Paul Gordon’s re-interpretation of an old way of learning, the 6L’s: Lore, Love, Look and Listen, Learn and Lead, an insight into the growing body of research into the enactment of this approach in schools and how to cultivate a Relating with Country Practice.

A Country as Teacher pedagogy offers all Australians an authentic opportunity to decolonise educational practices and promote a greater understanding of and care for the place in which we live.
More information about Country as Teacher can be found at this website: Country as Teacher
Priority given to AAEE members and teachers.

Book HERE

Like what you see? JOIN AAEE THIS YEAR!