Climate for Change?

 

#SS4C school student Jean Hinchcliffe at the Climate Emergency Summit with the federal member for Warringah NSW, Zali Steggall MP

February 2020 
ACT Chapter President

Welcome to our new members and friends. As environmental educators, we all have a strong connection to nature and our Aussie plants and animals. It has therefore been devastating to witness this summer and the catastrophic events affecting whole communities and precious ecosystems. But what to do? 

Sense of Doom

All summer I personally have felt a sense of doom, empathy with affected families and animals, and hopelessness at where our planet is heading. Like many others, including doctors and engineers, and encouraged by climate scientists and students like Jean Hinchcliffe, pictured above speaking this week at the Climate Emergency Summit with federal MP for Zali Steggall, AAEE has declared a Climate Emergency this summer, go here to see a detailed statement. 

Better still see you at The Climate Crisis National Day of Action which will be held at Glebe Park, kicking off at 2pm this Saturday 22nd February. Details here. 

AAEE ACT provides a network to link you to other educators. Improving environmental education in the ACT is a positive action we can all participate in and hopefully make a difference.

Learning F-12

We have had a busy start to 2020 with seven of our members exhibiting at the Preschool Professional Learning Event at the end of January (four of whom pictured here). It was also exciting last week to attend SEE-Change’s workshop for teachers participating in this year’s Parliament of Youth on Sustainability.

Thank you to our 2020 Executive members, Jodie Green (Secretary), Julia Landford (Treasurer), Sue Jones (Chapter Liaison), Bren Weatherstone and Taz Whan who all volunteer time to help keep our chapter of AAEE running. At our last meeting, we discussed the closer linking of Sustainability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Curriculum in the ACT. We are also looking at how in the ACT we can support the adoption of a Reconciliation Action Plan nationally.

I am looking forward to meeting new members and friends as well as catching up with familiar faces at our March events. We will be showcasing our water educators with a talk at Green Ed Drinks on 3rd March and a Tour of Icon’s water facilities on the 14th (see details and bookings below).

Do have a look at our new ACT BlogSpot - enviroedact.blogspot - it has full-year calendar of significant environmental education dates; articles, member posts and updates; and a growing directory of local Earth, nature, environmental and sustainability education resources. This Blogspot is still a work in progress, happy to hear your feedback.  Find the latest Summer-Autumn update here. 


Vivienne Pearce OAM

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this country in which we live and work.

AAEE Chapter Green Ed Drinks and Site Tour events

March 3rd, Green Ed Drinks and Talk with Hannah Edwards from Southern ACT Catchment Group (SACTCG)

5.30 - 7pm, Conservation Council Board Room, Barry Drive 

Hannah from Southern ACT Catchment Group (SACTCG), with support from the ACT Government, will help you understand more about the urban water system in your street and school. Learn about what stormwater is, where it comes from and goes and how we can all take small individual actions which can help improve the quality of water in Canberra’s lakes and rivers. Find out more about the H2Ok program here https://www.environment.act.gov.au/water/act-healthy-waterways/h2ok

BYO to share but please RSVP for additional catering to aaeeact@gmail.com

March 14th, Double Dip with not one but two fantastic behind the scenes Icon Water Site Tours,
Kate Rhook AND picnic morning tea and lunch

Googong Dam & Googong Water Treatment Plant

Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre (LMWQCC) / Fyshwick Sewage plant

Registration essential aaeeact@gmail.com to obtain dates times and meeting locations

Eventbrite (TBA)