Chapter Update November 2023

November 23 ACT Chapter Update  

by Viv Pearce OAM

ACT members have been busy winning awards in the past few months.

 

Wollongong Conference

At the AAEE Conference I was very happy, as Acting AAEE President, to present awards to not one but two of our local members. 

Firstly, to long term member Julie Armstrong founder of ACT for Bees, ACT and national AAEE environmental Educator for 2023. Julie has been a driving force both in ACT and nationally promoting the importance and need to support bees and other pollinators. Julie and her team have worked tirelessly through community events, schools, production of teaching resources and advocacy to our politicians, to increase community awareness of the vital role our pollinators play in the web of life and in our food production. The importance of wildlife corridors, year-round pollinator food and the devastating effects of pesticides and other human food production practises, are now better understood by communities and politicians due to Julie’s clear and passionate voice. 

 

Julie Armstrong AAEE environmental Educator for 2023

Monty Nixon, a PhD education student from University of Canberra (U.C) won the AAEE 2023 Brian Foreman Scholarship to enable him to attend the conference. At the conference Monty and fellow U.C student Jordan Harrison, delivered a very enjoyable and educative workshop on Country as Teacher. 

 

Monty Nixon (centre) and Jordan Harrison (third from left ) delivering Country as a Teacher

Both are AAEE Arthur Thyne Reid Foundation Teacher Education Student Scholarship holders and will through the scholarship, be members for the next couple of years, with the 5 other scholarship holders. ACT appreciate the infusion of enthusiasm and youth into our membership and the chance to mentor the next generation of environmental educators. 

The conference was uplifting, educative and enjoyable to all ACT members attending including myself. Helen McHugh and Sally Ingham (Australian National Botanic Gardens) gave an informative talk on ANBG new Plant Hub resource. ACT Sustainable Schools with Victoria Sustainable Schools and other State groups ran a successful roundtable which raised questions around the why and how of government funded programs that are delivered in the various parts of Australia. Other ACT attendees included Mary Clare Woodforde ( student scholarship holder), Glenys Patulny, Jodie Green (both ACT Executive members) and Keith Skamp (AAEE Fellow amongst a myriad of other exciting achievements).

Jodie and I were re-elected to ordinary member and Vice President respectively at AAEE AGM.

Other Awards

The Teaching Science Most Valuable Paper Award for 2022, announced at the CONASTA 23 conference in July was awarded to ACT members Keith Skamp and Jodie Green for their three-part series of papers, “Earth System Science Education and the Australian Curriculum: The way forward to sustainability.” An important contribution to our mindset on sustainability, we cannot understand the trees if we do not see the forest!

NatureArt Lab recently won the prestigious 2024 Telstra Best of Business ACT State Award for Building Communities. The business also won the 2023 ACT State Award for Promoting Sustainability and has been a finalist both years in other categories. NatureArt Lab is a unique purpose-led arts and environmental education centre which was established in 2017 by Julia Landford who is a passionate artist and nature lover. NatureArt Lab’s art classes, photography courses and nature tours make a difference to people’s lives and help people connect with nature in a deeper way. Julia has also been an active contributor to the AAEE ACT Chapter over many years, as well as supporting the national executive with the Environmental Educator of the Year Award. 

Julia Landford with NatureArt's Telstra Award

Other ACT Events

In September the AAEEACT Curriculum subcommittee had a productive meeting with ACT Sustainable Schools ,looking forward to how we can assist our teachers to include more sustainability into their day-to-day teaching. Watch this space for more focus next year.

Our national AAEE Environmental Educator Julie Armstrong in October ran an enjoyable and relaxing Forest Therapy walk in the Australian National Botanic Gardens for members. As environmental educators we have the opportunity in our busy, frantic world to promote the wellbeing advantages of being in and with nature.

AAEEACT Annual Report (June 22-June23)

prepared by Vivienne Pearce OAM

As awful as the emerging climate crisis is, or perhaps because of it, it has been wonderful this year to welcome 10 new members to the chapter, including 5 students and new environmental, nature and sustainability educators who are being supported by the generous AAEE Arthur Thyne Reid Foundation’s scholarships program.

Meet the team: this year the AAEE’s ACT Chapter team included Andrew O’Meara (@Wildbark, Chapter President), Julia Landford (@NatureArt Lab, Chapter Vice President), Jodie Green (Teacher @CIT, Chapter Treasurer), extraordinary ‘ordinary’ committee members Vivienne Pearce (Education Ranger @ANBG), Glenys Patulny (@Southern Catchment Group/Landcare) and Belinda Wilson ( Postdoctoral Research Fellow @ANU), plus the wisdom of experienced co-opted members Tarun Whan (Teacher @EdACT and @ASTA), Karon Campbell (Teacher @EdACT), and Donella Johnston (Teacher @EdACT)and last but not least Angela Crompton (@SustainableSchoolsProgram) for half of this year - her lively input to the executive will be missed. We are also over the moon to be welcoming new member, ANU student Mia Callaway, stepping in to be a trainee-Secretary for the association. Thank you Mia!

ACT members serving on the national committees and panels include Jodie Green, Julia Landford, and Viv Pearce - Jodie is AAEE’s official representative at the Australian Alliance of Associations in Education (AAAE), Viv is one of 3 of the national executive’s Vice Presidents, serving on many panels and subcommittees, and Julia is the 2022/2023 national awards program coordinator. Glenys Patulny represents the ACT Chapter nationally via the state and territory ‘Chapter Checkin’ forums, thank you Glenys.

Vivienne Pearce OAM ACT Environmental Educator 2022

ACT’s environmental, nature and sustainability educators have been busy, and there is too much going on to mention all - check the blog https://enviroedact.blogspot.com/ for more! The highlight of the November 2022 AGM was the celebrating ACT’s Environmental Educators of the Year for 2022 Viv Pearce  and Belinda Wilson (Emerging/Early Career). 

Congratulations to Julia Landford and the team at Nature Art Lab’s for being the 2022 Telstra ACT Best of Business Award winner for the category ‘Promoting Sustainability’, as well as being an ACT finalist in three other categories ‘Championing Health’, ‘Building Communities’ and ‘Accelerating Women’ - so well-deserved.

Julia Landford -NatureArt Lab- 2022 Telstra ACT Best of Business Award 

 Finally, AAEE ACT members Adjunct Professor Keith Skamp and teacher Jodie Green received the ‘Most Valued Paper’ award by the peer-reviewed journal Teaching Science (Australian Science Teachers Association), for their 2022 articles ‘Earth System Science Education and the Australian Curriculum: ‘The way forward to sustainability: Part I – III’. Congratulations Keith and Jodie. 

More Chapter and Canberra Region Network highlights: 

● Planning: In March the chapter executive met at Australian National Botanic Gardens for a thought-provoking strategic planning afternoon which was ably facilitated by member Karl-Erik Paasonen, for which the ACT Chapter is grateful. The new Executive has a clear vision of where they might lead our local AAEE Chapter this year and a renewed vigor to grow and expand the chapter and support members in the future.

● Chapter collaborations and representations: In June Tarun and Vivienne attended the launch of new climate and science education trial program Einstein First and are collaborating with Prof. Anne Scott ANU, to see if some ACT schools are interested in trialing this innovative program; Julia, Keith, and Vivienne wrote a submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly members on behalf  of AAEE chapter championing planning for ecology and climate-informed living infrastructure in all ACT Schools; Glenys, Viv, Jodie and Tarun have prepared initial plans to guide a series of workshops in 2023/4 to collaborate with ACT teachers to develop assessments and lessons supporting 2024 implementation of the new version of the Australian Curriculum’s Sustainability Cross Curriculum Priority. 

● Chapter Tours:  ANBG Education rangers Viv Pearce and Maddie Tranter ‘s tour of the Australian Botanic Gardens new education resources and developments in gardens in November ; Karon Campbell’s wicking bed tour in collaboration with the Hawker Community Garden; Andrew O’Meara’s train-the-trainer tours and member networking at the Jerrabomberra Wetlands on WorldWater Day;  Julia  Landford’s tour and member networking of the exceptional NatureArt Lab ‘Nature In Focus’ photography exhibition celebrating World Conservation Day.

 

            AAEEACT President Andrew O’Meara’s train-the-trainer tours at Jerrabomberra Wetlands

● What we’re looking forward to - exciting new territory and regional programs and initiatives: The Sustainable Schools Program launched their Energise Your School Program and have adopted the SSP Online tool with schools as partners in meeting the ACT’s ambitious biodiversity, emissions and waste targets; The Albanese government is supporting 8 young delegates to attend the 2023 climate COP28 as part of the UN’s global COP-linked Greening Education Partnership.  Landcare ACT in 2023 is launching their inaugural ACT  Environmental Volunteers Conference and their new annual ‘Festival of Nature’ starting in Spring 2023; Conservation Council ACT Region’s new Endangered ACT species program Bush Buds was launched  in march this year tours of endangered species habitat will continue into 2024, and AAEEACT is collaborating to deliver some of these tours; ACT government’s new water naturalization investment, which will be a wonderful resource for nature and local sustainability educators; the ACT Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment’s State of the Environment report 2023 - we are especially looking forward to member’s work being showcased including a feature section on NatureArt Lab’s ‘Reflections on Nature’ community arts project, and to see what is new at the excellent sites:  https://www.environmentforyouth.com.au/ and https://www.environmentforkids.com.au/

        

  AAEEACT Wetlands Tour on World Water Day March 23

Love the Environment, Nature and have a passion for Sustainability? It all comes down to education, right?

 MEDIA RELEASE 21 August 2023

Making a difference through environmental education?

Yuma! Are you enthusiastic about nature, sustainability and the environment? Would you like to join a group of like-minded educators who are working in the 'environmental education' sector?

Now is your opportunity to get involved and support a wide range of initiatives that will make a difference to educational policies and practices for nature, sustainability and the environment.

AAEE currently have three opportunities to make a difference in the ACT! 

• 2 volunteering vacancies on our ACT Chapter executive committee, these are our Board’s Secretary and Communications Officer positions (contact us at aaeeact@gmail.com).

• Nominate a colleague (or yourself!) for one of 4 ACT and National Environmental Educator of the Year awards (more below)

• Apply for an AAEE Environmental Education student Scholarship (more via aaeeact@gmail.com)

Nature In Focus - Beautiful, a must see, closes Sunday August 6

What: NatureArt Lab's annual nature photography exhibition.

Where: At the Old Barn Gallery 18 Beltana Rd Pialligo. 

RSVP please for catering to aaeeact@gmail.com

More info here: https://natureartlab.com.au/collections/events/products/nature-in-focus-natureart-lab-photography-exhibition-27-july-6-august-2023

Photography Image: Blue Fairy Wren, by Linda Hollier

Rachel's Farm Canberra Screening - 2.30pm this Saturday, August 5.

Film director and actress Rachel Ward is not the first person you’d expect to join a farming revolution. In this triumphant film, Rachel voyages from wilful ignorance about the ecological impacts of conventional agriculture on her own rural property, to embracing a movement to restore the health of Australia’s farmland, food and climate.

Dear Canberra Community Organisations, Business & Farmers

We hope this finds you well. I am getting in touch because on Saturday 5th August, 2.30 pm at Palace Electric Cinema Canberra our new film Rachel’s Farm will be coming to your area for a special Q&A screening event with Rachel Ward and special guests Tanya Massey & Tony Hill, and we would love to collaborate with you on its release.

You can watch the trailer here, and learn more about the film here. Please use the link to the  Supporter Kit for resources to help us promote the screening. 

Book your tickets Here: https://www.palacecinemas.com.au/events/rachels-farm-qa-electric/

In Rachel’s Farm, director and actress Rachel Ward, who owns a farm in NSW with her husband Bryan Brown, journeys from ecological despair to finding hope in the soil beneath her feet through regenerative agriculture. It is produced by Wildbear Entertainment, New Town Films, with Damon Gameau and Anna Kaplan (the team behind 2040, That Sugar Film and Regenerating Australia) on board as EPs.

RACHEL’S FARM Q&A TOUR IN NSW, ACT & VIC BEGINS 25 JULY

From 25 July - 10 August Rachel’s Farm will tour NSW, ACT and VIC, with a series of special screening events featuring a Q&A with Rachel Ward and noteworthy guests including Bryan Brown, Joost Bakker, Dani Valent, Monique Ryan MP, Cheralyn Darcey, Maree Lowes and more!

We would love your support to promote the Q&A screening event in Saturday 5th August, 2.30 pm at Palace Electric Cinema Canberra, featuring special guests.

NATIONAL CINEMA RELEASE FROM 3 AUGUST

Beyond the Q&A tour, we would love your support to rally behind and amplify the cinema release which begins on 3 August in NSW, ACT, QLD, NT, SA and TAS, and 10 August in VIC. At the moment only a limited number of cinemas are programming the film with only a few sessions in the first week.

You can help us secure more screens and better sessions by contacting your local cinema to ask if they are programming the film. If they are, asking them to program more sessions at better times will help send a message that there is local interest in the film. Please let us know if you’d like to help in this way and we will send you some talking points for contacting the cinema.

FURTHER COLLABORATION

We would welcome the opportunity to help spread the word about your activities that are aligned with the Rachel’s Farm messages of healing our food systems and climate. Please let us know if there’s any way we can support your work by sharing information on The Regenerators website.

Once the film has finished its cinema release in late August it will be available for community, educational and corporate screenings and engagement activities. If you are interested in hosting a screening of the film or collaborating on activities that utilise the film to further your goals, please get in contact with us to discuss the options.

Thank you for your support, we look forward to hearing from you. 

Best wishes,

Kate East

0412 551 722

On behalf of

Regen Studios
W: www.theregenerators.org
Location: Melbourne, Australia (AEDT)

Tours, Pink, and water education transport subsidies

Please find linked Icon Water’s Education Newsletter for Term 3, 2023.

 

This term:

• Guided Tours and education sessions are available for classes to book.
• They have extended the transport subsidy,  available for all school tours to the Cotter Dam.
• Community event tours for families and individuals
• Check out water resources for national science week.
• They are highlighting the Pink-worm tailed-lizard, a local threatened species for biodiversity month. more about this amazing animal here.

 

As Canberra’s water utility, Icon Water's goal is 'to help local students understand the amazing journey of our urban water cycle and care for the ACT’s drinking water and wastewater resources'.  

Their education program is available through live webinars, in-class sessions, tours and education materials you can download from the Icon Water website.  All sessions, tours and resources are free for all ACT and Queanbeyan Schools.

 

Contact them at Education@iconwater.com.au if you would like more information about the programs, or to organise a tour or education session to support your classes learning this term.

 

 

Term 3 Networking

The Term 3 members and friends mingle nearly coincides with and celebrates 2023 World Nature Conservation Day, July 28.

We will meet for a guided tour of NatureArt Lab’s ‘Nature in Focus’ Photography Exhibition.

When: Saturday 29 July, 2 – 3.30pm 

Where: At the Old Barn Gallery 18 Beltana Rd Pialligo. 

RSVP please for catering to aaeeact@gmail.com

More info here: https://natureartlab.com.au/collections/events/products/nature-in-focus-natureart-lab-photography-exhibition-27-july-6-august-2023

Photography Image: Blue Fairy Wren, by Linda Hollier

ACT Chapter Update - July OzEE News 2023

As we get our snow on (the not too distant ranges) here in Canberra there is, as always, lots our brilliant environmental educator members are up to. Here are just a few - we hope to see you at one of these coming up over the next term.

In the meantime, or for more details, see you on facebook @aaeeact or bookmark the ACT and Region EE Network blog https://enviroedact.blogspot.com/ - contact us anytime at aaeeact@gmail.com

• Some teachers are attending the Ginninderra Catchment Group series of excellent low-cost in-depth restoration workshops starting July 22/23 and running four times to December. Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/habitat-restoration-weekend-workshops-ginninderra-catchment-tickets-664431571717?aff=oddtdtcreator

• AAEE member Glenys Patulny and water naturalisation are in the news! The ACT Government’s Tuggeranong water channels naturalisation project is ready to commence. More here: https://www.act.gov.au/our-canberra/latest-news/2023/july/creating-healthier-waterways-for-tuggeranong

• There are now 5 Arthur Thyne Reid Scholarship awardees in Canberra who may be on their way to Wollongong for the conference - congratulations and welcome!

• NEW Landcare ACT Festival of Nature is an exciting new companion to Floriade, Canberra’s famous flower fest - stay tuned for details

• Wildbark Centre - You can almost hear the squeals of delight from everywhere in Canberra these holidays! The sanctuary in the suburbs is currently packed with young children visiting to see the most venomous creatures on the planet.

• ACT Sustainable Schools Program launches their Energise Your School campaign. This is a series of energy focussed professional learning in collaboration with Dr Graham Walker, from the ANU Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, and Bjorn Sturmberg ANU researcher and author of Amy’s Balancing Act. For more information about the program view the latest newsletter.

•  

Image from: https://bjornsturmberg.com/amys-balancing-act/

• Mark this one in your diary - Term 3 members mingle World Nature Conservation Day with NatureArtLab’s ‘Nature in Focus’ Photography Exhibition – Saturday 29 July, 2 – 3.30pm at the Old Barn Gallery 18 Beltana Rd Pialligo. If you are visiting Canberra why not attend the entire exhibition? More info here: https://natureartlab.com.au/collections/events/products/nature-in-focus-natureart-lab-photography-exhibition-27-july-6-august-2023

Photography Image: Blue Fairy Wren, by Linda Hollier

 MEDIA RELEASE 15 June 2023

Make a difference through environmental education! 

Yuma! Are you enthusiastic about the environment? Would you like to join a group of like-minded educators who are working in the environmental education sector? Now is your opportunity to get involved and support a wide range of initiatives that will make a difference to educational policies and practices for sustainability and the environment. AAEE currently have three opportunities to make a difference in the ACT! 

1. 2 volunteering vacancies on our ACT Chapter executive committee, these are our Board’s Secretary and Communications Officer positions (contact us at aaeeact@gmail.com).

2. Nominate for the 3 ACT and National Environmental Educator of the Year awards (more below)

3. Apply for an AAEE Environmental Education student Scholarship

The  Environmental Educator of the Year Awards are in three award categories: 

1. ACT Environmental Educator of the Year (also eligible for the national award) - due 19 July

2. Emerging Educator of the Year (ACT Community) - nominations open until  October

3. Emerging Educator of the Year (ACT Schools) - nominations open until October

If you know someone who deserves recognition or if you would like to nominate yourself for these awards for excellence, please see our blog for further details, or complete our awards nomination form.

Are you student environmental educator? Apply for a scholarship through AAEE and receive complementary 3 year AAEE membership and AAEE national and chapter conference registrations!

Contact us at aaeeact@gmail.com to apply.

 AAEE Learning Circle World Environment Day 2023

Climate Science and Sustainable Energy Education Webinar, presented by David Wood

When

Tuesday 6th June 4.30-5.30 pm  AEST by ZOOM  Click to Register (free) 

Purpose
To share the work of the UWA-based Einstein First project in relation to the education of students about climate science and sustainable energy futures.

Why
Global warming and its impact on our climate has accelerated the need to transition to a carbon-free fuel economy. Our belief is that children and young adults learning about climate science and sustainable energy production will inspire and empower them to understand their scientific and technological world and invest themselves in a sustainable energy future.

ACT Chapter Update - March OzEE News 23

AAEEACT celebrating World Water Day 23, Jerrabomberra Wetlands ACT

Who is who on AAEEACT Executive and Co-Opts for 2023

Wollongong 25-27 September 2023 AAEE Conference - Listen Learn Transform!

 

The 2023 AAEE National Conference and Research Symposium  Ticket sales are open! You can register for the full conference, a single day or the Research Symposium. The Research Symposium and Conference Field Trips will be hosted on Monday, 25th September. To register for those, purchase a single day ticket and select your option when filling out the registration questions. On the evening of the 25th, the Welcome Reception and Sundowner will be hosted. Attendance is included in your ticket purchase. Conference dinner tickets will be made available to purchase soon, and this will need to be purchased in addition to a conference registration. REGISTER NOW Listen; Learn;Transform

Wednesday 22 March is World Water Day

March AAEE Chapter Event - World Water Day

Hi ACT Environmental Education Networkers!

Celebrate and Learn on World Water Day 2023

Australian Association for Environmental Education (AEEACT) in collaboration with Jerrabomberra Wetlands invites 

members and friends to a local networking event that’s free with yummy afternoon tea AND dinner/drinks networking 

to follow.