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.
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