From Barren to Beautiful – how does the health of the Biodiversity in our local ecosystems hold the key to mitigating the risks of a warming climate? 

With Guest Speakers - Rainer Rehwinkel, Ecologist, and  Alice Hathorn, Founder of ACT Urban Woodland Rescue

Watch here: 

Water in the ACT Professional Learning

End of Term One, AAEE ACT Chapter hosted water educators from across the ACT with Icon Water for a special tour of the Cotter Dam ending in a professional networking session. During this event we shared our collective expertise, knowledge, and current programs on all things water.

It was fabulous to be joined by members and associates of the ACT chapter for the Australian Association for Environmental Education. Along with educators in water and biodiversity represented by ACT Government Actsmart schools programs, H2OK Healthy waterways program, No waste ACT, ACT Waterwatch Coordinators and Catchment groups, Landcare ACT, the Australian Botanic Gardens, Jerrabomberra Wetlands, passionate STEM teachers, Nature ART Lab and Dance Kids.

Greenhouse gas demonstration

The effect of carbon dioxide on the atmosphere has been studied experimentally since 1856, when Ms Eunice Foote compared the warming of two flasks, one filled with “carbonic acid gas”, when they were simply placed in direct sunlight (1). Now, thanks to Warwick Cathro at 350.org Canberra, here is a neat way to reproduce this classic demonstration, ideal for a winter science fair, as we discovered.

Thank you for joining in with thinking outside the planet

Thank you to everyone who took part in the 8th August Earth System education event as part of warming up to 2019 Science Week here in the ACT.
Thank you to the Science Educators Association ACT, the ACT Chapter Environmental Education and Caroline Chisholm School's Centre for Innovation in Learning for partnering and hosting the event.

Thanks to Angela Colliver Consulting, Dancekids, Nature Art Lab and the Australian Academy of Science for sharing materials for educators. Finally, thank you Inez Harker-Schuch - ANU and the University of Copenhagen - for the stimulating presentation.

Stay tuned as over the next month we load up this new AAEE blog with plenty of local environmental education goodies.