Project summaries - 2004 Environmental Education - state and local government grants
| 2004 Environmental Education - state and local government grants |
|---|
| Organisation | Project title | Amount $ |
|---|
Bankstown City Council | Biodiversity education for a diverse community | 47,912 |
Gosford City Council | Web based guide to Central Coast threatened species and communities | 25,000 |
Kogarah Municipal Council | Rainwater tanks for schools project | 15,805 |
Lachlan Shire Council | An audit and education program of the hazards of on-farm landfills | 15,410 |
Lord Howe Island Board | Quarantine community education strategy for Lord Howe Island | 74,156 |
Manly Council | Environmental management training for tourism businesses at Manly | 67,130 |
Newcastle City Council | ClimateCam - the world's first greenhouse speedometer | 100,000 |
North East Waste Forum (NEWF) | Northern Rivers eco-friendly youth project | 49,972 |
Northern Inland Regional Waste | NIRW mobile waste education trailer | 75,000 |
University of Sydney | e-Flora: a botanical resource for environmental educators | 96,039 |
University of Sydney | University of Sydney's energy and water conservation education project | 56,394 |
| 11 projects | TOTAL | $622,818 |
Bankstown City Council
Biodiversity education for a diverse community
Grant: $47,912
This project will deliver an environmental education program focused on biodiversity protection and habitat enhancement to Bankstown residents from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.
This project will utilise bilingual educators working with council staff to deliver a series of workshops, interactive native animal displays and guided eco-tours to existing networks within our CALD communities to; explore the connection between living things within the natural environment, including human interaction; encourage residents to develop an appreciation for the natural environment; and take action to increase biodiversity and provide habitat for native animals in urban areas, starting in their own backyards.
Gosford City Council
Web based guide to Central Coast threatened species and communities
Grant: $25,000
This project builds on the strong community interest that has already been demonstrated through over 11,000 participants responding to the recent Gosford City and Wyong Shire Council's "What can you find in your backyard?" wildlife survey. This project will provide valuable educational resources to help landholders, school children, and members of the community learn more about the animals and important plant communities found in the region. The project is an initiative to create a user-friendly web based guide to identify, understand and appreciate common and threatened species and endangered ecological communities of the Central Coast.
This project will translate technical information into a companion guide that will be accessible to a wide audience, attractively designed and presented, with an easy-to-read layout - incorporate comprehensive information, full colour photographs of all key threatened species and endangered ecological communities and fauna calls, providing detailed descriptions for easy identification, describing habitat and status, raise awareness of the whole community to reduce threats to biodiversity in the region.
Kogarah Municipal Council
Rainwater tanks for schools project
Grant: $15,805
The rainwater tanks for schools project incorporates both physical and educational components. Kogarah Municipal Council will assist schools in the area by providing full funding for the installation of rainwater tanks. The tank sizes have been modelled to suit each individual school to achieve optimal size, and decreased impacts on the downstream stormwater network. The tanks will be connected to the schools irrigation system and/or toilets.
This project involves the students in an interactive education project that aims to minimise the use of potable water and increase understanding of the importance of water conservation. The project will build capacity within the schools by providing the students with the framework that will enable them to implement water conservation methods.
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Lachlan Shire Council
An audit and education program of the hazards of on-farm landfills
Grant: $15,410
Lachlan Shire consists of approximately 1,500 rural properties. Little is known about the method the landholders use to dispose of their waste and chemicals. An audit will be undertaken to determine the number of rural landholders with such waste disposal sites and the types of wastes and chemicals being disposed of.
The council will then undertake an educational program, which would aim to raise awareness of the risks associated with such land filling methods. This program will provide landholders with information on the risks of waste disposal and the alternatives, the legislative requirements of landholders with regard to waste management. This will be achieved through community involvement in; training and knowledge gained through undertaking the actual audit; the development and dissemination of information packages for the landholders, and effective monitoring and evaluation of the success or failure of the program.
Lord Howe Island Board
Quarantine community education strategy for Lord Howe Island
Grant: $74,156
Development of a quarantine education program aimed at raising community awareness about the potential to import pest species to Lord Howe Island and the harm they could cause to the Island's world heritage values and the tourism economy. The project will aim to reach a broad range of community groups and key stakeholders many of whom have direct responsibilities for the importation of goods from the mainland to Lord Howe Island. The project will also result in the production of valuable education resources targeting the local school, business and industry, visitor centre/museum, accommodation providers and tourists.
Manly Council
Environmental management training for tourism businesses at Manly
Grant: $67,130
With around 6 million visitors each year Manly is listed in the Top 3 "must do" destinations for all international visitors coming to Sydney, there are many negative effects on the local environment, including aquatic reserves and threatened species.
This project builds on lessons learned from the implementation of a positive incentive based model in the camping and caravan industry. Designed as an educational strategy, it will train tourism businesses in Manly in good environmental practices. The lack of environmental management skills and knowledge essential to reduce the impacts of tourism is a major impediment preventing businesses from engagement with sustainable practice.
This project is a University of Western Sydney, Manly Chamber of Commerce and Manly Council partnership.
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Newcastle City Council
ClimateCam - the world's first greenhouse speedometer
Grant: $100,000
Newcastle City Council (NCC), along with it's Greenhouse Action Partners, has developed a web-based program that measures greenhouse gas emissions for the City. The first of its type in the world, it records consumption data to monitor electricity, gas, water consumption, waste to landfill and a count of motor vehicles.
To encourage community education through ClimateCam, NCC is proposing to overhaul the very basic website by making it interactive and user-friendly and include additional data sets. Data sets for the number of trees planted and cleared, air and beach water quality will be added along with a hook up to Energy Australia's 11 substations to bring electricity consumption "live". This data will also be presented electronically on roadside billboards visually representing consumption trends.
North East Waste Forum (NEWF)
Northern Rivers eco-friendly youth project
Grant: $49,972
In the NEWF Council areas of Lismore, Ballina, Byron, Richmond and Clarence Valley Councils, the proportion of young people between the ages of 15-24 has increased, and youth unemployment in the region is higher than the NSW average. Youth Centres and organisations fulfil a vital role in servicing and supporting youths, providing access to education, mentoring, enterprise opportunities and general assistance.
The Northern Rivers eco-friendly youth project will work with regional youth, youth organisations, youth workers, local and regional government authorities to develop and deliver a holistic integrated education project which will focus on incorporating positive environmental practices within the running of all aspects of youth centres and their projects. A project coordinator will work with local youth organisations, facilitating the process, harnessing their support and building their capacity to participate in the design and implementation of eco-friendly youth centres.
Northern Inland Regional Waste
NIRW mobile waste education trailer
Grant: $75,000
NIRW will develop a mobile waste education trailer to deliver the waste avoidance message being communicated by the 13 NIRW member councils throughout the New England and North West. The councils are Armidale Dumaresq, Glen Innes Severn, Gunnedah, Guyra, Gwydir, Inverell, Liverpool Plains, Moree Plains, Narrabri, Tamworth Regional, Tenterfield, Uralla and Walcha.
The trailer will feature display materials for the key messages and will include both static and interactive elements such as; Smart shopping trolley and supermarket, products made from recycle materials, posters and signs, waste avoidance games and samples of how waste materials have been reused.
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University of Sydney
e-Flora: a botanical resource for environmental educators
Grant: $96,039
This project will involve the revision of the "Flora of the Sydney Region" (Tindale and Carolin, 1994), the contents of which will form a multifaceted, web-based resource; the e-Flora. The e-Flora will comprise interactive keys and taxonomic descriptions of c.2000 vascular plant species occurring between the Shoalhaven and Hunter rivers, and west to the Great Divide. Descriptions will be linked to navigable web-based keys, and will be supported by an integrated glossary and an image-bank. The e-Flora will enhance access to quality information on botanical diversity for environmental educators, students, environmental consultants, professional botanists and community groups.
University of Sydney
University of Sydney's energy and water conservation education project
Grant: $56,394
Stage 1 (funded by USYD): Research stage. Four buildings from different schools within the Darlington and Camperdown Campuses will be selected as research sites. At each site energy and water usage will be audited and a number of different education models will be trialled. Real time monitoring by the existing Utility Information System (UIS) will be used to determine which education model effected a reduction in energy and water usage.
Stage 2: Will develop and implement an energy and water education project including the establishment of an 'Energy Management Group' for the whole of the USYD. Based on recommendations made in stage 1, an experienced environmental educator will produce an energy and water conservation education model and educational materials/tools for the University. The model will be implemented with the assistance of trained student volunteers and staff environmental champions. The project will be monitored by the UIS, which is an internet based computer program linked to data loggers that can monitor changes in water and energy consumption in a building on a daily basis. At the conclusion of Stage 2 a workshop will be held with other Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and environmental education professions.
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Page last updated: 27 February 2011
