nrm education twelve-monthly report · education team, as well as the outcomes achieved by schools...

NRM Education twelve-monthly reportJanuary to December 2017

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to ensure the contents of this publication are factually

correct, the Department for Environment and Water

makes no representations and accepts no responsibility

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of South Australia 2018

The Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural

Resources Management Board acknowledges and

respects the Kaurna, Peramangk, Ngadjuri and

Ngarrindjeri Nations as the traditional owners of

the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges region.

We pay homage to their ancestors, who maintained

the natural processes of the land we are now on and

whose spirits still dwell on Country. The board also

acknowledges the role that the traditional owners of

this region continue to have, and should increasingly

have, in purposefully shaping and caring for the area

that we now know as the Adelaide and Mount Lofty

Ranges region.

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Contents

Executive summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Our vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Our team values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Our program values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Strategic context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Plan 2014-24 . . . . . . . . . . . .3

South Australia’s Strategic Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Our Place Our Future - State Natural Resources ManagementPlan South Australia 2012-17 . . . . . . . .3

Department for Environment, Water and Natural Resources Corporate Plan 2016–19 . . . .3

Healthy Parks Healthy People South Australia 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Education for a stronger future: Department for Education Strategic Plan . . . . . . . . .3

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Goal 1: Embedding Education for Sustainability (EfS) in schools and preschools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Progress indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Goal 1 Case study: Committing to sustainability learning and embedding practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Goal 2: Skilling and motivating school and preschool staff to implement Education for Sustainability (EfS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Progress indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Goal 2 Case study: Skilled staff supporting authentic learning opportunities for sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Partnerships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Goal 3: Empowering young people to create change in their schools, preschools and community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Progress indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Youth Environment Leadership Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Youth Environment Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Youth mentoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

SACE research project and NRM Education online portal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Goal 3 Case study: Student Voice in secondary schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Goal 4: Encourage schools and preschools to work with their communities on local sustainability initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Progress indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Schools connecting with community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Urrbrae TAFE students working with Tennyson Dunes Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Our Big Back Yard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

STEM @ Fleurieu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Students hands on with Pinery revegetation . . . . . . . . . . 27

Port Adelaide Enfield community’s biodiversity assets projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Park of the Month activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Greenspace connectivity concept links school and community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Discovery Circle Bioblitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Go Green Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Goal 4 Case study: School and community group partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Goal 5: Deliver a high-quality program based on the latest research and evaluation . . . . . . . . . . 32Progress indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Partnerships, collaboration and community events . . . . 33

Goal 5 Case study: Wipe Out Waste Partnership . . . . . . . 34

Teacher professional development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Resource development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Where to next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

AMLR NRM Education annual report 2017 | iii

The purpose of this report is to highlight the achievements of the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board’s Education program.

The NRM Education program, whose vision is for schools and preschools to work with their communities to develop the knowledge, skills and values to live sustainably, is funded by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board.

The program is delivered by staff (10.3 FTE) who are hosted with The Barossa Council, KESAB environmental solutions, and the cities of Marion, Onkaparinga and Salisbury. In 2017, $1.25 million was committed to this program (See map for NRM Education’s school and preschool interactions 2017).

The primary role of the NRM Education team is to facilitate culture change in schools, preschools and the tertiary sector. In 2017 the contribution by schools, preschools and universities towards sustainability initiatives is conservatively estimated at $1,891,086 (direct and in-kind investments).

The NRM Education program also works in partnership with local government, non-government organisations, business and other state government departments on projects that have increased the support and resources available to schools and preschools, enabling them to learn, along with their communities, about living more sustainably.

This report outlines activities undertaken by the NRM Education team, as well as the outcomes achieved by schools and preschools working in partnership with NRM Education.

Executive summaryThe highlights for 2017 include:

• 4393 instances of educators directly engaging with

NRM Education staff (e.g. cover individual people at

events/presentations)

• 708 site visits or phone/email contact or events to

support 258 schools and preschools

• 436 schools and preschools engaged with NRM

Education; 298 of them are registered with AuSSI-SA*,

with 33 sites newly registered

• 437 schools and preschools registered with AuSSI-SA

statewide

• 244 instances of schools and preschools achieving

progress to embed Education for Sustainability# (EfS)

in their site culture (activity spread across 108 schools

and preschools)

• 40,419 instances of individuals engaged in EfS

progress events at schools and preschools supported

by NRM Education (staff: 2189 instances; students:

24,596 instances; parents: 13,519 instances; general

community: 115 instances).

*The AuSSI-SA initiative is promoted and managed by the NRM Education team with support from the Department for Education, and involves schools and preschools making a commitment, through registration, to embedding sustainability in their learning and overall site culture. Registration entitles schools and preschools to the full level of support from NRM Education.

#A whole-school approach whereby the NRM Education team works with school/preschool communities to embed sustainability principles in their learning and management practices. Students, staff and parents are provided with resources and support to take informed action at a local level. Benefits include enhanced learning experiences and a reduction in ecological footprints and associated school running costs.

Teachers learning about creating butterfly gardens from NRM Education staff member at an O’Halloran Hill Kindy teacher professional development session

Our program values

• Education for Sustainability and the role it plays

in building resilient and connected (pre)school

communities

• Engagement with nature and the positive impact it

has on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual

wellbeing of young people to foster environmental

stewardship

• Authentic youth voice and the ability of young people

to be meaningfully involved in decision-making

processes, influencing outcomes and taking action

within the community

• High-quality resources and professional support that

enhances capacity for (pre)schools to understand and

embed sustainability at their site

Our visionAll schools and preschools working with their communities to develop knowledge, skills and values to live sustainably

Our team values We are:

• professionals: being the best we can be

• innovators: bringing our ideas to life

• communicators: telling our story and listening to yours

• committed: doing what we love.

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AMLR NRM Education - School & Preschool Interactions 2017

Copyright © Department of Environment and Water 2018. All Rights Reserved. All works and information displayed are subject to Copyright. For the reproduction or publication beyond that permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cwlth) written permission must be sought from the Department. Although everyeffort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information displayed, the Department, its agents, officers and employees make no representations, either express or implied, that the information displayedis accurate or fit for any purpose and expressly disclaims all liability for loss or damage arising from reliance upon the information displayed.

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Produced by: Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges 205 Greenhill Road, Eastwood SA 5063http://www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/adelaidemtloftyrangesData Sources: South Australian GovernmentCompiled: 22 May 2018Projection: Map Grid of Australia, Zone 54Datum: Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994

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AMLR NRM Education School and Preschool Interactions 2017

AMLR NRM Education annual report 2017 | 2

Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Plan 2014-24www .naturalresources .sa .gov .au/adelaidemtloftyranges/about-us/our-regions-plan

K2: Support school sustainability initiatives and opportunities to extend education to their connected communities.

K6: Build urban residents’ understanding and capacity to change behaviour in relation to natural resources management, sustainable living and food production.

South Australia’s Strategic Plansaplan .org .au

Strategic priority:Every chance for every child.

Our Place Our Future - State Natural Resources Management Plan South Australia 2012-17 www .environment .sa .gov .au/files/sharedassets/public/nrm/nrm-gen-statenrmplan .pdf

Priority 3:Build on and improve education programs to ensure the importance of the environment and managing our natural resources sustainably is learnt at an early age.

Strategic context

Department for Environment, Water and Natural Resources Corporate Plan 2016–19www .environment .sa .gov .au/files/sharedassets/public/corporate/about_us/dewnr-corporate-plan-2016-2019 .pdf

Goal 2:Sustaining the natural resources of our state

Goal 3:Connecting people to nature, parks and places

Healthy Parks Healthy People South Australia 2016www .environment .sa .gov .au/files/sharedassets/public/park_management/healthy-parks-healthy-people-gen .pdf

• Promoting physical activity in nature

• Childhood development in nature

Education for a stronger future: Department for Education Strategic Planwww .education .sa .gov .au/department/about-department/education-stronger-future

Goal: Partnerships with parents and carers support children’s learning and development

Goal: Expert teachers have the skills, knowledge and support they need to perform at their highest level every day

NRM Education, through its strategic plan, connects to these broader strategic frameworks

3 | AMLR NRM Education annual report 2017

www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/adelaidemtloftyranges/about-us/our-regions-plan

www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/adelaidemtloftyranges/about-us/our-regions-plan

www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/nrm/nrm-gen-statenrmplan.pdf

www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/nrm/nrm-gen-statenrmplan.pdf

https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/about-us/our-plans



www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/park_management/healthy-parks-healthy-people-gen.pdf



www.education.sa.gov.au/department/about-department/education-stronger-future

www.education.sa.gov.au/department/about-department/education-stronger-future

NRM Education, through its strategic plan, connects to these broader strategic frameworks The purpose of this report is to highlight the achievements of the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management (AMLR NRM) Board’s Education program.

The NRM Education team works with school/preschool communities to embed sustainability principles into their learning and management practices. Students, staff and parents are provided with the resources and support to enable them to take informed action at a local level. The benefits from this process include enhanced learning experiences and a reduction in ecological footprints and the associated school running costs. This whole-school approach is known as Education for Sustainability (EfS).

The activities encompassed by this initiative include assisting schools to: investigate waste, water and energy savings; build frog ponds, veggie beds and butterfly gardens; incorporate nature education into the curriculum; manage food waste with worm farms and compost bins; and investigate wildlife in the school/preschool yard and beyond.

Education for Sustainability also supports the development of problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, skills that are linked to the Australian Curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework.

Our achievements are outlined under five areas from the NRM Education Strategic Plan 2016–17, which guides our work in schools and preschools:

1 . embedding EfS in schools and preschools

2 . skilling and motivating school and preschool staff to

implement EfS

3 . empowering young people to create change in schools

and preschools and their community

4 . encouraging schools and preschools to work with their

communities on local sustainability initiatives

5 . delivering a high-quality program based on latest

research and evaluation.

These goals inform a range of initiatives that are implemented via the NRM Education program and influence our partnerships and resource development.

Introduction

Environmental leaders investigating diversity of creek life at the Vales Young Environmental Leaders Program

244 instances of schools and preschools achieving progress to embed EfS in their site culture (activity spread across 108 schools and preschools)

708 instances of face to face or phone/email support

to 1861 educators and 2475 students from 258 schools to support progress to embed EfS

40,419 instances of individuals engaged in EfS progress events at schools and preschools supported by NRM Education (staff: 2189 instances; students: 24,596 instances: parents: 13,519 instances; general community: 115 instances).

436 schools and preschools engaged with NRM Education. 298 of these are registered with AuSSI-SA*, with 33 sites newly registered in 2017

Goals

Goal 1: Embedding Education for Sustainability in schools and preschools

Progress indicators The primary focus of the NRM Education team is to encourage the uptake of Education for Sustainability (EfS)in schools and preschools because it builds lasting shifts in culture and supports students, staff and families to develop the knowledge, skills and values to live more sustainable lifestyles. By embedding EfS, sustainability becomes an important part of the business of the school and preschool and is valued across the community, meaning that when key staff leave, programs and initiatives such as green teams (staff, parents and students), frog ponds, recycling, composting, food and butterfly gardens are maintained and continue to be an integral part of the nature-connected learning program for students.

Goal 1 is central to the work of the NRM Education team . It underpins all our work and is an overarching goal, guiding the work delivered under goals 2, 3 and 4 .

Embedding EfS at a school or preschool is a process that involves patience, persistence and perseverance. It may begin with a few interested students, teachers or an inspired leader who seek support from NRM Education staff, who in turn assist with identifying possible pathways and addressing challenges. As the school or preschool progresses with its efforts to embed EfS, a greater proportion of children, staff and families become engaged in learning about and participating in sustainable practices.of support.

NRM Education staff focus their efforts in schools where there is a desire to make change. Schools and preschools that are willing to develop a school environmental management plan (SEMP), have leadership support, and are motivated to make sustainability a focus receive priority support from staff.

*The AuSSI-SA initiative is promoted and managed by the NRM Education team with support from the Department for Education and involves schools and preschools making a commitment, through registration, to embedding sustainability in their learning and overall site culture. Registration entitles schools and preschools to the full level of support from NRM Education.


Children planting local native seedlings to create a wildflife garden at Banksia Park Primary School

Once EfS goals have been set, a range of support is offered, including:

• assistance in developing a school environmental

management plan that incorporates learning

• tailored support for long-term sustainability programs

and projects across the school community

• professional development for staff and the broader

community

• support for establishing youth leadership initiatives.

When the specified Education for Sustainability goals are achieved by schools and preschools, they are recorded by NRM Education staff as instances of ‘progress to embed EfS’ and provide a measure of the impact that our support is having in the school. EfS progress activities undertaken by (pre)schools are wide-ranging and include: surveying learning environments around the school and making plans to deliver learning in those spaces; surveying families,

staff and students to determine the highest-priority action areas for sustainability; developing a school environmental management plan outlining the tasks required and who will have responsibility for them; and establishing systems and spaces to support connecting student learning to nature.

This method of supporting (pre)schools to set their own EfS goals and measuring program impact is viewed as innovative. The methodology has been implemented at a school in the United States and presented to acclaim at international conferences in the US and Australia. There is also interest from the University of Shiga Prefecture in Japan, to develop a similar tool for schools in its region.

The following case study showcases a school that has achieved progress in 2017 to embed EfS goals.


Goal 1 Case study: Committing to sustainability learning and embedding practices

Concordia College Early Learning Centre

ContextConcordia College offers education from early years to Year 12 at campuses based in the eastern suburbs. The Early Learning Centre provides education to the children of 37 families. As part of the wider school community, the centre can create interest in sustainability issues and achieve action in classes beyond its immediate surrounds.

The site is unique because of its effective use of a very small urban space, and the way this space is thoughtfully considered and planned. The centre is maximising its available outdoor area by integrating this space with student learning.

Children used concrete materials to contribute their ideas

Vision and values for a more sustainable worldThe three- to five-year vision of the centre is to embed sustainable practices in everyday routines and to foster an appreciation of the natural environment and the connection it has with wellbeing. The actions of the educators and children in the Early Learning Centre reflect an understanding that all individuals are capable and responsible for contributing to a sustainable community.

As, the centre’s vision statement notes:

We believe that the early childhood years lay the foundation for the development of life skills. We believe it is our responsibility to provide an inspiring educational program that will encourage children’s participation, creativity and resilience. We do this through play-based learning, which is widely recognised as best practice for child development. We believe that children learn best when educators and families work in partnership.

We follow the practices and principles of the Early Years Learning Framework, Being Belonging Becoming by:

• Respecting and celebrating the uniqueness of families;

their cultures, customs and heritage.

• Building respectful relationships between all members

of our preschool community.

• Actively creating a safe, welcoming and trusting

learning environment.

• Designing programs for individuals and groups of

children which are engaging, stimulating, and which

reflect their interests and skills.

• Supporting children to take risks and to persist when

challenged. This develops their resilience and sense of

achievement.

• Being educators who are also learners. We are open to

feedback and reflecting on ways we can improve.

• Embracing fun and spontaneity in daily experiences.


Sustainability initiativesThe Early Learning Centre has previously received grants from the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board for a vertical garden and a rainwater tank.

Last year the centre was announced as a state finalist in a competition, run by My Park Rules, at which they won a garden design judged by a landscape architect.

The children at the centre were substantially involved in helping to design the garden for the competition, with construction to begin in September 2017 and be completed in Term 4. The centre also received a grant from the board for the purchase of native plants for the garden.

The outdoor area has many interactive features for play and learning

The mud play area allows children to get their hands dirty as they make a creek system while exploring issues of drought and flooding. With a limited amount of water available to them, they use the blackboard to record how many times a tub is filled, with a maximum of three tubs per session, providing the opportunity for children to understand various water issues.

A rainwater tank will be installed as part of the garden redevelopment and will assist in teaching the students about responsible water use.

Every morning the children engage in a cultural greeting and this represents one way in which staff integrate culture, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Staff and children talk about respect for the land through books, puzzles, videos and visitors to the college.

The centre has also introduced Kaurna language into the program, giving the children the opportunity to learn greetings and animal names and to count in the local Indigenous language. An Acknowledgment of Country in the Kaurna language is made each week.

Using iPads to photograph native trees and plants, the children explore local gardens to connect with the local environment, collecting paperbark from street trees and using them for dot painting. Families contribute to the learning program by bringing in natural items of interest and artefacts from holidays.

Many sustainability practices have become embedded over the last couple of years as children and families have begun to embrace efficient energy use, recycling and materials separation, and ‘nude food’, (bringing healthy whole foods that are not wrapped in disposable packaging) which is now encouraged across the whole primary school.

A number of other initiatives from the centre have been transferred to the primary school; for example, every classroom, and the staff room, has a small bin for food scraps, which the students manage and collect for composting.

Aiding the school’s success is the fact that families from the centre assume that these practices will be continued at the school.


Curriculum connectionsThe inquiry-based curriculum of the Early Learning Centre provides children with a balance of structured programs and play-based experiences, which helps to build a firm foundation for future learning. The centre’s programs take inspiration from the Reggio Emilia philosophy, which recognises children as strong, competent and resourceful learners. The conversations and dialogue the children have at the centre instil in them a sense of agency about their ability to promote sustainability.

Concordia College is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School and the IB Primary Years Program contains a trans-disciplinary theme called Sharing the Planet, where one unit of inquiry is: ‘People have a responsibility to care for the Earth’. This unit allows the children to explore how caring for the earth’s finite resources is the responsibility of all people and includes the maintenance of sustainable practices.

Each child at the centre has their own iPad to enhance and document learning and to reflect on their learning over the year. The iPad also enables them to share their learning with their teachers, peers and families. In addition to the planned curriculum, educators document daily any spontaneous learning experiences on a whiteboard, enabling families to become aware of the activities in which their children have been engaged.

At each year level at the primary school campus, a unit of inquiry on sustainability is researched, with the children learning about these and related issues through the themes, How the World Works and Sharing the Planet.

Sustainability is a regular topic of discussion at the centre staff meetings.

Connecting with communityThe Early Learning Centre encourages connections with the local community. Two Belair National Park Bush Days were run with family members joining in. Families have also been involved in the consultation process on the forthcoming garden renovation, with one parent constructing the centre’s vertical garden, which the children then planted and now maintain.

Staff are connected with other education sites in the local area, sharing resources and stories of initiatives and challenges. The children also visit other schools and preschools to learn from other children.

Meeting challengesA challenge for the centre has been implementing the ‘risk versus benefit’ assessment of the outdoor environment. Staff have transformed their approach to the environment and changed their perspective on children’s engagement with nature and the elements.

Children are now encouraged to fully engage with nature, irrespective of the weather conditions or how messy they may get. They are provided with jumpsuits and gumboots for wet weather play. Staff communicate the benefits of outdoor play and explain to the families that their children may get dirty. Work Health and Safety staff have also been involved in learning about the benefits of carefully managed ‘risky’ play.

NRM Education supportWith support from the NRM Education team, Concordia College Early Learning Centre has set a range of EfS goals and is working in partnership with the team to ensure these are achieved.

NRM Education supported staff to develop and maintain their Site Environment Management Plan, documenting their achievements, goals and the actions constituting the next steps. Staff members have also been involved in NRM Education’s professional development opportunities – as participants and guest speakers – sharing their methods of authentically engaging the children’s voice.

They also received support in applying for the grants being used in the development and augmentation of their outdoor space.


Communication and participation

Each year the Early Learning Centre hosts a parent information night to update families on the new initiatives that staff regularly introduce to the site. This is achieved through the parent handbook, fortnightly updates, a newsletter and Facebook page, with updates on initiatives and further resources.

An art exhibition was held at the centre to showcase the children’s photos of nature, crushed flower artwork and nature sculptures. Staff found that the exhibition helped to stimulate discussions about nature with families and reaffirmed their values about nature to the community.

Floor books have been used to enable families to be informed about the discussions children have on environmental and sustainability issues. Previous floor books have been devoted to Indigenous cultures and exploring attitudes for learning.

OutcomesThe various environment and sustainability-focused initiatives embedded over the last couple of years have produced a number of noticeable outcomes, most importantly in terms of sustainability, that families now have the expectation ‘this is how things are done’.

These initiatives include: separating waste by means of bin systems; bringing ‘nude food’ to the site; planting and harvesting herbs and vegetables; and understanding that children will be engaging with nature and therefore may come home dirty.

A flow-on outcome has been that families moving from the centre to the primary school assume that these practices are ongoing, which has seen the primary school continue the initiatives and behavioural expectations.

Staff also report that many initiatives have been adopted by families at home, including bin systems, planting vegetables or native plants. Children also relate how they now spend less time in front of screens on weekends, which staff find very satisfying.

A scale model of the proposed garden renovation

Next stepsMany ‘next steps’ are planned for the Early Learning Centre, the largest one being the redevelopment of their outdoor space. Once this is completed later in the year, the plan is to connect the rainwater tank to enable outdoor play and garden watering, at the same time relating this to learning.

The staff at the centre are also planning to increase their use of digital technologies as a learning tool for children and a communication tool to provide information to families about student learning and progress.


3 cluster groups supporting school and preschool staff sharing, networking and professional learning meeting at least twice per year

Goal 2: Skilling and motivating school and preschool staff to implement Education for Sustainability (EfS)

Progress indicators Supporting staff at schools and preschools to develop knowledge and skills about EfS and to value the way it can create the change they’d like to see at their sites is a key focus of NRM Education. We assist staff to develop this knowledge by sharing case studies, providing teacher professional development and on-site visits, and through the provision of resources.

NRM Education aims to:

• inspire and motivate (pre)school staff to use an EfS

approach

• build the capacity of staff to deliver quality EfS learning.

Over the last 12 months NRM Education has continued to focus on encouraging the uptake of EfS amongst school and preschool staff, measuring the shift in the school’s and community’s capacity to live more sustainable lifestyles.

The strategies and tools that support this focus include:

• investing increased NRM Education staff time with

those schools and preschools willing to embrace EfS as

part of a whole-of-site sustainability approach (Culture

and People category of support from NRM Education)

• presenting regular examples of the results of

embedding EfS in schools and preschools via NRM

Education’s electronic newsletter, ‘Weekly Digest’

• sharing the EfS goals set by schools and preschools on

our website.

1139 instances of educators building skills, collaborating and sharing approaches and resources at

74 professional development events involving

212 schools

41 schools and preschools documenting sustainability initiatives in their School Environmental Management Plan

480 instances of face to face or phone/email support to 1401 educators from 214 schools to assist implementation of EfS


In the case study below Blackwood Primary School highlights its approaches to providing authentic learning for students through hands-on sustainability initiatives.

NRM Education activities that support (pre)school staff in schools include:

• providing tools, resources and training to improve the

knowledge, skills and confidence of staff to deliver

quality EfS learning

• establishing a sustainability committee to work

intensely with groups of staff within the various sites to

build EfS capacity

• facilitating opportunities for staff to network with staff

at other sites to share ideas and learn from each other

in achieving EfS outcomes

• working with principals and other leaders to motivate

and support their staff in developing a culture of

sustainability.

NRM Education provides assistance to staff with all of these activities through on-site visits or via phone and email.

Curiosity and wonder is fostered when Blackwood Kindergarten children have time to explore in natural settings


Goal 2 Case study: Skilled staff supporting authentic learning opportunities for sustainability

Blackwood Primary SchoolEnthusiastic sustainability advocate Jude Brown, a teacher at Blackwood Primary School, partnered with keen parent Pia Grimm to submit an application for an NRM Schools Action Grant for a vegetable garden and fruit trees on the school grounds. Their success in winning the grant for their project is attributable to good planning, identifying explicit links to learning, and allocating a budget. Free recycled timber frames were collected from AVK Valves in Wingfield and then constructed and filled with soil during working bees. Students planted seedlings and stone fruit trees during school time.

Blackwood Primary School was invited to join the NRM Education Southern Youth Environment Leaders Program (YELP) for 2017, and an environmental committee was formed with Year 6 and 7 students from Jude’s class. The committee made the decision to undertake a whole-school composting program – no small feat for the food scraps from over 300 students and 38 staff!

The ‘active’ compost bin, accepting all of the school’s food scraps

Jude also created space in her teaching program to allow the students to manage the physical aspects of composting, as well as developing an education program for the other students at the school. All classes were given compost caddies, which sit in their classroom and are emptied by the students into one of four 400 L Gedye composting bins.

Finished compost, ready for the garden

The students noticed that many of the scraps being thrown into the bins were barely eaten, which meant that their decomposition was taking much longer. A surprising amount of plastic was also appearing in the bin, forcing students to separate it from partially decomposing compost. Finally, although a sign on the front of the ‘active’ bin indicated that it was the one to be filled, students noticed that all bins were being used for scraps, meaning that there was never any finished compost available.

Jude invited Sam Ryan from NRM Education to run a composting session with the students to assist them to develop a system for the school. To reduce the need for compostable liners in the caddies, Sam suggested lining them with newspaper, which also added much needed carbon to the mix.


In addition to these physical changes to the composting system, the students recognised that they needed to educate the whole school about how the system worked, specifically what was required to keep the composting running smoothly. The students who were less interested in getting their hands dirty created animations to explain the system, by way of a character called ‘Compost Girl’. The Year 6 and 7 students also buddied with students from Junior Primary, whom they called ‘Little Sprouts’. These two educational measures resulted in far less plastic entering the bins, a reduction in uneaten food, and no food waste entering the ‘resting’ bins.

During the final YELP session for 2017, the student environmental leaders at Blackwood Primary School had the opportunity to share their learning and achievements with other schools, with the students proudly presenting their beautiful finished compost and healthy vegetable garden, along with the educational materials they had developed.

Youth Environment Leader explaining the compost system to other school students


A range of partnerships assist NRM Education staff to achieve Goal 2, with significant achievements listed below

Department for EducationEngagement with the Department for Education continues across a broad range of activities, underpinned by a memorandum of understanding that also incorporates funding contributions from the department to support the maintenance of the Youth Environment Council and administration of AuSSI-SA across the state. The activities include:

• supporting STEM (science, technology, engineering,

mathematics) ambassador school student leaders to

investigate connections between nature learning and

STEM inquiry

• working with the Department for Education’s assets

team to ensure that the management of schools’

infrastructure and their resource use are connected to

student learning programs via the low carbon schools

pilot project

Partnerships

• co-delivering a STEM in outdoor environments

professional development session to ensure that

schools consider sustainability projects as they enhance

and develop their STEM programs

• supporting preschool outdoor learning area sites with

resources and advice to enhance natural learning

spaces and nature-learning programs

• transferring the sustainable and attainable

environmental auditing tools suite from the Department

for Education website to the Natural Resources

Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges website

to enable better integration with existing NRM

Eductation resources.

NRM Education staff assisted 282 Department for Education schools and preschools in 2017, including one-on-one (site visit, phone or email) support to 138 schools and preschools to arrange the establishment of a sustainability focus at their site.

‘NRM Education has been an exceptional external partner, working extensively with the Department for Education (DfE) so that its curriculum materials, resources and projects are well aligned to our current departmental priorities. The benefits of this collaboration are recognised and valued by DfE, school leaders and teachers.

It has been a key resource for the STEM Student Ambassador project, using student voice to enhance the quality and authenticity of environmental education and closely linking to learning areas and the Cross Curriculum Priority of Sustainability in the Australian Curriculum. The depth of expertise and knowledge that its education officers bring, assists and enables teachers to extend and challenge student learning.’

Brenton Willson, Leadership Development, Department for Education

NRM Education presenting on opportunities for STEM in outdoor environments at Lead Teachers Conference


Catholic Education South AustraliaCatholic Education South Australia (CESA) is an important partner, with 59 Catholic schools assisted by NRM Education, including 35 of these receiving in-school support to work on Education for Sustainability and ‘Ecological Conversion’, which is Catholic Education South Australia’s call for action in response to the Popes Encyclical Laudato Si.

NRM Education and CESA co-delivered a teacher training workshop, ‘Ecology, Faith, Wonder and Learning’, connecting ecological conversion to ways of engaging the community in sustainability issues, developing natural spaces, creating a curriculum addressing environmental and sustainability issues, and promoting sustainable practices.

NRM Education also supported a network of Catholic schools involved in the Naturally Smart program, which links schools around the globe in sharing and learning about sustainability initiatives and supports development projects in African communities.

KESAB Sustainable Communities Awards NRM Education combined its Education for Sustainability Showcase and Awards with the broader KESAB Sustainable Communities Awards and Expo held on 28 November. Nine sites from the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges region received recognition, with two of these presenting a five-minute showcase on their efforts to 80 guests. The feedback from the presentation indicated that attendees were able to identify new ideas for initiatives for their own schools.

The AMLR sites to receive recognition were:

• Banksia Park Kindergarten

• Banksia Park School R–7

• Blackwood Primary School

• Bridgewater Kindergarten

• Clarence Park Community Kindergarten

• Concordia College Early Learning Centre

• Reynella South School Preschool

• Torrensville Primary School

• West Beach Primary School.

Teachers learning to make bee hotels at the NRM Education and Catholic Education co-delivered workshop

Bridgewater Kindergarten received a certificate of recognition for its efforts in embedding Education for Sustainability


Flinders University Education Faculty partnershipThe partnership between NRM Education and the Education Faculty of Flinders University continues to ensure that students participating in teacher education programs have an increased awareness of how sustainability is integrated into the curriculum, the philosophy behind Education for Sustainability principles and practices, and how these can be applied in their teaching practice.

They are also provided with an overview of how the NRM Education program supports teachers and the resources available.

During 2017 NRM Education worked with the leadership group at Flinders University to identify where and how to build EfS into course content. A number of sessions were planned and the ensuing lectures and workshops included:

• a lecture to 250 fourth-year Geography students in

the Flinders University Teacher Education Program on

sustainability in the curriculum, the way in which the

NRM Education program supports teachers using a

whole-school approach, and the resources available for

schools’ programs

• a follow-up workshop run with 24 fourth-year

Geography students on the NRM Education program,

ways to utilise the program’s resources and where to

link them to the curriculum

• a lecture to the Early Years students on the NRM

Education program and how the program has worked

with the Hub Drive Preschool in its sustainability

journey.

The University of South Australia Water Literacies ProjectNRM Education collaborated with the University of South Australia to support a pilot of Water Literacies, a place-based outdoor learning project connecting schools to local marine and/or aquatic environments. NRM Education supported the project by liaising with University of South Australia staff and providing educational resources and knowledge to teaching staff and students

Students gained skills across the arts, languages, maths, science, engineering and technology. Repeated visits to a natural setting allowed students time to design their own learning, while seeking expertise from the broader community, businesses and government. Students undertook individual or group projects inspired by time spent in the wetlands and presented their work to parents and families through a school based expo. Students also developed fliers, promoting and providing information on steps members of the community can take to care for the wetlands, which were handed out at the local shopping centre. Students also justified their research and opinion to other students through in class debates.

Through this project students gained skills in public speaking, debate, community engagement and development, advocacy and pride in their neighbourhood.


OPAL garden professional developement partnershipNRM Education partnered with community development staff from the City of Holdfast Bay and City of West Torrens to deliver a series of four professional development sessions for educators. The sessions focused on managing and utilising school food gardens, with each hosted by a different primary school. Council staff approached schools and took bookings, while NRM Education ran the sessions and organised presenters. In addition to having a site tour and the opportunity for participants to share ideas and ask questions, each session highlighted a particular area of food gardening. The topics covered included starting and sustaining a food garden, composting at school, propagating, and linking food gardens to classroom learning and the Australian Curriculum. At each session feedback was sought from participants, which was overwhelmingly positive, with one educator writing, ‘Always a great couple of hours. Really appreciate getting out there amongst it in schools and hearing and seeing their stories’. Educators also recorded their topics of interest for future sessions, providing a long list of ideas for exploration in 2018.

Educators brainstorming on how to link curriculum areas with garden topics

Lutheran EducationNRM Education staff gave support (site visit, phone/ email advice) to 16 Lutheran schools, including the provision of:

• advice on grant applications

• local species identification charts

• equipment to support learning in nature

• assistance in planning and support for planting events

• support in the development of a school environmental

management plan

• the program’s rubric planning tool to track EfS progress

• help to Student Voice groups in the development of

on-ground projects.

NRM Education also presented at the National Lutheran Education Leaders Conference in Hahndorf.

TAFESA: Cool Campus CollectiveNRM Education staff supported Urrbrae Agricultural High School and Urrbrae TAFE in the creation of their Cool Campus Collective, a working group considering the implementation of sustainability initiatives across the entire Urrbrae campus. A key focus was to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and included a whole-site bin audit and the establishment of a new bin system. Staff from Wipe Out Waste, the Department for Education head office, TAFESA head office and Veolia were also involved.

Nature education collaboration sub-groupA collaboration between Nature Play SA, the Department for Education, NRM Education, and the Department for Environment and Water (Parks and Aboriginal Engagement staff) has been developed with the aim of ensuring that teachers have the knowledge, skills and values to provide opportunities for children to experience nature as a key part of their learning program. Among the outcomes in 2017 were a professional development session delivered to educators from partner organisations at the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary and scoping for a bush kindy video to be developed to highlight opportunities for kindies to carry out nature-learning programs in national parks.


204 instances of Youth Voice-related support activities (on site, via phone and email) to 998 students and 508 staff to support achievement of EfS progress

89 students from 19 schools attending Youth Voice clusters to network, share and develop

leadership skills

Goal 3: Empowering young people to create change in their schools, preschools and community

Progress indicators Through student capacity-building programs, NRM Education endeavours to:

• raise the profile of an authentic youth voice in the

community

• create a culture of youth voice in (pre)schools so that

students can meaningfully contribute to decision-

making structures

• increase the number of young people leading and role-

modelling sustainability in their communities.

Engaged and empowered students can add new dimensions to school and preschool culture, policy and site environment management plans. NRM Education supports students to become involved in decision-making, planning and action. These rich learning experiences help students to become responsible and resilient citizens with the skills to recognise and solve local problems.

Student capacity-building programs include:

• Youth Environment Leadership Program:

students research, take action and present on a topic

that will help their school community to achieve greater

environmental sustainability.

• Youth Environment Council of South Australia:

students in Years 7 to 10 are selected from across the

state to participate in leadership workshops, take action

on the environmental issues facing their communities

and share their initiatives with government and school

representatives.

• Youth mentoring: NRM Education staff visit student

environment groups to assist in developing plans and

projects in their school. Resources are available to

assist students and their supporting teachers to explore

sustainability issues and to emphasise the importance of

a youth voice in sustainability initiatives.

53 students from 41 schools across the state involved in the Youth Environment Council

59 schools and preschools, with students as partners or drivers,

achieving 94 progress events to embed EfS


Youth Environment Leadership Program This program focuses on empowering young people by bringing youth together who are passionate about the environment, have a desire to contribute positively to their school community, and wish to pursue personal growth. The program builds strategies and processes to support student decision-making and planning, and helps young people take action through a sustainability project of their choice.

In 2017, NRM Education ran nine YELP events with three cluster groups, successfully engaging 89 students and 22 teachers from 17 schools. The program supports student groups and the wider school community to embed sustainable projects into the school culture and processes. This ensures the sustainability of the projects in the years that follow, as well as strengthening the authentic student voice.


Youth Environment CouncilThe Youth Environment Council (YEC) is an initiative of the board and the Department for Education. In 2017 the council was comprised of 53 student representatives in Years 7–11, selected by application from 41 schools across South Australia. Students participated in a series of events designed to build their leadership and project-planning skills, which culminated in a project for taking action in sustainability in their local school communities.

I did come away more inspired and really wanting to do something and put in place some actions to do when I get back to school. Oliver, Year 9, YEC mentor

Seven former YEC representatives were selected according to merit to be YEC Mentors in 2017, and attended an overnight camp at Monarto Zoo in March. The aims of the camp are to provide mentors with the skills and confidence to advance their mentoring journey, develop their leadership styles, build trust between their peers and NRM Education staff, and to plan upcoming events such as the YEC Sustainability Forum and the three-day YEC Leadership Camp.

The mentor role includes being a positive role model, supporting new students to settle in and feel welcome, leading activities, and demonstrating leadership skills. YEC mentors also play an increasingly strategic role in the ongoing development of the YEC program and promoting the importance of empowering the youth voice in support of the environment. The YEC mentoring program is one of the hallmarks of South Australia’s Youth Environment Council.

Sustainability forumThe new student members of the 2017 Youth Environment Council met on 13 April for their first event of the year, a forum at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. The forum gave the students an opportunity to get to know each other and prepare for their YEC projects and the year ahead. Students explored how individuals are connected to the environment through one or more of their senses, as well as reflected on the ecological and social systems that operate around us. Students also discussed the importance of Youth Voice, by sharing their own school examples of how it had been implemented and providing suggestions of how to increase student involvement in their communities.

It is much better to work in groups than being alone and it takes courage to act but the results are worth it. Olivia, Year 7, YEC representative


Leadership camp

Arbury Park Outdoor School was the perfect setting for Youth Environment Council members to learn and experience nature first-hand, work with like-minded people and develop their communication and leadership skills. A key focus of the camp in July, was bringing students together to share their knowledge of and passion for their chosen sustainability and environmental topic, and to develop ideas and plans for taking action within their schools and communities.

Student projects were a major theme over the three days, with students working in groups and brainstorming ideas around areas of interest. Students identified actions they wanted to take, such as working with the local council on renewable energy options, making stuffed animals as a fundraiser for endangered species, revegetating school grounds, starting a nature club, creating art from beach rubbish to raise awareness of coastal issues, improving the humane treatment of livestock, reducing litter and providing families with alternative options to palm oil at their local shops.

YEC members developed a sense of place and a deeper understanding of the local ecology by exploring this special part of Bridgewater with Arbury Park and NRM Education staff, orienteering, participating in the school’s sustainable practices, revegetating the creek line, and taking part in a night frog hunt. The hidden curriculum revolved around team building, showing initiative and taking risks. A highlight for students was guest speaker Trent Hill (Indigenous Culture for Kids), who demonstrated the sophisticated technologies traditionally used by his family for hunting and gathering. Trent also shared a dreaming story about taking responsibility and showing respect, both of which resonated with many YEC members.

Coming away from the camp, YEC members reported they had developed or strengthened the following skills and knowledge: leadership, confidence, teamwork, resilience, ideas for helping the environment and local community, including others’ ideas, making opportunities, social skills, and how to approach teachers and principals.

I learnt that I can make a change in the community/world even though I am just a kid. Alabama, Year 7, YEC representative

Online discussion forum

Following the camp, students took their evolving project ideas back to their regions for further development and to gather support from their school communities for its implementation. Students stayed in touch with their YEC peers using the online forum to share project updates, achievements, run surveys and troubleshoot their challenges. This online tool was also used by NRM Education staff to remotely mentor YEC representatives across the state.

Staff supported students to navigate their project planning and delivery, answered student requests and posted links to relevant resources. The online forum was also used to support students to prepare their project displays for the last event of the year. YEC representatives were asked to complete two online tasks between the Sustainability Forum and the Sharing and Celebration event. Task one was completed by 31 students and task two was completed by 10 students.


YEC sustainability forum, Adelaide Botanic Gardens, April 13

Sharing and celebration forum

YEC students assembled for the final event of the year to share and showcase their completed projects in an ‘expo’ style event, with each student representative creating a project display that illustrated the sustainability project they had worked on since the YEC Leadership Camp. Projects that focused on global issues included raising awareness and funds for cheetah conservation, consumerism, ocean litter, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, renewable energy and teaching fellow students about genetically modified organisms. Projects with a local focus included resource recovery, the creation of nature and learning spaces in the school grounds (vegetable, butterfly, indigenous plants and cultural use gardens, composting), revegetation, water saving at school, feral cats, and establishing student environment groups at school.

Guests were invited to view the project displays, and students had the opportunity to promote and celebrate their efforts. The highlight of the day was showcasing the expo displays to parents/caregivers and invited guests, including Ms Nat Cook, MP, State Member for Fisher. Ms Cook took time to talk with students about their projects and exchange ideas, particularly about ‘spreading the word’ and how she could help. The area displaying the students’ projects was a buzz of energy, as ideas were shared and future contacts, with Ms Cook presenting certificates and gifts, marking the completion of another successful year.

My advice to others doing a similar project is, if you’re really enthusiastic and care about it, go for it! Try your best and if it doesn’t work out to the way you’re exactly looking for, at least you’ve tried and someone would have got something out of it. Connor, Year 8, YEC representative

My values and goals have changed (in a good way) over the 3 years I’ve been a part of YEC. I can’t wait to see what other kids in many years to come can do with this fantastic program. Anonymous, YEC representative


SACE research project and NRM Education online portalAs part of a focus to encourage secondary schools to embed EfS, the NRM Education team held a stall at the SACE expo, at which Year 10 and 11 students were encouraged to consider topics related to sustainability for their SACE research project. The SACE research project is a compulsory component of the South Australian Certificate of Education. All students attempting to complete their certificate must study one particular topic in detail as part of the project. Students choose a topic of interest to them and the research project is guided by an inquiry question. Students attempt to answer this question throughout their project.

In an effort to offer greater support to secondary students interested in studying sustainability, the NRM Education team developed an avenue to connect students to staff from Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges (AMLR). A website portal was developed in collaboration with staff from the Department for Education and the Association for Secondary Research Teachers to enable students to access the specialist information and expertise of Natural Resources AMLR staff. Students access the portal through the Natural Resources AMLR website and provide their contact details and information about their individual research project question. An NRM Education Officer either answers the students’ questions or contacts the most relevant staff member, based on the information provided. Procedures and protocols are in place to ensure that any correspondence with students complies with childsafe guidelines. To view the portal visit this link:

www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/adelaidemtloftyranges/education/for-students/sace-research-project-request

Youth MentoringA key to enabling Youth Voice opportunities for students in schools, is to provide mentoring, with an emphasis on developing leadership skills and capacity to take local action. Mentoring includes individual school visits to attend student meetings, the development and distribution of resources to build the capacity of teachers to encourage an effective youth voice, the provision of technical advice for on-ground student-driven projects, and training for students to encourage a ‘kids teaching kids’ culture.

Throughout 2017, NRM Education staff provided assistance to 508 teachers and 998 students through 227 events (including mentoring visits to individual Youth Voice groups, providing resources, assistance with school planning and general support activities) to support Youth Voice. To create a culture and raise the profile of an authentic youth voice in (pre)schools, NRM Education highlights positive school stories, case studies and Youth Voice models to promote and inspire effective Youth Voice strategies in schools. In 2017, four case studies (three videos and one written) were developed promoting student participation in decision-making processes related to Education for Sustainability.




Goal 3 Case study: Student Voice in secondary schools – how schools are nurturing student passion for the environment

The following is an overview of the case study video, Student Voice in Secondary Schools, which showcases Student Voice models in place at four secondary schools in the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges. The video can be viewed at:

www.youtube.com/user/amlrnrmboard and scroll down to the ‘Sustainable schools’ section.

The video celebrates and showcases the achievements of four South Australian secondary schools in promoting Student Voice. The lively student and staff interviews provide a unique insight into how each of these schools is nurturing students’ passion for the environment. The video is an excellent tool for school staff and students in assisting their understanding of Student Voice and of what is possible, and as a catalyst for further action. The video reveals how each school is developing its own special Student Voice culture, yet the common theme remains the same: encouraging greater links between environmental groups, the wider student body and school leadership as Student Voice becomes embedded in the school culture. This enables students to lead change more effectively in their school and community.

The four schools profiled in the video are:

Golden Grove High School Hear two student presidents describe how they ensure that the opinions of their fellow students are heard. The Humanities and Social Sciences and Sustainability Coordinator explains how the year level councils work and how, through this mechanism, students are able to teach others about the social, cultural and environmental issues they’re passionate about. And, finally, hear the Student Voice Home Group Teacher explain the structure of the vertical home group, with students from all year levels combining to represent the voices of all students at Golden Grove High School.

Glenunga International High School A Student Life Coordinator is responsible for the 50 student-led clubs and groups at Glenunga. Listen to him explain his role in supporting and encouraging Student Voice and the benefits he sees in it for students. The Environment Club Captain (a student) explains how the club functions and gives an overview of some of the projects they have worked on.

Nuriootpa High School Hear about the history of Student Voice at Nuriootpa from the Science and Sustainability Coordinator, and listen to the former Student Representative Council (SRC) President, Sustainability Working Group member and previous YEC Mentor, explain the waste project that changed the school culture.

Urrbrae Agricultural High SchoolListen to the Urrbrae Wetland Manager explain how the internal and external programs are woven into the curriculum to provide opportunities for students to lead groups and mentor younger students. And hear a student member of the Environmental Focus Group explain a little about the group, why she joined, and how it links with the school’s SRC.


www.youtube.com/user/amlrnrmboard

107 instances of progress to embed EfS achieved at 53 schools and preschools with the broader community as partners or participants

Goal 4: Encourage schools and preschools to work with their communities on local sustainability initiatives

Progress indicators In 2017 NRM Education focused on initiatives to strengthen preschools’ and schools’ abilities to work with, and influence, their communities to take action on local sustainability initiatives.

The NRM Education team has concentrated its efforts on working with schools where exploring sustainability initiatives with the community has been a priority.

A range of partnerships have been developed with the City of Onkaparinga, TAFE, Friends of Groups, other Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges programs and Rotary to encourage more preschools and schools to work with their community. These are outlined below, while, at the end of this section, a case study describes the progress of the Brownhill Creek Education and Revegetation Group over the last year.

Schools connecting with communityBurton Primary School students approached and interviewed street sweepers and maintenance workers responsible for monitoring and maintaining the gross pollutant traps in the local wetlands. The students then used the information gained from the interviews to develop fliers promoting responsible litter disposal and home gutter maintenance and to explain the interaction between litter, pollutants and leaves, and animals living within the wetlands.

These fliers were handed out to members of the community at the local shopping centre to raise awareness of human impacts on the wetland system and how these impacts affect bird life and water quality in the wetlands.

Urrbrae TAFE students working with the Tennyson Dunes GroupThe NRM Education team delivered lecture sessions on environmental interpretation to provide Urrbrae TAFE Conservation and Land Management students with the skills to develop interpretive programs and signage for the Tennyson Dunes, in collaboration with the Tennyson Dunes Group which advocates for the conservation and enhancement of the dunes system. The signage and programs were displayed at a launch for the public.

138 instances of behaviour

change in the community as a result of school initaiatives reported by 50 teacher survey responders (2017 teacher survey).


Nuriootpa students growing plants for Pinery Fire Schools Revegetation project

Our Big Back YardOur Big Back Yard (OBBY) is an initiative developed by City of Onkaparinga in partnership with NRM Education staff to strengthen communities’ connection with the natural spaces in their local area. Maps developed by the community identify natural spaces and the activities on offer there. The initiative is gaining momentum with residents across the region.

NRM Education, along with the City of Onkaparinga and other partners, launched the Christies OBBY ’Fifty things to do in Christies before you are 12’, with maps indicating where these activities take place. The launch was attended by over 300 people and officials from the Christies Beach area.

STEM @ FleurieuThe NRM Education team has a representative on the STEM @ Fleurieu Steering Committee, working with schools in the Fleurieu region on STEM projects with local rural and conservation industries. NRM Education staff also helped to judge STEM projects submitted by high schools. NRM Education and STEM @ Fleurieu organised a ‘Science in the Pub’ session at the Normanville Hotel, with a focus on climate change as it relates to hydrogeology, coast and marine issues and citizen science. The event was attended by 35 community members and school staff from Yankalilla Area School.

Students hands on with Pinery revegetation Seven schools from the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges region have come together in the Pinery Fire Schools Revegetation Project to grow local native seedlings for the families and landholders affected by the 2015 Pinery fire. Each of the schools is growing around 500 seedlings, which will be handed out at the Barossa Bushgardens Open Day in May 2018 along with seedlings provided by Trees for Life and Vittura..

Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges staff from the Northern District and the NRM Education team worked together to involve the schools in the program and to engage students in the recovery process, which has many positive effects for student and community wellbeing.

This is a hands-on project, one that teaches valuable skills by learning about the habitat and farm value of native plants and how they are grown. It also teaches students useful lessons about how communities work together to support each other.

NRM Education contacted schools in the Natural Resources AMLR region about participation in the initiative and had an overwhelming response, with many schools volunteering to help. Schools taking part in the program includes Nuriootpa, Freeling, Mallala and Kapunda primary schools, Nuriootpa and Craigmore high schools, and Faith Lutheran College.

The initiative with schools, coordinated by Natural Resources AMLR staff including NRM Education and supported by the The Barossa Council, aims to grow 4000 of the 20,000 local native plants to be given out.

Students immersed themselves in Grey Mangroves as part of an NRM Education-led visit to the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary

Port Adelaide Enfield community’s biodiversity assets projects The City of Port Adelaide Enfield has been exploring ways to improve land management at a number of key sites, including to increase biodiversity, by working more effectively with community groups and volunteers, and incorporating citizen science into its data collection.

To support this, NRM Education staff were involved in a number of meetings and workshops with teachers, students and representatives from local community organisations. Two key sessions were a community frog- and bat-monitoring evening, and the ‘Mudflats to Coast’ day with Portside Christian College.

At the frog- and bat-monitoring evening, an NRM Education Officer talked to the group about local frogs and how volunteers can help collect information on them using the FrogSpotter app. This included a visit to the Roy Amer Reserve to undertake a survey using the app.

At the ‘Mudflats to Coast’ day an NRM Education Officer led two groups of students through a beachcombing activity, during which students spent time collecting shells and other animal and plant material washed up on the beach. Identification charts were used to identify the material and inform students about the variety of creatures living in the sea and on the coastal fringe. The presentation included a discussion on marine pollution, particularly the impact that litter is having on the marine environment, such as the presence of plastics in the diet of seabirds and an international example which highlighted the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Park of the Month activitiesNRM Education was involved in the Park of the Month Program, whereby a range of activities are conducted for schools and the public in various parks in the AMLR region. These were:

• NRM Education staff presented to students from Two

Wells, Virginia and Mallala primary schools at the

Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary in November.

Students participated in nature-based activities along

the Mangrove Trail and St Kilda foreshore and were

involved in shore and wetland bird identification and

sensory activities in the Grey Mangrove system, and

played shorebird migration games.

• Web pages were developed for all eight AMLR Park of

the Month parks and included both ‘Schools in Parks’

and ‘Kids Exploring Parks’ pages, which feature specific

educational resources for each park.

• NRM Education contributed to the running of various

open days in parks, including Bugs, Birds and Bush

Exploring in Belair National Park and two Morialta

Discovery Day events.

• Park of the Month activities were promoted to the

2500 teachers on NRM Education’s mailing list,

showcasing how schools have utilised parks for

learning.

• NRM Education contributed and edited ‘40 things to

do’ brochures for each AMLR Park of the Month park.

• At the Anstey Hill Recreation Park Open Day NRM

Education provided a stall that offered resources to

support families to connect with nature.


Tanunda Green Space Connectivity Map

Greenspace connectivity concept promotes school and community linksNRM Education and The Barossa Council are promoting greenspace connectivity at the local level, prompting the formation of a new community group (Tanunda Woodlands Group) and providing a vehicle for school and community action, both on the ground and through raising awareness of broader climate adaptation issues. The involvement of multiple stakeholders, for example, The Barossa Council, two local schools, NRM Education, Rotary, a community group, Barossa Bushgardens and corporate volunteers, offers strategic advantages to projects such as this.

The development of a map (see above) showing the collective greenspace on the east side of Tanunda is helping to change the lens through which Barossans think about plants and greenspaces in their towns and there is an opportunity for schools’ involvement both on-ground (tree planting) and above-ground (that is, incorporation of climate issues such as the urban heat island effect and local cooling into the curriculum). The project is also helping to change community attitudes towards local greenspaces.

Faith Lutheran College has approved the planting of a new buffer to connect the school grounds to nearby remnant woodland. As the map shows, far from being a standalone piece of remnant vegetation, the heritage-listed native pine woodland (refer to section 1a on the Tanunda Green Space Connectivity Map) is actually buffered and linked to 13 other patches of nearby vegetation, which, when viewed as a whole, is far greater than the sum of its parts.

Vegetation cooling helps to reduce the effects of urban heat islands, whereby built-up areas collect and trap heat. Urban heat islands are caused by a number of different conditions, such as a lack of vegetation, and dark surfaces such as roads, roofs and buildings, as well as waste heat from cars, industry and air conditioners.

Greenspaces do the opposite: they provide cooler spaces, as well as cool down neighbouring areas.


Discovery Circle BioblitzNRM Education assisted UniSA’s Discovery Circle unit and the City of Marion by arranging for an officer to be interviewed for a short video segment at Oaklands Wetland, in particular to discuss the importance of the constructed wetlands as habitat for frogs.

NRM Education also ran sessions at the wetlands during the Bioblitz, two of which looked at the history of the area, with particular reference to changing land use over the last 100 years. The issue of the resultant reduction in habitat in the area was raised, especially tree hollows. The sessions included inspecting nest boxes, used as tree hollow alternatives, with a nest-box camera system, to view inside with minimal disturbance to the animals. Observing common possums inside a number of the boxes was a particular thrill for participants.

In November 2017, as part of another BioBlitz citizen science event, NRM Education led a migratory shorebird activity for children and families at St Kilda, the southern gateway to the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary. Children and parents participated in the activity, learning about shorebird migration, threats to shorebird survival and the important role that humans can play to protect and share coastal habitat with shorebirds.

NRM Education also ran two sessions on frogs at the site, including discussion about the species found throughout the AMLR region and the use of the FrogSpotter app to survey and identify frogs on the wetland.

Go Green ChallengeThe NRM Education collaboration with the Refresh Project (private enterprise) continued in 2017 with cross-promotion of the Go Green Challenge and app through the Weekly Digest email list and by direct promotion by staff working in schools. Advice and support were also provided to develop materials to increase the value of the program to participating schools and preschools.

The project attracted more than $10,000 in funding from businesses, enabling more than 300 schools to access free places in the program.

Through the project and app (part-funded by Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board) families of school and preschool children were encouraged to explore a range of sustainable behaviours, including reducing waste to landfill, conserving energy and water, spending more time in parks and reserves, growing native and food plants and reducing chemical use around the home.


Goal 4 Case study: School and community group partnership

Brownhill Creek Education and Revegetation Group: one year on

Action day transect plant monitoring

The Brownhill Creek Education and Revegetation Group is a community-based partnership involving the Brownhill Creek Association, NRM Education, Natural Resources AMLR rangers and volunteer support officers, Urrbrae Agricultural High School, Scotch College, Mercedes College and Urrbrae TAFE.

Formalised early in 2016, the aim of the partnership was to explore ways to encourage schools to be involved in on-ground action to improve biodiversity in their local community, namely, Brownhill Creek Recreation Park.

All three schools involved in the cluster have adopted a section of Brownhill Creek to work on to improve the biodiversity over the long term, with support from the Brownhill Creek Association, and Natural Resources AMLR’s Volunteer Support and NRM Education teams. The project focuses on linking the schools with the community, providing authentic outdoor learning opportunities and achieving positive biodiversity outcomes.

On 24 November the group ran a school action day at Brownhill Creek, at which the students, staff and parents from all three schools visited their adopted sites in the park and undertook activities to familiarise themselves with the area. These included setting up monitoring quadrants and transects at their sites and undertaking activities to develop their skills, such as creating herbariums, photopoint monitoring and fauna surveys. The knowledge gained and data collected from these activities will assist the group to manage their sites more effectively in the future.

Since the action day the students have trained other classes at their schools and shared the knowledge they gained. During the training students spoke about the priority issues for their sites and developed action plans for their ongoing maintenance. A number of classes of students have already visited their respective sites and undertaken additional on-ground work, which will continue in future years.


214 partnership engagement activities (events, resources and projects co-delivered, support activities) involving 30 partners; engaging 1495 teachers, 1616 students and 492 parent/community members from 90 schools

Goal 5: Deliver a high-quality program based on the latest research and evaluation

Progress indicators The NRM Education program design is reviewed and improved by considering the latest relevant research, available partnership opportunities, funding priorities of the board and program audience needs. An ‘issue of concern’ has been developed as part of the board’s local-level planning approach, which explores the evidence of a lack of EfS in schools and preschools and identifies best practice interventions to reverse this situation.

EvaluationFeedback from school and preschool staff and students is regularly sought at training and cluster events, and through broader program evaluation.

The measurement of progress of schools and preschools to embed EfS continues to be a key indicator of the impact of the program, in terms of the culture shifts and changes created in schools and preschools enhanced by working with NRM Education. The internationally recognised EfS indicators tool is the basis of this method and doubles as a self-evaluation and goal-setting tool for schools and preschools.

An external consultant was engaged to undertake an evaluation of the NRM Education program via a survey of engaged and non-engaged teachers, the conclusion being that:

“NRM Education support services and resources continue to be valued by education providers within schools. Feedback on NRM Education staff was universally positive, indicating they were supportive, helpful, approachable, professional reliable and knowledgeable.”

Other key findings included:

• More schools are using planning tools (SEMPS) for

planning sustainability initiatives and connecting these

to learning.

• Many educators are not aware of the breadth of

support and services available from NRM Education and

want to access them.

• Significant outcomes have been achieved within

users’ sites, and on-site activities have influenced

people outside of sites to make changes to improve

sustainability outcomes.

Evaluation feedback informs NRM Education’s strategic planning and the prioritisation of its projects at its annual strategic planning meeting.

65 new resources developed (includes case studies, teacher packs, web pages and ID charts)

Top 10 program support activities rated as ‘highly useful’ by majority of teachers accessing the activities (range between 64% and 75% of teachers reporting in 2017 teacher survey)

74 professional development sessions, networking events and cluster meetings facilitated for 1139 staff, and 74 students from 212 schools

13,898 community members engaged at field days, community talks and shows


Partnerships, collaboration and community events Partnerships are a key ingredient to success, in particular the hosting of program staff at The Barossa Council, KESAB environmental solutions, and the cities of Marion, Onkaparinga and Salisbury, and are essential to ensuring that NRM Education is able to deliver effectively on behalf of the board.

In 2016, NRM Education staff worked in partnership with 44 organisations on a range of activities, some of which are already described in more detail in this report, as well as on the activities outlined below:

• with KESAB, the Bush Classroom, Highbury Aquaduct

and Pioneer Court community garden, staff delivered

a nature education event engaging 120 Year 4–7

students and their teachers in plant propagation and

water conservation inquiry

• co-developed teacher learning materials with

Water Sensitive SA, to deliver at a Department

for Education schools partnership STEM teacher

professional development day

• professional development on engaging youth and

children in national parks conducted for park rangers

• supported schools to propagate seedlings for

landholders to revegetate their properties as part of the

Pinery Fire Revegetation project

• presented with students at City of Onkaparinga

Waste Education team’s Recycling Revolution teacher

professional development event

• ran indigenous plant workshop for 1000 attendees at

the City of Onkaparinga Reconciliation Day

• trained Living Kaurna Cultural Centre staff in nest box

and aquatic macroinvertebrate monitoring

• conducted ‘be a beach detective’ session (Snapper

Point, Aldinga), Nature Connections (Woodcroft

Community Centre), Butterfly Friendly Gardening

workshop (Elizabeth House, Christie Downs), Nature by

Night (Wirra Creek, Willunga) and Family Pond Dipping

event (Brodie Road Wetland) for families in partnership

with the City of Onkaparinga

• co-planned a new garden development showcasing use

of indigenous plants at Barossa Bush Gardens

• aquatic macroinvertebrate identification charts

developed by NRM Education adapted by North Central

Catchment Management Authority (Victoria) for use

with their schools

• supported Normanville Natural Resources Centre to

plan the beach detectives event for families

• trained staff at Baptist Care SA camp in delivery of

nature education activities and resources for delivering

to school groups attending the camp

• delivered a ‘Science In The Pub’ session, ‘Nature’s

Smoking Gun’, at Normanville Hotel

• trained educators in macroinvertebrate and frog-

monitoring skills at two Natural Connections

on Learning teacher training events at Morialta

Conservation Park

• provided advice and resources to Warrawong Sanctuary

staff to establish frog monitoring at the sanctuary and

frog pond repair

• provided teacher training to link mental health activities

in schools with sustainability for the Principals Australia

Institute

• ran World Environment Day activities for schools at the

Adelaide Botanic Garden

• ran a Butterfly Friendly Gardening skill development

session for participants at the Friends of Black Hill

and Morialta’s Butterfly Banquet planting day, held at

Morialta Conservation Park.

• 5 senses and macroinvertebrates display shared to

2000 children and 500 family members at City of Unley

Community Mud Day

• promoted opportunities for sustainability-related

projects to Year 10 and 11 students at the SACE

research project expo

• delivered community talks on frogs for Friends

of Urrbrae Wetlands, Australian Plants Society,

Homeschoolers, SA Herpetology group, One Tree Hill

Scouts, Friends of Black Hill and Morialta, and at the

World Environment Fair

• gave a presentation on Education for Sustainability at a

National Lutheran Principals meeting.


Goal 5 Case study: Wipe Out Waste partnership

NRM Education works closely with the Wipe Out Waste (WOW) Program. In 2017, 28 schools and preschools were provided with an integrated delivery model.

The delivery model involves Wipe Out Waste working with school and preschool children to audit materials from bins (usually over a 24-hour period). The material is sorted and weighed and a report generated, with recommendations of ways the school or preschool can minimise waste to landfill. The process of exploring the recommendations and identifying the next steps is supported by NRM Education staff, who can then maintain an ongoing face-to-face presence in the school to assist in connecting waste initiatives to student learning; encourage student environmental groups to develop ideas and work out solutions to problems and barriers; and assist schools to refine and document their plans in their school environmental management plan. NRM Education and WOW staff regularly co-deliver sessions to further support educators to reduce materials waste, save collection costs and enhance children’s learning through hands-on development of waste and recycling systems in schools.

The outcomes for a Year 10 student leader at Mitcham Girls High School highlights the strength of the collaboration between the programs. This student was a member of the Youth Environment Council, coordinated by NRM Education, for several years and has been supported and inspired to set up a recycling program at the school. Wipe Out Waste has carried out audits and provided advice and recommendations to the school, while NRM Education has provided an ongoing in-school presence to support this young leader to initiate a student environment group, with a focus on running and maintaining the school’s waste system. The student leader has developed interpersonal, leadership and literacy skills, a sense of civics and citizenship, wellbeing, and a stronger moral purpose, assisted through the collaboration between WOW and NRM Education.

Other elements of the collaboration include: the sharing of school-contact history data, which saves time in updating another agency on activities; aligned delivery models and documentation requirements, reducing red tape for schools and preschools; cross-promotion of program support and resources; and enhanced delivery of grant programs, with increased success and sustainability of project outcomes.

Wipe Out Waste is a program of KESAB Environmental Solutions and is funded by Green Industries South Australia.


Teacher professional developmentTeacher training and networking events are a key element of NRM Education’s program delivery. By means of post-event evaluation, email and via conversations, the program receives regular feedback highlighting those teacher-learning experiences that support and motivate them to embed Education for Sustainability for schools in their teaching.

The 74 training events held covered a range of topics including:

• establishing Student Voice environment groups

• connecting STEM learning to local environments and

sustainability challenges

• inspiring student learning by developing and growing

food gardens

• linking nature, parks, school grounds and gardens to

the curriculum

• supporting powerful learning through Education for

Sustainability

• developing sustainability systems and behaviours in the

early years

• engaging families in sustainability projects

• developing tools for planning and embedding EfS

• creating butterfly gardens and linking to learning

• providing opportunities for learning in adapting to

climate change.

The 1139 teachers and 74 students who attended training events were from a range of backgrounds and organisations, including: Flinders and Swinburne universities, Urrbrae TAFE, preschools, childcare centres and primary and secondary schools from the public, Catholic, Lutheran and independent sectors. Professional development was delivered in partnership with a range of organisations, including: the Wipe Out Waste Program, cities of Marion, West Torrens and Holdfast Bay, Department for Education, Zoos SA, Brownhill Creek Association and Lady Gowrie SA.

Department for Education Family Day Care and NRM Education Professional Development partnership The Department for Education’s Family Day Care Coordinator Teresa Nastasi responded to questions from her educators about improving sustainable practices by planning three evening professional development sessions with NRM Education Officer Amy Blaylock between September and November 2017. Twenty-five educators participated in one or more of the sessions, at which they: discussed how what they do every day is ‘education for sustainability’; learnt strategies for reducing materials being sent to landfill with Jo Hendrikx from Wipe Out Waste; discovered the plants native to their suburb; considered how they could provide habitat for local animals and ideas for their use in play; and engaged in a rich discussion about common household items and the social, economic and cultural influences on our consumption behaviours.

Resource developmentNew resources need to be developed after a teacher need is identified and scoping reveals that the resources to meet the current need are not available. The resources developed in 2017 included: Match the marine life game; Climate adaptation learning guide for Years 8–10; Local ants’ identification chart and teacher pack; Our Big Back Yard (OBBY) Christies resource pack; Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary primary and secondary schools activities packs; education packs developed for Park of the Months (Onkaparinga River National Park, Morialta Conservation Park); and a web portal for displaying school and preschool sustainability case studies.

The Thiele Primary School learning beyond the classroom video showcases a partnership between the City of Onkaparinga and NRM Education staff in supporting nature education activities at local creeks. They can be viewed at: www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/adelaidemtloftyranges/education/for-educators/plants-and-animals/freshwater-environments


www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/adelaidemtloftyranges/education/for-educators/plants-and-animals/freshwater-environments



The Education for Sustainability at Banksia Park video was developed to showcase a high-performing preschool working effectively to embed EfS into the culture of their site and can be viewed at: www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/adelaidemtloftyranges/education/for-educators/education-for-sustainability

A video to support the uptake of Student Voice as a model for developing critical thinking, student engagement and better outcomes for school sustainability initiatives was developed: Embedding Student Voice at West Beach Primary School: benefits for students, staff and the environment and can be viewed on YouTube.

Weekly DigestThe Weekly Digest e-newsletter, a key communication tool for NRM Education, publicises its professional development opportunities, latest resources, inspiring and thought-provoking articles, and case studies to schools and communities. The digest, whose topics include developing educator knowledge and inspiring ideas to support student learning connected to nature, has over 2230 subscribers and includes a weekly creature feature.

FrogWatch SANRM Education staff have continued to support the FrogWatch SA program, which was launched in 2016.

During 2017 a total of 466 surveys were submitted by 111 different participants and then analysed by NRM Education staff. Recordings were received from throughout South Australia, including surveys from the South East, Kangaroo Island, Eyre Peninsula, SA Murray Darling Basin, Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Yorke Peninsula and the far North West of the state.

Sixteen different frog species or call races were detected, including the vulnerable Southern Bell Frog and the rare Bibron’s Toadlet. Also of interest were recordings of the Spotted-thighed Frog on Eyre Peninsula. This particular species is endemic to Western Australia but has become established in some wetland areas in Streaky Bay.

A number of recordings of the Peron’s Tree Frog in the AMLR region were also received, including sites at Fairview Park, Woodside, Hahndorf, Aberfoyle Park and Meadows. This species has a natural range that includes the Murray Valley and isolated swamps in the South East and is believed to have become established in the AMLR region via the pet trade.

In addition to the analyses of surveys, NRM Education staff supported FrogWatch SA through numerous radio, television and printed media stories, including appearances on the Ten Network’s SCOPE and Totally Wild science programs for children and young adults, and Radio Adelaide’s Barometer science show. Presentations were also made at a number of community and special interest groups, the World Environment Fair, and the Mt Pleasant Natural Resource Centre. Staff also participated in the Oaklands Wetland Bioblitz in October.

Nature Play SA In 2017 Nature Play SA and NRM Education collaborated on a range of activities including:

• support of Nature Play SA’s school membership

model through provision of identification charts for

membership packs sent out to schools

• cross-promotion of events through NRM Education’s

Weekly Digest and Nature Play SA social media

• coordination of a Belair National Park event as part of

the Nature Play festival

• preparation of articles on Eastern Banjo Frog and

butterfly gardens for the Nature Play SA membership

magazine

• advice and support for the development of Nature Play

SA resources

• coordination of the Nature Education Collaborative

Steering Group.


www.naturalresources.sa.gov.au/adelaidemtloftyranges/education/for-educators/education-for-sustainability



The team has concentrated on delivering the strategic direction to Support school sustainability initiatives and opportunities to extend education to their connected communities, as specified in the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Plan.

NRM Education will work with Green Adelaide and its partnering Landscapes SA regions to continue to deliver Education for Sustainability through nature education, utilising the principles that underpin the concept of connecting South Australians to nature to produce wellbeing, health and sustainability outcomes.

For the next 12 months, using a project-management approach via pop-up groups, the team will work on specific initiatives informed by the NRM Education strategic plan. Adopting an evidence-based approach to identify gaps and interventions, the priorities for the next 24 months will include:

• a focus on increasing awareness of the benefits of

Education for Sustainability amongst school leaders

• an increasing engagement with the tertiary sector to

ensure that student teachers have the knowledge, skills,

tools and values to create dynamic learning progams

linked to nature and sustainability

• collaboration with park rangers to increase the number

of schools and preschools visiting parks for nature

education learning experiences

• interaction with communities through schools and

preschools and working with Natural Resources

AMLR’s Urban Sustainability and Volunteer Support

Program teams, as well as other community-focused

organisations.

NRM Education’s strong partnership with the Department for Education will continue, with an emphasis on STEM and Student Voice, and connecting student learning to the community. A major push in relation to STEM and student-led problem-based learning will occur through the NRM Education Resilient South cooperative, Climate Ready Schools Initiative. This initiative will involve students looking at climate change issues that affect their schools and neighbourhoods, and primarily developing and implementing adaptation strategies, but also mitigation

solutions. NRM Education is also advancing the Carbon Neutral Schools Program with a number of partners, including the City of Adelaide and the Department of Education.

Work with other Department for Environment and Water programs and Natural Resources/Landscapes SA regions will continue to evolve and be an important focus, including as a key driver of the department’s Educators’ Network, which aims to build the capacity of NRM educators from across the state to apply best practice when working with schools and preschools. The Volunteer Support Program team from Natural Resources AMLR recently made a presentation to NRM Education. As a result of this session it was agreed to investigate how the two teams can work more effectively together to get more schools and volunteer groups connecting and delivering learning and achieving on-ground biodiversity outcomes.

The Brownhill Creek Education and Revegetation Group project will continue to progress its work into 2018. With a number of other schools expressing interest in joining the project, the intention is for the project to expand, with the possible inclusion of Kaurna students and their community.

NRM Education will continue to develop its partnership with Flinders University’s Education Faculty and will give guest lectures on its program and resources, with a focus on sustainability with teacher education students. In addition, professional placements of teacher education students with the schools with which NRM Education works, along with a focus on STEM sustainability pedagogy, are being considered for 2019.

NRM Education will be involved in an Our Big Back Yard program with the City of Tea Tree Gully, in collaboration with the Natural Resources AMLR Urban Sustainability team.

The team will continue to work closely with Nature Play SA on events and conferences. NRM Education is also collaborating with Natural Resources AMLR on initiatives for 2018, such as Park of the Month events and teacher professional development in national parks with the Department for Education and park rangers.

Where to next?


NRM Education will also continue to work on completing the final stages of the Rockpool Web Hub, a marine and coastal education website, with Urban Sustainability and other Natural Resources AMLR teams, including Coast and Marine and Marine Parks.

The NRM Education team will continue to work on integrating Aboriginal cultural and engagement elements into the program at a number of levels and will work closely with the Natural Resources AMLR Aboriginal Engagement Officer to continue to find gaps and overlapping priorities in relation to Aboriginal engagement. The team will continue to identify opportunities to value-add to both programs.

NRM Education staff will continue to prioritise working with schools and preschools looking to have a broader sustainability focus and support them to embed sustainability into their site culture with activities such as establishing working groups, integrating sustainability into learning programs, tracking progress by encouraging schools to complete site environment management plans, and setting goals against the Core Indicators evaluation tool.

Youth Environment Leadership Program clusters and the Youth Environment Council will continue in 2018, the YEC with continued support from the Department for Education.

Collaboration with a range of programs in the Department for Education, as well as with key staff at the Lutheran Schools Association and Catholic Education, will continue into 2018.

For any correspondence in relation to the content of this report please contact Matt Cattanach, NRM Education Regional Coordinator, matt@kesab .asn .au or 0417 489 174

39 | AMLR Education annual report 2016

AMLR Education annual report 2016 | 40

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