David Arthur
EECOM/COEO/OSEE Fall Conference
Creating Ripples: Education, Environment, and Culture at Camp Tawingo (Huntsville) September 29 to October 2 will feature some 170 presentations on Ethics, Leadership, Community Engagement, Outdoor Experiences, Critical Reflection and Global Education. Keynotes include Bill Rees (Ecological Footprint) and Debbie Field (FoodShare). Sessions range from academic and theoretical considerations to practical classroom applications. This co-sponsored event gives us a wonderful opportunity to meet environmental educators from across Canada and from a number of other countries. Program details and registration information are available at www.eecom.org.
Ministry of Education and the EBR
Recent developments. The Toronto DSB, the Waterloo RDSB, the Ontario Public School Trustees and others have sent letters of support for the application to have the Ministry of Education placed under the purview of the Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights. The decision was to be made public in July but has been postponed as a result of the appointment of a new Minister of Environment. Stay tuned.
Frost Centre Working Committee Report
On July 15, the
Working Committee submitted its report to the Ontario government. PermaFrost
urges you to download and read this excellent report which can be found on the
working committees web page:
www.haliburtoncounty.ca/documents/FrostCentreReportJune232005.pdf PermaFrost
would like to direct your attention to the background of the recommendations and
the emphasis on the need for Outdoor and EE (pages 3-6)
"Ontario needs quality outdoor and environmental education to ensure a healthy
and sustainable future."
"The Frost Centre Working Committee believes that a renewed Frost Centre could
leverage the contributions of public and private partners to become a globally
important, self-funding institution for sustainability education,
training and research. We believe that such an entity would advance the agendas
of all environmental ministries and their partners through improved public
education, volunteer training, professional training and leadership development,
while creating sustainable economic opportunities to the region. We believe that
the Centre could become a showcase for environmental collaboration and a pillar
of sustainable development, with the Province eventually establishing there, as
part of its contribution, a Provincial Office of Environmental and
Sustainability Education, a key point in the Environmental Education Ontario (EEON)
strategic plan, 'Greening the Way Ontario Learns'."
On page 27, the committee has made the following recommendation: "Though it may
be seen as ancillary to the Committee's mandate, the Committee feels compelled
by a glaring public policy gap to comment on the role of the
Province in outdoor and environmental education. In the Committee's opinion, the
Ontario Government should recognize the importance of outdoor and environmental
education in building a "culture of conservation in Ontario" by placing
education under the purview of the Environmental Bill of Rights so that the
Environmental Commissioner has the right to comment on the adequacy of
environmental education in Ontario."
Permafrost is particularly supportive of the recommendation that the Frost
Centre re-open as a learning centre for sustainable living under provincial
ownership.
Minster Phillips, in his remarks at the presentation of the report, said groups."There
are lots of demands on government but if we're creative and engage the
community, my belief is there will be a way to find a viable long-term solution.
I assure you I'm keenly interested in the file."
Teaching Green – The Elementary Years
Green Teacher’s upcoming publication is Teaching Green - The Elementary Years: Hands-on Learning in Grades K-5. This 240 page book contains over 50 of the best teaching strategies and activities contributed to Green Teacher magazine during the past decade - all updated and revised for this special 2005 anthology. For more details, visit http://www.greenteacher.com
Pollution Probe Primers
Pollution Probe has prepared a series of educational Primers on environmental topics. The goal of the Primers is to inform Canadians about current environmental issues by setting out the scientific basis for concern, potential solutions and the policy tools available. Each Primer focuses on what is being done, and what more can be done, by governments, businesses and individuals on these issues.
Primers all include a detailed reference section that acts as an additional resource to help users continue to improve their understanding of the subject. For more information, or to see the Primers on-line, please visit our website at
www.pollutionprobe.org/Publications/Primers.htm.
Environment Canada Launches Youth Web Portal
On April 15, 2005, Environment Canada, Ontario Region launched
its Youth Web Portal, representing a single point of access to some of
Environment Canada's best programs and resources for youth and youth educators.
- http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/community/youth/index.html. The site was designed to
provide quick and easy access to programs such as Great Lakes Kids, Skywatchers,
and Species at Risk. It cross-references these according to age appropriateness
and environmental issue. There is an entire section dedicated to environmental
educators, which includes teachers' toolkits and resources which directly link
to the curriculum.
Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth
A new book by Rochelle Strauss, published by Kids Can Press. For ages 8 and up,
it shows how living things are classified into five kingdoms -- and how each has
much to tell us about all aspects of life on our planet. Awards include the
ASPCA Henry Bergh Childrens Book Award and the 2005 Skipping Stones Honor Award
Winner (Ecology/Nature Books). It was also named a Green Earth Book Award Honor
Book and named as one of the Best of the Best Books 2004, by the Chicago Public
Libraries. 2004, 40 pp. ISBN 1-55337-669-2. $16.95
Global Issues and Sustainability Textbook
Facing the Future's new advanced student textbook, "It’s All
Connected: A Comprehensive Guide to Global Issues and Sustainable Solutions"
includes units on global issues; population and carrying capacity; meeting human
needs; biodiversity and enviro justice; quality of life; building
sustainability; and possible futures and solutions. This 150+
page, full-color text is fully referenced and includes photos and graphs, and a
comprehensive glossary. Preview at http://www.facingthefuture.org/book_iac.htm
UNEP Global Environment Outlook
The United Nations Environment Programme has encapsulated
significant recent and topical environmental issues and developments in this
readable and reliable volume - to inform, guide and stimulate action for the
health of our environment. The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is the flagship
publication of the United Nations Environment Programme. http://www.earthprint.com/go.htm?to=DEW0630NA
Free SEEDS Resource through Green Street
The SEEDS Foundation has developed a new EE resource that can be used with upper elementary, middle grades and high school students. It provides fact sheets, springboards to action, action ideas and samples lesson plans in three study areas ... atmosphere, hydrology and environmental interactions. Further, it contains an appendix that demonstrates the potential connections to mandated Provincial and Territorial programs of Study as well as to the Pan-Canadian Protocol. It is a great addition to your curriculum resource library! This resource will be forwarded to you at no charge when ordered through the Green Street Website.
www.green-street.ca/secondary_programs.
New EE Lessons
from Earth Day Network
Environmental Jeopardy and Bobbie Bigfoot Sustainability Lessons now
available! Earth Day Network has just developed two new environmental education
resources for classroom use Designed like the game show,
Environmental Jeopardy allows students to learn interactively about issues in
depth, with further opportunities to do research on the topics covered. The
Bobbie Bigfoot Sustainability Lessons are a collection of over twenty lesson
plans that accompany the Ecological Footprint Kid’s Quiz website and are
designed to inform students about the importance of sustainability. Both
resources are available for free to members of the Teacher’s Corner.
www.earthday.net.
Consider International Walk to School Week
This program is a component of Active & Safe Routes to School in Nova Scotia, which encourages the use of active modes of transportation to school, such as walking and cycling. It is a national Go for Green program coordinated in Nova Scotia by the Ecology Action Centre in partnership with the Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation Program Area of Nova Scotia Health Promotion. For more information see www.ecologyaction.ca/asrts.
Outdoor Education Boosts Science Scores
A California
study of low-income students who attended outdoor environmental study courses
found that the experience boosted their science scores, as well as their self
esteem. The state-sponsored study focused on 255 5th- and 6th-graders from Los
Angeles, San Diego and Fresno who attended weeklong nature courses in wooded
settings. Researchers found that students who attended the courses had a greater
understanding of science and concern for the environment than students who did
not.
Legislation ordering the study was initiated by the Sierra Club, which is
lobbying for state funding for nature courses for poor students. "We need to get
away from nature being extracurricular," said Richard Louv, author of Last Child
in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. "We should move
toward making it essential."
Youth Environmental Network.
Currently, YEN has a project called Strengthening Kyoto Generation, and the aim
of this project is to strengthen youth leadership in environmental work. YEN is
currently looking to work with five youth groups across Ontario, and give them
capacity building support that they may need in order for them to do their
projects. It could be anything from project management, workshops, to grant
writing. We also have some funding opportunities in the fall. If you'd like to
find out more about YEN, please visit www.yen-rej.org.
Ahoy Mates! The Floating Classroom
Kim Saunders, a TDSB teacher and former wildlife biologist, and her husband are undertaking a two year expedition through the Caribbean, and have created The Voyage of Amanza classroom project, an interactive web-based curriculum connection between their Caribbean adventure and your classroom. Supported by the TDSB and Ontario Science Centre, it will provide online lesson plans, captain’s logs and meetings with scientists. Find out more at http://floating classroom.com.
One Tonne Challenge Not Winning!
Surveys and polls show the federal government’s One Tonne Challenge is not doing well. The campaign has cost $26 million including the TV commercial that has Rick Mercer asking Canadians to “Lose a tonne, feel great” Apparently most people surveyed don’t know what he’s talking about. For that he was paid $85 000. The polls also found that only 16% of Canadians are truly concerned about climate change. We as educators need to ask why environmental education can’t have at least a fraction of the $26 million do try to get a more effective message across.
Green Cities: A Guide to
Sustainable Community Development
This official document of United Nations World Environment 2005 is
Harmony Foundation’s latest publication. The 4th in a series profiling specific
issues, this 124-page publication offers a thorough overview of sustainable
community development, inspiring success stories, and resources and tools for
establishing priorities and taking action.
www.harmonyfdn.ca/press.html#HotGreen