Joining the dots

Joining the dots: connecting kids, schools,  Landcare and farming communities

MLi has received funds from Westpac, through Landcare Australia and from the NSW government through their Environmental Trust to undertake projects aimed at increasing opportunities for schools to undertake Landcare and environmental education activities.

Schools project
The two projects are connected and we refer to them as our Murrumbidgee Landcare Schools project.  The project will survey primary schools in the Murrumbidgee catchment to establish baseline information about environmental activities in those schools. This information will be used to:

• establish a web delivered schools hub with localised information for school environmental activities
• establish a contacts network aimed at linking schools
• work with schools needing assistance to start activities.
• Produce two case studies

This project will then create curriculum relevant activity and excursion templates/packages, including contact details for farmers who have offered their time and/or property for educational activities, for K-6 children in regional and rural schools. The activities will focus on key issues of sustainable agriculture and environmental management in their local community. The project will facilitate three farm visits in year 1 and 6 in year 2 to pilot that packages.

Environmental calendar
One of our early project outputs will be an 'upcoming events' calendar of environmental dates to be distributed to all local primary schools for each six month period at June 2013, January 2014 and June 2014. This will provide a handy reference for schools about upcoming enviornmental education opportunities. It will link to resources including:

• examples of relevant and local activities
• relevant curriculum resources
• contact details and other local information to support these activities.

Linking schools

The project will identify two primary schools that need assistance with getting a project off the ground. We will work directly with them to link them to schools, teachers and parents who have already successfully implemented similar projects and assist with the development of a project, including accessing Junior Landcare funding. We will then use these two schools as case studies for establishing environmental projects at primary schools.

Excursion packs
A problem for each school is having to reinvent the wheel when doing something for the first time. Our project will develop excursion packs which will include field day schedule and activities as well as relevant field testing equipment. These can be borrowed by schools for educational activities focusing on key issues of sustainable agriculture and environmental management for K-6 children in regional and rural schools.

Contact

Project coordinator - Toni McLeish, schools@mli.org.au - ph. 02 6993 1443