Local school children will gain a better understanding of their natural surroundings next year after an environmental organisation was awarded more than $80,000 in funding to launch a new education program.
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The Gould League was awarded an $83,750 NSW Environment Trust grant to provide a new program aimed at “bringing nature into the school yard”.
The project was one of just 10 given out earlier this week and will be used to create a better understanding of the environment by local school children.
The Gould’s Gunnedah-based managing director, David Walker, said the funding will allow the program to launch early next year right across the region.
“This is a first for environmental education in NSW and will give children a better understanding of the environment.”
Teachers will work with their students to set up habitat gardens within their schools, to give them a bio diverse learning environment. The habitat gardens can be as little as 10 metres through to the size of a footy field and will feature native plants to attract local wildlife.
The grant will also provide training and networking opportunities for local teachers.
“Firstly this will allow us to create a Gunnedah regional environmental network for local schools which will give teachers access to a wide range of resources,” Mr Walker said.
“We will also provide professional development and mentoring of local teachers as they learn about sustainability education.”
A unit of work will also be implemented in the schools.
“This will include excursions between schools and to places such as Mullibah Lagoon.”
Mr Walker said environmental funding is hard to come by and the Gould is very pleased to have received the grant.
“Funding in environmental education is very scarce. We have to work very hard to get it and deliver a lot for the funding we receive.”
Gould League blazed the trail for environmental education in Australia with excursion programs, resources (like curriculum guides, books and posters), and interactive educational websites.
As environmental attitudes shifted, they broadened their message from birds to a range of sustainability areas including water, biodiversity, energy and waste.
