Projects and Partners

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Project:

Education Action Supporting Environment Groups (EASE)
and Biodiversity Education

Background 

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) has two projects funded within the Our environment - it's a living thing partnership:

• Biodiversity Education Project, and,
• Education Action Supporting Environment Groups (EASE).

Project activities 

Biodiversity Education Project 

This project aims to provide opportunities for people and groups in Western Sydney to gain more information about their natural environment and to become more active in the decision-making processes that affect biodiversity in their area.

The first stage of the project has been to:

• investigate the effectiveness of a variety of biodiversity education projects, and
• gather information about the degree of understanding of biodiversity in the Western Sydney area, by talking one-on-one with local residents and key stakeholders at the Liverpool City Council's Bloomin' Festival and Hawkesbury's Sustainability Fair.

The next stage will involve meeting with NCC member groups, other local environment groups, local government, relevant State Government departments, local businesses, educational institutions and other key biodiversity managers in the Western Sydney area – to share and compare information on the opportunities, barriers and links to existing biodiversity conservation activities, and to highlight any gaps.

The project will explore what collective action can be taken to support these activities, who can be targeted to get involved, how to build their capacity to stay involved and how they can get others onboard.

Project objectives are to:

• develop community knowledge and understanding of local biodiversity conservation
• foster new partnerships and build on existing alliances
• identify a set of biodiversity values that recognise the varying values, and
• attitudes communities place on biodiversity.

Education Action Supporting Environment Groups 

The EASE project is an opportunity for NCC to collaborate with its 120 member groups across the state to share, teach and learn about effective environmental education practices.

Using the collective experiences of member groups and drawing on internationally recognised education and campaigning principles, we seek to build on current and emerging initiatives to get our messages heard and to change the behaviours of our target audiences and communities.

The EASE project aims are to:

• improve coordination between environmental NGOs delivering or involved in environmental education activities
• build the capacity of the NCC member groups to deliver and assess their education projects
• build understanding across the organisation of how education for ecological sustainability can assist NCC and member groups to achieve their goals

The project includes the delivery of a series of workshops throughout the state during 2006, and the development of a new Education for Ecological Sustainability site within NCC's new website.

Outcomes and successes 

These programs are in development. No specific outcomes to report at this time.

Resource materials 

None available at this time.

How to get involved and find out more 

For further information on EASE contact Angela Baker abaker@nccnsw.org.au or visit the NCC website.  Also have a look at some of the approaches to Environmental Education that will be explored in the EASE workshops.

To find out more about the Biodiversity Education Project contact Peter Randall at prandall@nccnsw.org.au or visit the NCC website.

Project partner 

Nature Conservation Council of NSW

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW serves as the umbrella organisation for more than 120 environmental member groups across NSW.

As the State's peak environmental organisation since 1955, the NCC contributes expertise in community-based education projects and awareness campaigns.

As an extension of our role we are involved in two environmental education programs in partnership with the Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW and funded through the NSW Government's Environmental Trust.

 

Need more? Find out about other projects and initiatives.