Issue 4 - Mar 2007

The Our environment it's a living thing website contains resources that may be helpful to you.

Browse the latest downloadable resources now:

• Who Cares about the Environment 2006 research - a survey of NSW people's environmental knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.
• Green Lease Guide - what makes an office an attractive and effective place for people to work?
• The NEW "Eco-friendly Communities: Promoting sustainable living and working" Resource Kit
• Living thing animated banners
• Action sheets for sustainable living - save water, be more energy efficient, make your home more healthy and chemical free, keep our air clean, reduce clean-up waste.
• Do-it-yourself Safely - for all home renovators.
• Plus the popular print ready Easy Guide series covering topics from recycling to mulching.

Registered clubs in NSW will go green to reduce their environmental footprint, through a joint EcoClubs Program launched in a partnership between ClubsNSW and the Department of Environment and Conservation NSW in February 2007. More >

DEC is now working with the Furnishing Industry Association of Australia, the Housing Industry Association and local government to develop hands-on vocational training for all managers, directors and employees in the furniture and timber products manufacturing industry. More >

The fundamental purpose of office buildings is to provide a productive and effective place for people to work. In recognising this, the Department of Environment and Conservation NSW (DEC), partnered with Investa Property group, City of Sydney, City of Melbourne and the Institute for Sustainable Futures to develop a Green Lease Guide for commercial office tenants. More >

The Environmental Trust invites applications to grant programs. More >

The Trust approved 28 major projects totalling over $29 million and involving 65 councils, and 23 sustainability plans totalling $600,000 involving 32 councils. More >

Launched in November 2006, the Who Cares about the environment in 2006? report provides insights into the dynamics of behaviour change as well as charts changes in people's environmental knowledge, views and opinions over the past 12 years. More >

The Beachwatch Program, run by the Department of Environment and Conservation NSW, covers the Hunter, Sydney and Illawarra regions, sampling over 120 swimming locations each week to check for pollution. In addition, more than 150 swimming locations in regional areas are monitored by local councils under the Beachwatch Partnership Program. More >

A huge new surf centre at Garie, in the middle of Royal National Park, is making life safer for surfers and swimmers at one of Sydney's most remote, wild and iconic beaches.

It's also setting a new benchmark for sustainability on the sand, showing how beach amenities can have minimal impact on the surrounding environment. Garie Surf Safety Centre collects its own water, generates its own power and treats much of its own waste. More >

The Department of Environment and Conservation NSW encourages you to enter the 2007 Banksia Sustainability Award.

The Sustainability Award is for outstanding achievements in minimising the environmental footprint of the company, institution, organisation, business or government instrumentality. More >

Four Wheel Drive (4WD) enthusiasts in New South Wales are learning how to appreciate and protect the environment while driving in natural environments. More >

The $10,000 NSW Department of Environment and Conservation Allen Strom Eureka Prize for Environmental Sustainability Education is awarded for excellence in the design, implementation and evaluation of programs for environmental sustainability education.

The winning entry will be publicised as an innovative, leading edge model for environmental sustainability education. Programs nominated/entered must have these characteristics.

For more information and details on how to enter, see the Eureka Prize Website. Entries Close 4 May 2007.

The Sustainable Schools NSW website will be launched in May 2007. The site will enable all schools, and organisations that work with them, to participate in the Sustainable Schools NSW Program. More >

You can make your home safer and healthier AND help protect your environment.

If your home or shed contains unwanted, unused or excess paint, paint related products, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, household cleaners, motor oils, fuels, batteries, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, pool or hobby chemicals then it is time to clean them out. More >

The Affordable Water and Energy Efficiency (AW&EE) project will conduct eight workshops across regional and rural NSW between February and May 2007. Stretching as far a field as Broken Hill and Bellingen, the workshops are designed to up-skill and resource community service workers working with low income households to implement energy and water saving strategies in the home. More >

In early May, the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation Professional Development for Educators program will hold a series of workshops across NSW to launch the Education for Sustainability Capabilities Framework and present the online Education for Sustainability Professional Learning Hub - a world first in the field of Education for Sustainability (EfS). More >

Think you're ahead of your neighbours in reducing your water and electricity use? You can now find out in minutes thanks to a free online calculator launched by the State Government in December. More >

Need some inspiration to keep your home healthy and green? The Safer Solutions website offers a wealth of information and resources to get you started. More >

The Total Environment Centre's Safer Solutions program announces that Jerry Coleby-Williams, presenter from ABC TV's Gardening Australia and one of Australia's most respected gardening experts, will be working with the Safer Solutions team. More >

Following the successful Biodiversity Education campaign held in the Macarthur area in 2006, the Nature Conservation Council of NSW is currently calling for potential project partners and sponsors in the Central Coast to get involved in a local campaign. NCC is looking for local businesses, councils, and community environment groups, to get involved with the forthcoming 'Our Earth, Our Stories' nature photo competition project. More >

Community environmental projects are now taking place in 11 NSW regions thanks to the flow on effect of environmental education provided under the Sustaining Eco-friendly Communities project. More >

Over 180 delegates attended a conference at the Novotel Sydney Olympic Park in late November, hosted by the Integrated Sustainable Education Partnership (ISEP), in collaboration with the Local Council Partnership Program. The event was designed to provide an interactive forum for sharing ideas on sustainability education and what it means to work in partnerships in this field. More >