Calling all Murray Darling NRM educators...

Dear Educators,

The first Murray–Darling Basin Natural Resource Management Show and Tell, will be organised by the Murray–Darling Basin Authority later this year.

The idea for a Murray–Darling Basin Natural Resource Management Show and Tell arose through conversations with educators in Catchment Management Authorities and Natural Resource Management Boards within the Basin; it will provide a space for like-minded educators from across the Basin to come together and share good ideas.  

There are lots of good professional development events in place across the Basin; the Show and Tell does not aim to duplicate these, but will try to fill an identified need to bring natural resource management (and environmental) educators in Catchments across the Basin together.

If you are interested in receiving a flyer with the Key Facts about the Show and Tell  and a more detailed information sheet with an expression of interest form to send back, please get in touch with me.

If you are not interested (or do not have the time) to participate in the Show and Tell at this stage, but are still keen to receive education updates from the Murray–Darling Basin Authority, please email your interest in our new ‘Education Subscription’ service.

I am always keen to hear about education resources and activities underway in the Basin, so please do get in touch if you have any news to share or if the MDBA can help in any way, shape or form.

Please feel free to forward this email to any of your colleagues in the Natural Resource Management Education sector.

Kind regards,

Clair

Clair Bannerman

Education Officer

Publications section | Communications branch

Information and Compliance division

    

Murray–Darling Basin Authority

GPO Box 1801 Canberra ACT 2601
ph:   02 6279 0649
fax:  02 6279 0133
e:     clair.bannerman@mdba.gov.au
w:    www.mdba.gov.au

Invitation to participate in a Research Study: Strengthening Hope and Resilience in Environmental Educators

Hi there.

My name is Jessica Blomfield and I am post-graduate student at Griffith University conducting a research study on environmental/sustainability educators and I would like to invite you to participate. The research is being carried out in fulfilment of the Honours component of a Master of Environment (Education for Sustainability) program under the supervision of Dr. Jo-Anne Ferreria.  

You have been identified as a potential participant for this research through your involvement in the field of environmental/sustainability education. Evidence suggests that environmental and sustainability practitioners experience hopelessness and despair in their work as a result of the pressures of communicating and educating about the environmental crisis, compounded by professional, personal and situational pressures. The result can be a negative effect on educators’ ability to engage learners with sustainability concepts and their own psychological wellbeing. However, it also agreed that hope and optimism are key features necessary in teaching about the environment and sustainability. The study seeks to understand the notion of hopelessness and despair amongst environmental educators and gain insights into what sort of professional development activities may be useful in strengthening hope and resilience to such experiences.

Having experienced these feelings myself even as a practitioner-in-training, I am interested to explore the extent of this in the educator community and the means by which such feelings may be mitigated to ensure career success and longevity in environmental/sustainability educators.

Participation in this study involves completion of an anonymous survey. Attached is an information sheet about what is required. Should you wish to proceed, the link to the survey is located at the end of this email. It is a survey consisting of 14 questions, mostly short answer. Completion of this survey indicates your consent to participate, with all details explained in the information sheet. The survey will be available for completion by the 4th May, 2012

This survey may be followed by a phone interview (upon your consent) to clarify any of your comments and further discuss the topic. Separate information will be provided in this instance. Should you consent to participate in the interview stage, your identity will be released to the researcher to match survey and interview data. Otherwise, your survey data will remain anonymous.

If you have any questions relating to this study or about participating in this study, please contact me directly at jessica.blomfield@griffithuni.edu.au. For any further questions or concerns, you can contact my supervisor, Dr Jo-Anne Ferreira at j.ferreira@griffith.edu.au.

This study has received ethical clearance from the Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee (Reference: ENV/19/12/HREC).

Thank you for your interest in this project. Please forward this information (in full) to any other educators/practitioners you think may be suitable for or interested in the project.

Kind Regards,

Jessica Blomfield

Please read the information sheet before starting the survey: http://questionpro.com/t/AIckfZNKVd

For the biologists amongst us - from our Polish colleagues

"It is our pleasure, to inform you that The Institute of Botany Publishing Office "IB Publisher", directed to press two phycological monographic studies:

1. "Current advances in algal taxonomy and its applications. Phylogenetic, ecological and applied perspective"; 

 K. Wołowski, I. Kaczmarska, J. M. Ehrman, A. Z. Wojtal (eds.); ISBN: 978-83-62975-03-7 

W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences; Kraków (2012);

Format: B5 (17,00 x 24,00); black and white figs. 52;  col. figs. 24;  pp. 304; price EUR 24,00 (postage included).

2. "Diatom diversity in streams of the Tatra National Park (Poland), as indicator of environmental conditions";

 B. Kawecka; ISBN: 978-83-89648-91-4

W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences; Kraków (2012);

Format: B5 (17,00 x 24,00); black and white figs. 49;  col. figs. 6;  pp. 216; price EUR 21,00 (postage included).

The Head of the Institute and the Publishing Office are also inviting you to publish in our journals of international range:

Polish Botanical Journal (http://www.botany.pl/ibwyd/pol-b-j/pol-b-j.htm),

Acta Palaeobotanica (http://www.botany.pl/ibwyd/acta_paleo/act-p.htm).

In addition we would like to inform that in the near future all the journals will have the online access.

Yours faithfuly,

Danuta Janik"

IB PUBLISHER POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

W. SZAFER, INSTITUTE OF BOTANY

ul. LUBICZ 46, 31-512 KRAKÓW, POLAND

e-mail:ed-office@ib-pan.krakow.pl

fax: 48 12 42 41 731

World Wildlife Fund - Change the way you think...

Ocean Life Education - AAEE Member - Bringing the sea to you

Tracey and Richard “Bring the sea to You” with their fun marine education programs designed to inspire students of all ages to appreciate and take responsibility for the marine ecosystem.

With fascinating live marine animals, artefacts, games and information blending ‘hands on’ interaction with science and humour, the Ocean Life display at the Expo was very popular!!

www.oceanlifeeducation.com.au

Richard at the recent Env Ed Expo, talking to Ruth about the programs ocean life offer.

Wild Mountains - AAEE Qld Member Order your wines by 31st May

Wild Mountains has a vision of a world where people lead fulfilling lives while sharing the earth’s resources with all of the life forms on this planet and without degrading our life support systems.

The Wild Mountains Trust is an independent, community focused, non-profit organization providing leadership in environmental education and conservation.Wild Mountains has a firm foundation in the real need for education, and our courses help people understand their relationship with the natural world.  Programs include Earthkeepers, Shapers of Tomorrow and International Student Volunteers. For more information see our website: www.wildmountains.org

Fundraising -

Wild Mountains have teamed up with Prospect Wines to conduct a wine fundraiser.  We have selected a range of great value for money wines which Prospect Wines will label with our own label… order them by 31 May at our website: www.wildmountains.org

Gold Coast Environmental Education for Sustainability Network 23rd April

“You are invited along to a small get-together at Merlo Coffee (107 Ferry Road, Southport) on the 23^rd of April at 4:15pm  for a coffee (sustainably sourced) and chat (lively).   The aim of our network at this stage is to discuss, share, inspire, enquire about and investigate all things environmental/educational/sustainable with the possibility of meeting regularly (perhaps 2-4 times a year).

RSVP phemphill@ssc.qld.edu.au by the 19^th of April so that we can book a table”.