Sustainability
Energy star house
04/11/09 09:34
The
Energy star at Home
website
is a great place for anyone to visit for tips on
energy efficiency inside.
The language at a level suitable for most ages and includes useful links to more detailed energy efficiency information web pamplets.
Field of Mars has a Stage 3 Sustainable house program that sits within a unit of work where all your lesson plans for a term (including outcomes and assessment tasks), supporting resources and at least one visit to your school by Field of Mars staff are provided.
The School visit uses a large 2-3m interactive model of a typical house with interchangeable elements that allows students to discuss, workshop and justify sustainability solutions in areas of waste, transport, energy and water.
As an option, some hands on science experiments can be used to illustrate the “science of sustainability”.
The language at a level suitable for most ages and includes useful links to more detailed energy efficiency information web pamplets.
Field of Mars has a Stage 3 Sustainable house program that sits within a unit of work where all your lesson plans for a term (including outcomes and assessment tasks), supporting resources and at least one visit to your school by Field of Mars staff are provided.
The School visit uses a large 2-3m interactive model of a typical house with interchangeable elements that allows students to discuss, workshop and justify sustainability solutions in areas of waste, transport, energy and water.
As an option, some hands on science experiments can be used to illustrate the “science of sustainability”.
The Wilderness of Childhood
14/08/09 15:03
The
Every Experience Matters
report
that was discussed in the previous blog entry
emphasised the need to provide students with quality
outdoor experiences. The article
The Wilderness of
Childhood
has another take on this and is an interesting read.
The American author describes the need to provide
students with the opportunities to explore and
discover without the constraints of adult
supervision.
Steve
Steve
Every Experience Matters
15/07/09 09:30
Learning Outside the Classroom.
Every day that students are at school they are exposed to new concepts and experiences through the amazing work of classroom teachers. Much of this exposure occurs indoors in classrooms, however there is a growing body of evidence that suggests the experiences students have outside, both in formal and informal settings also have a significant and positive effect on learning.
Working in the Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre I have the privilege of providing some of these outdoor experiences for students. These real life experiences range from investigating invertebrates to looking at catchments to conducting energy audits in schools. The key element of all these experiences is that they directly support your child’s classroom learning and will most likely lead to enhanced student understanding. All good quality excursions should do this! An added benefit of quality experiences in outdoor settings is that we are helping students to develop the the core values of sustainability including respect, responsibility, participation and care.
Dr Karen Malone has produced a research report called ‘Every Experience Matters’ that provides evidence to support the benefits of learning outside the classroom. In essence Karen states that students engaged in learning outside the classroom has a significant impact on learning. They achieve higher scores in tests, have greater levels of physical fitness and motor skill development, increased confidence and self esteem, show leadership qualities, are socially competent and are more environmentally responsible (Malone 2008 P4). These experiences form part of the blueprint for shaping a child's knowledge, confidence and identity.
In other words, to maximise your students learning potential they must be exposed to quality learning experiences outside the classroom. Excursions that support classroom learning are one way of doing this, however quality experiences delivered by classroom teachers in school grounds, in parks, on walks through the neighbourhood will all contribute to your child’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.
Of course school is only a part of a child’s development and it’s essential that parents provide a diverse range of experiences as well. You don’t have to go far to provide kids with quality outdoor experiences. For example, you can conduct an invertebrate safari in your backyard or local park. You will need a tarp or an old sheet. Place the tarp under a shrub or low hanging tree branch. Vigorously shake the branch and watch what happens. All the hidden invertebrates will fall onto the tarp and can be examined on the spot or collected into containers (for later release). This simple activity will expose children to the diversity of species in your area, it could lead to discussions on biodiversity, food chains, pollinators, predator and prey relationships, camouflage, science, entomology, invertebrate identification, etc. Done correctly these sort of activities will help students develop positive attitudes and values towards invertebrates and habitats they live in.
The main thing to remember is that learning is not limited to the classroom. To maximise the learning potential for your students they must be provided with as many quality experiences as possible. Every experience matters.
Steve Papp
Reference
Dr Karen Malone Every Experience Matters 2008
Every day that students are at school they are exposed to new concepts and experiences through the amazing work of classroom teachers. Much of this exposure occurs indoors in classrooms, however there is a growing body of evidence that suggests the experiences students have outside, both in formal and informal settings also have a significant and positive effect on learning.
Working in the Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre I have the privilege of providing some of these outdoor experiences for students. These real life experiences range from investigating invertebrates to looking at catchments to conducting energy audits in schools. The key element of all these experiences is that they directly support your child’s classroom learning and will most likely lead to enhanced student understanding. All good quality excursions should do this! An added benefit of quality experiences in outdoor settings is that we are helping students to develop the the core values of sustainability including respect, responsibility, participation and care.
Dr Karen Malone has produced a research report called ‘Every Experience Matters’ that provides evidence to support the benefits of learning outside the classroom. In essence Karen states that students engaged in learning outside the classroom has a significant impact on learning. They achieve higher scores in tests, have greater levels of physical fitness and motor skill development, increased confidence and self esteem, show leadership qualities, are socially competent and are more environmentally responsible (Malone 2008 P4). These experiences form part of the blueprint for shaping a child's knowledge, confidence and identity.
In other words, to maximise your students learning potential they must be exposed to quality learning experiences outside the classroom. Excursions that support classroom learning are one way of doing this, however quality experiences delivered by classroom teachers in school grounds, in parks, on walks through the neighbourhood will all contribute to your child’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.
Of course school is only a part of a child’s development and it’s essential that parents provide a diverse range of experiences as well. You don’t have to go far to provide kids with quality outdoor experiences. For example, you can conduct an invertebrate safari in your backyard or local park. You will need a tarp or an old sheet. Place the tarp under a shrub or low hanging tree branch. Vigorously shake the branch and watch what happens. All the hidden invertebrates will fall onto the tarp and can be examined on the spot or collected into containers (for later release). This simple activity will expose children to the diversity of species in your area, it could lead to discussions on biodiversity, food chains, pollinators, predator and prey relationships, camouflage, science, entomology, invertebrate identification, etc. Done correctly these sort of activities will help students develop positive attitudes and values towards invertebrates and habitats they live in.
The main thing to remember is that learning is not limited to the classroom. To maximise the learning potential for your students they must be provided with as many quality experiences as possible. Every experience matters.
Steve Papp
Reference
Dr Karen Malone Every Experience Matters 2008
Worm Food Pics
02/04/09 14:19
One of the ways to successfully manage worm farms and
compost in schools is to use visual images as a
reminder of what can or cant be recycled.
The worm food picture set has images we use at Field of Mars to reinforce what our worms can or cannot eat.
Steve
The worm food picture set has images we use at Field of Mars to reinforce what our worms can or cannot eat.
Steve
Eco Schools Grants
01/04/09 16:41
The next round of Eco Schools Grants have now been
opened. You can apply for a grant of $2500 to develop
best practice in environmental education and
innovative solutions to environmental issues.
Application forms and details can be found on the NSW Environment Trust Website.
A series of workshops are being held to help with the application process. These workshops can be accessed via video conference (hosted by Field of Mars EEC) or at physical locations.
Info on the workshops can be found on the following link.
Application forms and details can be found on the NSW Environment Trust Website.
A series of workshops are being held to help with the application process. These workshops can be accessed via video conference (hosted by Field of Mars EEC) or at physical locations.
Info on the workshops can be found on the following link.
Climate Change Mind Maps
10/03/09 12:52
The two mind maps below provide a really clear and
consise summary of what schools and individuals can
do to help reduce the future impact of climate
change.
They were created by Jane Genovese from Learning Fundamentals.
Read about how she created the maps here.
Download the maps by clicking on the pictures below.
They were created by Jane Genovese from Learning Fundamentals.
Read about how she created the maps here.
Download the maps by clicking on the pictures below.
Standby Power
10/03/09 10:19
Are you aware that any device left on standby could
be contributing to 10% of your electricity bill as
well as contributing to your home/school or office
carbon emissions.
The website below provides a guide to electricity consumption of devices on stand by. The site is American but would reflect the state of Australian electronic devices as well.
http://standby.lbl.gov/summary-table.html
If possible its best to turn all these devices off at the wall.
One clever solution to dealing with standby power is the earth smart power board.
http://www.crestonline.biz/info/earthsmart
This board has one computer as a host with all the other devices printer/hard drive/scanner plugged into the other ports. Once the host computer is shut down the board powers down all the other connected devices saving on stand by power.
Steve
The website below provides a guide to electricity consumption of devices on stand by. The site is American but would reflect the state of Australian electronic devices as well.
http://standby.lbl.gov/summary-table.html
If possible its best to turn all these devices off at the wall.
One clever solution to dealing with standby power is the earth smart power board.
http://www.crestonline.biz/info/earthsmart
This board has one computer as a host with all the other devices printer/hard drive/scanner plugged into the other ports. Once the host computer is shut down the board powers down all the other connected devices saving on stand by power.
Steve
Northern Sydney Region Strategic Plan 2009 - 2011
21/02/09 12:00
The recently released Northern Sydney Region 2009 -
2011 Strategic Plan is quite significant in a number
of ways.
Most importantly it contains a number of strategies that will influence how Environmental Education and Education for Sustainability is supported and implemented within the region.
Most importantly it contains a number of strategies that will influence how Environmental Education and Education for Sustainability is supported and implemented within the region.
Environmental Education strategies have been
identified with a
red oval.
Strategies that could be met through quality
Environmental Education have been marked with
a
green oval.
Download the document
here.
Digi Stories Competition
19/02/09 08:01
Northern Sydney Region is conducting a fantastic
digital story competition. The task is to create a
digital story with a sustainable environment theme.
The story could be based on a visit to the Field of
Mars EEC. Imagine the possibilities. Download the
flyer
here.
School Blog
28/01/09 13:41
Check out the following school
blog.
It really demonstrates how well environmental knowledge and stories can be retold in electronic form. The key elements are fantastic photos (never use blurry photos) and minimal text.
Steve
It really demonstrates how well environmental knowledge and stories can be retold in electronic form. The key elements are fantastic photos (never use blurry photos) and minimal text.
Steve
Sustainability Cafe
08/12/08 19:38
We have been using the Sustainability Cafe activity
at the end of each of our workshops to help generate
and record discussion on sustainable behaviours,
practices and actions that are or could be occurring
in schools. We think the activity is a great way to
get staff to discuss sustainability in an informal
way. The activity was adapted from the Global Cafe
activity from the Primary Connections workshops.
Download the instructions here.
Download the supporting posters here.
Download the instructions here.
Download the supporting posters here.
The Who Wants to Be a Millionaire powerpoint
08/12/08 19:38
The Who Wants to Be a Millionaire powerpoint was
originally developed by the Quality Teaching team in
DET. We have modified the first 10 questions to
relate to environmental education and sustainability.
These questions could be expanded and are a great
discussion starter for looking at issues relating to
sustainability.
Download the powerpoint here.
Download the powerpoint here.
Cooling Without Climate Consequences
08/12/08 19:37
Wakehurst PS recently used its investing in schools
grant to help cool the school. Rather than investing
the money into climate warming technology they
invested the money into more sustainable practices.
This included insulating all the classrooms, which is
one of the most effective ways of cooling and heating
any space.
Awnings were installed on classrooms that received
the worst of the afternoon sun. All windows were
repaired to allow opening.
A gap was left between the new awnings and existing
structures to allow heat to escape.
The hall was modified to allow doors to open
outwards.
Louvre windows were installed with fans to draw cool
air into the hall.
The hall Colah was insulated to reduce heat.
Staff were also instructed in the best way to cool
classrooms using blinds and windows. The
attached document
provides some additional hints about how to stay cool
(or warm) at school.
Field of Mars EEC is Carbon Neutral
04/03/08 11:58
Talk stopped long ago.
Some of you might have seen this statement on billboards around Sydney. Interestingly its from an oil company and it refers to their commitment to alternative energy.
At the centre we have also been involved in much discussion about ways to reduce carbon emissions. This year we have decided to neutralise all carbon emissions associated with our activities.
We are already running 100% green power so that means all of our power is generated from renewable energy sources like, wind, solar and hydro electric.
Most of our other emissions are associated with transport. This includes Field of Mars staff travelling too and from the centre, travelling to schools, as well as schools and teachers travelling to and from Field of Mars in buses and cars.
To neutralise the emissions associated with these activities we contacted Climate Friendly. This company (there are many others) will organise to offset your emissions by investing into new renewable energy projects. You can visit their website for more details.
For the first time we can say that all activities and excursions associated with the Field of Mars are now carbon neutral. We are particularly happy with this achievement.
Talk (should have) stopped long ago.
Some of you might have seen this statement on billboards around Sydney. Interestingly its from an oil company and it refers to their commitment to alternative energy.
At the centre we have also been involved in much discussion about ways to reduce carbon emissions. This year we have decided to neutralise all carbon emissions associated with our activities.
We are already running 100% green power so that means all of our power is generated from renewable energy sources like, wind, solar and hydro electric.
Most of our other emissions are associated with transport. This includes Field of Mars staff travelling too and from the centre, travelling to schools, as well as schools and teachers travelling to and from Field of Mars in buses and cars.
To neutralise the emissions associated with these activities we contacted Climate Friendly. This company (there are many others) will organise to offset your emissions by investing into new renewable energy projects. You can visit their website for more details.
For the first time we can say that all activities and excursions associated with the Field of Mars are now carbon neutral. We are particularly happy with this achievement.
Talk (should have) stopped long ago.
Going Green
27/02/08 08:14
By now you would have heard the change in
people’s tone from “GREENIE!!!!!”
followed by a roll of the eye to:
“Greenie” accompanied with a look of
admiration and respect. So what are the first few
steps to becoming a Greenie and what are some
resources to help you on your way to going pro? This
blog aims to provide you with a jump-start to
becoming greener.
What it means to be a true greenie.
An amateur greenie is a person that follows the ten top tips to go green as noted by treehugger.com (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/how_to_green_yo_8.php).
As outlined by this popular greenie website some of the ways to reduce your impact on the earth is by:
1) Going organic
2) Purchase fair trade whenever possible
3) Buy from farmers markets
4) Buy products with limited packaging
5) Compost or worm farm it! See the Field of Mars blog on worms for more information.
6) Grow your own food!
7) When travelling to and from food establishments think about your carbon emissions! Walk, cycle or take a horse instead.
8) Be a true domestic goddess like Nigella Lawson or a perfectionist like Jamie Oliver and DON'T WASTE FOOD!! Purchase what you need and use all of it. For helpful hints on healthy food choices see:
Fish For Ever
• http://www.bioliving.com.au/bioliving_fish4ever.html
Macro Wholefoods Supermarket
• http://www.macrowholefoods.com.au/news.php/68.html
The Organic Advantage:
• http://www.logi.org.au/The%20Organic%20Advantage%20Ed.%2085.htm
9) Use less energy while cooking. Granted raw veggies will taste better than raw meat but even eating raw veggies will make a positive impact on the environment and your wallet.
10) Ease up on the meat. Australia is in drought and producing meat uses up a lot of water, “ A pound of beef requires around 12,000 gallons of water to produce” (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/how_to_green_yo_8.php).
Further reading:
Peter Singer and Jim Mason’s book titled “The Ethics of What you Eat” is a must read.
There are many more resources and information on how to go green and there will be more blogs dedicated to this topic. However, please feel free to expand your knowledge and become the person that receives admiration and thanks from all walks of life. If you have any further queries or would like to make amendments to this blog feel free to contact the author
Helen.E.Bahlas@student.uts.edu.au
This blog is dedicated to the few who decide to walk out of the film “An Inconvenient Truth” and do more than just feel bad about the state of the earth.
What it means to be a true greenie.
An amateur greenie is a person that follows the ten top tips to go green as noted by treehugger.com (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/how_to_green_yo_8.php).
As outlined by this popular greenie website some of the ways to reduce your impact on the earth is by:
1) Going organic
2) Purchase fair trade whenever possible
3) Buy from farmers markets
4) Buy products with limited packaging
5) Compost or worm farm it! See the Field of Mars blog on worms for more information.
6) Grow your own food!
7) When travelling to and from food establishments think about your carbon emissions! Walk, cycle or take a horse instead.
8) Be a true domestic goddess like Nigella Lawson or a perfectionist like Jamie Oliver and DON'T WASTE FOOD!! Purchase what you need and use all of it. For helpful hints on healthy food choices see:
Fish For Ever
• http://www.bioliving.com.au/bioliving_fish4ever.html
Macro Wholefoods Supermarket
• http://www.macrowholefoods.com.au/news.php/68.html
The Organic Advantage:
• http://www.logi.org.au/The%20Organic%20Advantage%20Ed.%2085.htm
9) Use less energy while cooking. Granted raw veggies will taste better than raw meat but even eating raw veggies will make a positive impact on the environment and your wallet.
10) Ease up on the meat. Australia is in drought and producing meat uses up a lot of water, “ A pound of beef requires around 12,000 gallons of water to produce” (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/10/how_to_green_yo_8.php).
Further reading:
Peter Singer and Jim Mason’s book titled “The Ethics of What you Eat” is a must read.
There are many more resources and information on how to go green and there will be more blogs dedicated to this topic. However, please feel free to expand your knowledge and become the person that receives admiration and thanks from all walks of life. If you have any further queries or would like to make amendments to this blog feel free to contact the author
Helen.E.Bahlas@student.uts.edu.au
This blog is dedicated to the few who decide to walk out of the film “An Inconvenient Truth” and do more than just feel bad about the state of the earth.
Worms
05/02/08 17:58
Worms
There are songs about them, for many they are the first invertebrates to touch but what else should we know about worms? When travelling to a foreign land and are struggling to find a common topic to discuss, you can talk about worms. Slimy and slippery worms are found all over the world.
Worms are invertebrates (creatures with no backbone). They have no brains but are sensitive to light. To touch they seem slimy and seem to pop out in the most unusual places. The worms I will speak of in this blog will be of the more commonly seen Earthworm rather than the parasites, freshwater or seawater worms.
If you bump into one worm and think it looked a bit different to the last worm you met well you’re probably not going crazy as there are at least 1 000 000 kinds of worms. There are 2700 types of Earthworms around the world and the world is lucky to have them.
Why are we lucky to have Earthworms? Well, Earthworms other than being very entertaining to children are also essential to the ecosystem of the world. Yes they get eaten and provide a rich source of nutrition to animals such as birds but worms eat too! Moving around in the soil and eating away at the plant litter or food scraps they provide ‘castings’ which is a very valuable source of fertilizer. Having the worms move around the soil allows the soil to aerate and allow water and air to penetrate the soil making the soil very healthy.
Here at the Field of Mars we have a worm farm. All our food scraps, newspapers and leaf litter go in to the worm farm where our worms happily feast away and provide us with healthy soil! If you would like to make your own worm farm see: http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/envirom/wormfarm.htm for further details. It is also important to note the things that worms can and can not eat:
Can eat
• vegetable scraps
• fruit scraps
• bread
• crushed egg shells
• grains
• pasta
• paper
• leaf litter
Cannot eat
• citrus peels
• onions
• dairy products
• fats and oils
• meat and fish
• animal droppings
For more information on worms and worm farms check out the following web sites:
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/worms.htm
- Information on Earthworms, great for lower primary
http://www.naturewatch.ca/english/wormwatch/about/ecology.html
- detailed view of Earthworms, great for upper primary to high school.
http://www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/pdf/fact_sheets/worms.pdf
- Information regarding worm farms.
There are songs about them, for many they are the first invertebrates to touch but what else should we know about worms? When travelling to a foreign land and are struggling to find a common topic to discuss, you can talk about worms. Slimy and slippery worms are found all over the world.
Worms are invertebrates (creatures with no backbone). They have no brains but are sensitive to light. To touch they seem slimy and seem to pop out in the most unusual places. The worms I will speak of in this blog will be of the more commonly seen Earthworm rather than the parasites, freshwater or seawater worms.
If you bump into one worm and think it looked a bit different to the last worm you met well you’re probably not going crazy as there are at least 1 000 000 kinds of worms. There are 2700 types of Earthworms around the world and the world is lucky to have them.
Why are we lucky to have Earthworms? Well, Earthworms other than being very entertaining to children are also essential to the ecosystem of the world. Yes they get eaten and provide a rich source of nutrition to animals such as birds but worms eat too! Moving around in the soil and eating away at the plant litter or food scraps they provide ‘castings’ which is a very valuable source of fertilizer. Having the worms move around the soil allows the soil to aerate and allow water and air to penetrate the soil making the soil very healthy.
Here at the Field of Mars we have a worm farm. All our food scraps, newspapers and leaf litter go in to the worm farm where our worms happily feast away and provide us with healthy soil! If you would like to make your own worm farm see: http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/envirom/wormfarm.htm for further details. It is also important to note the things that worms can and can not eat:
Can eat
• vegetable scraps
• fruit scraps
• bread
• crushed egg shells
• grains
• pasta
• paper
• leaf litter
Cannot eat
• citrus peels
• onions
• dairy products
• fats and oils
• meat and fish
• animal droppings
For more information on worms and worm farms check out the following web sites:
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/worms.htm
- Information on Earthworms, great for lower primary
http://www.naturewatch.ca/english/wormwatch/about/ecology.html
- detailed view of Earthworms, great for upper primary to high school.
http://www.zerowaste.sa.gov.au/pdf/fact_sheets/worms.pdf
- Information regarding worm farms.
Water Tank Success
28/08/07 11:20
We recently received a water bill that shows how
effective the installation of a water tank can be in
terms of water savings. The graph below compares the
current May to August usage with the same quarter in
2006.
Our tank is used to flush the centres toilets and can
be used to water gardens if required. We are waiting
for push button taps to be installed in the toilets.
This should result in further savings in the future.
Other positives about tanks include the fact that
they store water far more efficiently than dams and
that they are five times more energy efficient that
desalination plants. Apparently only 6% of homes in
Sydney have a tank installed. (Renew, Issue 100, Page
8, 2007)
Greenhouse Gas = 0%
05/04/07 09:05
We have just received our first electricity bill
after switching to 100% green energy. Its a real buzz
to see that our greenhouse gas emissions have gone
from an average of 2 tonnes per quarter to 0 tonnes.
Our electricity bill has increased by about $80 per
quarter. We think this is a small price to pay to
protect future (and current) generations.
One way of getting around the cost issue is to reduce the amount of energy you use as much as possible. This is what we did at the Field of Mars EEC, so even though our bill now costs more its close to what it was before we started reducing our energy usage at the centre.
Our before and after bills are shown below.
One way of getting around the cost issue is to reduce the amount of energy you use as much as possible. This is what we did at the Field of Mars EEC, so even though our bill now costs more its close to what it was before we started reducing our energy usage at the centre.
Our before and after bills are shown below.
Water Tanks
20/03/07 10:46
As part of our roadmap to sustainability we have
recently installed two water tanks.
A large 10000 litre tank has been installed at the back of our building. This tank will provide all the water we need to flush our toilets.
A large 10000 litre tank has been installed at the back of our building. This tank will provide all the water we need to flush our toilets.
A small 800 litre tank has been installed at the
front of the building to collect water from our air
conditioner. In most places this water would just be
sent down the drain. This tank will supply water for
pot plants and other gardens around the centre.
The third step in minimising water waste at the
centre has been to replace the taps in the toilets
with push button timer taps.
It will be interesting to see how much difference
these measures will make to our water consumption
patterns over the rest of the year.
Give us a call if you are interested in more
information on our tanks and the process we went
through to have them installed ph
98161298.
Carbon Neutrality
08/03/07 14:13
Have you considered making you next excursion carbon
neutral or will it contribute to global warming?
There are many organisations who can help you to to
offset carbon emissions, some of these are listed in
the
links
section on this website. If you discover any more
please let us know and we will add them to the site.
I recently offset the carbon emissions from my car
with 'climate
friendly'.
Most of these carbon offset companies work by
investing money in green technology like wind and
solar or by planting trees. For more information
please visit the links section of this site.
Steve
Steve
Rainwater Tanks
15/03/06 13:24
Rainwater Tanks for schools
If you are a school group, hopefully you already know that Sydney Water are offering a rebate for schools that install a rainwater tank. If you or your school are interested or would like more information visit the link below.
Sydney Water Rainwater Tanks
If you are a school group, hopefully you already know that Sydney Water are offering a rebate for schools that install a rainwater tank. If you or your school are interested or would like more information visit the link below.
Sydney Water Rainwater Tanks
