4 Seasons in 1 Place

Here's the challenge:

Choose an outdoor place you like and commit to going there 4 times- once each season. Maybe the local park, a national park, a small town in the country or the botanical gardens?? Go alone, with family or friends. Take time to look around, look for change, look for evidence of the season. Take photos! And do something fun.

I went to Bright, north of Melbourne, and would love to get back there each season. As my backup, will also go to the Royal Botantical Gardens too. Will post my Summer pictures now...and am already excited about Autumn in Brignht!!

Through Green Coloured Glasses

Imagine going through a week wearing green coloured glasses. Every product you saw or action you contemplated would reveal the embodied environmental consequences. Probably best to avoid the glasses, take change a bit at a time and go outside and enjoy some real green!!

Wishing the world a wonderful 2009. I have a challenge for you all which I will include in another post.

(Let’s Get) Sustainable

I'm saying all the things that I know you'll hate,
Stoppin' every conversation
I gotta handle you just right,
You know what I mean
I took you to a farmers’ market,
Then to Al Gore’s movie
There's nothin' left to talk about,
Unless it's up against a tree

Let's get sustainable, sustainable,
I wanna get sustainable, let's get sustainable
Let my grandkids see a panda bear, panda bear,
Let them a panda bear, Let them a panda bear.

I've been patient, I've been good,
Tried to dress warm, turn off the heater
It's gettin' hard this holdin' back,
You know what I mean
I'm sure you'll understand my point of view,
We all know we can do it mentally:
You gotta know that you're bringin' out
The vegetarian in me

Let's get sustainable, sustainable,
I wanna get sustainable, let's get sustainable
Let my grandkids see a panda bear, panda bear,
Let them a panda bear, Let them a panda bear.

By Olivia Newton John and I

Slippers

I love simple lifestyle changes that bring a certain joy and create less impact on the environment. Slippers are fantastic- big and cosy, they keep your feet so warm. So there's less of a need for heating. If you are not a slipper wearer- give it a go!

There is something very comforting about coming home from work, changing clothes and putting on lovely cushioned slippers. The daggier the better- it is a commitment to being inside and apart from social expectations for a while. Japanese people have the right idea about taking shoes off at the door- leave behind the working day and step into the sacred sanctuary that is your home!

Less Classroom Waste

OK- here's one for teachers, particularly primary and kindergarten teachers.

There is a heap of waste that is generated by classrooms- think of all the projects, posters and worksheets that students complete in the course of a year. In a class of 25, it really adds up. As teachers are the ones planning tasks and materials, the amount of waste is something they can control. Here are some simple ideas to reduce waste- some are pretty standard, but important so included here. Would love to hear some more!

1. Worksheets: challenge yourself to a worksheet-free week. We had a literacy expert at our school recently and that was her advice- although her motive was to have activities that encouraged group work and talking about a task. Also, instead of each student getting a copy, could you make one per group? Smaller A5 copies? As long as the text is readable and user-friendly, there are many ways to use less paper.

2. Have a "one-side used" box next to the printer.

3. Work out how to print double-sided.

4. Think before you laminate! Laminating is a joy of the job- it keeps everything looking new, bright, clean and professional. The thing is, when you laminate you are increasing the item's lifespan by a huge amount (paper vs.plastic). So, consider: is it going to be handled everyday, or often? Is it something you will use again and again throughout your teaching career (at least five years)? If it is just going to be on a wall for a year, put some sticky tape on the back of each corner to strengthen it.

5. Think about how students present their work. Do all writing pieces need to be printed out and mounted on coloured card? How else could they be presented? Emailed to teacher, saved to a class folder? All important skills!

6. Have a classroom REUSE box for bits of paper and card that are big enough to still be useful in projects. Also have a RECYCLE box for paper that won't be reused. The idea of what is useful and what is not will vary in a class and may need to be reiterated. Encourage students to go to the REUSE box before getting a new sheet.

7. Waste heat and light energy: keep the doors closed when the heater is on and lights off when not needed. Enough said, right? ResourceSmart have FREE thermometers that have a guide for heating and cooling- if it gets above a certain temp., put on the fans and vice versa. Having a lights monitor can be useful too- plus one to turn off computers (including screen).

8. Use old plastic containers in the classroom. Squeezie tomato sauce or mustard bottles are great for paint- means less spillage. Art and technolgy projects can use reused materials.

So yes, these are habits of resourceful teachers everywhere...any more ideas for me?? Cheers!! :)

No Child Left Inside

This is an American initiative, I heard about it through the Earth Day Network. As a bit of a translation for Aussies, it is a play on the Bush policy No Child Left Behind. This is what makes complete sense to me and why I get so frustrated at the limited exposure my students (and heaps of kids in government and catholic schools in big cities and suburbia in Victoria) get to the natural environment.

There are great programs (CERES Sustainability programs, Waste Wise (now ResourceSmart) and the Gould League) out there, but what I hear from primary school teachers is: it is not enough. Teachers are still time-poor, resource-poor and support-poor. The programs are often underfunded, which means they are more expensive for schools. Together with RIDICULOUS bus prices, it is challenging to organise excursions to even close by environmental education centers.

So, with that negative tirade aside, let me introduce this little bit of sunshine: it was made by the Earth Day Network and it reminds me that I am not alone in thinking kids need to get OUT of the classroom:

Get 'Em Outside is on the In The Classroom Channel
http://www.earthdaytv.net/