Saturday, August 6, 2011

AUSMEPA Bulletin Summer 2010-11



In this issue
Summer holidays provided some exciting weather for Australia and a reminder that world systems are on the move. AUSMEPA is committed to helping active remedial change as well as building understanding within the community about the importance of the environmental changes we have been witnessing.

Student Leadership for Coastal Conservation Projects

    

Is it time for your students to organise their own exciting coastal conservation project?
The new AUSMEPA webpages on building Marine Conservation Projects (here) will help students plan their next innovative projects with community and industry partners.
These innovative guides include a full communication tool kit to help students run their local community education programs. The site provides specific advice for schools wanting to initiate habitat restoration projects. Students are advised about methods for creating digital photographic libraries of their local coastal environment that can have conservation applications in the future.
Community groups are provided with help and advice how best to work with schools and students. It asks community groups to think outside the box and ask students to help them run their public education programs.
This leadership program is designed around helping students identify a coastal conservation project either independently or with a partner. It has a wide range of planning tools to help students understand all the necessary stages that they need to address when planning a project. Throughout their project students are developing their leadership skills.
The website is divided into sections and includes a Start here tab that provides students with a summary and checklist for deciding on a project and planning it.
  1. Students: this is a detailed reference section for students to dip into at the different stages of organising their project.
  2. Teachers: assists teachers in supporting their students through the process and provides advice about building in student wellbeing issues that may relate to school policy.
  3. Community: is designed to help community groups develop partnerships with schools.
  4. Photo survey: provides procedures for students using digital cameras and GPS units to make libraries of conservation images for future use.
  5. Revegetation: suggests some methods specific to schools for organising a revegetation project. To access these free materials go to www.ausmepa.org.au/leadership
'This project was funded by the Commonwealth Government's Caring for Our Country.

New AUSMEPA units to be launched:

In the next few weeks the Pests and Threats unit of work will morph into its new format and the much anticipated Beaches and Rockpools unit of work will be available for schools mid-year. Additionally we will let you know when the AUSMEPA literacy readers Our environment our futureand Boating Safety in the Torres Strait will be available online

 

MEDIA RELEASE

AUSMEPA Urges the Government to Introduce More Stringent Regulations for Offshore Petroleum Exploration and Development.

RHONNDA ALEXANDER MEMORIAL MARINE EDUCATION GRANT

This new grant is in the memory of Rhondda Alexander and her support for marine conservation.
Each year AUSMEPA (Australian Marine Environmental Protection Association) will award a grant of up to $3,000 towards a school’s marine education project that leads to students actively improving the marine environment. This can include educating their local community and other behaviour change activities. In 2011 the award will be assessed by invitation only however in following years it will be open to schools across Australia. For more information please contact us at info@ausmepa.org.au oreducation@ausmepa.org.au

NEW AUSMEPA CHAIR:

At the AUSMEPA AGM held last November a new Chair and new Board were elected, to see who they are go to our website www.ausmepa.org.au/other.asp?pageId=26

OCEAN WHISPERS:

provides articles that may surprise, inspire or encourage ausmepa.blogspot.com
  1. Australian national ports strategy
  2. 6th World Environmental Education Congress 
  3. 2010 World wide weather extremes 
  4. Heroes riding the flood waters
  5. String ball of ocean rubbish
  6. Sapphire Coast Summer Activities, NSW
  7. Help for Flood Affected in Queensland
  8. Summer by the Sea 2011 -- 300 free coastal events
  9. TED TALK: Dianna Cohen: Tough truths about plastic pollution.
  10. Sea-Safari: science and nature for everyone in Victoria
  11. Summer by the Sea at Ricketts Sanctuary, Victoria
  12. Ultramarine - Seahorses
  13. Underwater Environmental Noise Course, Brisbane
  14. New Chairman for AUSMEPA: Captain Conrad Saldanaha 
  15. MangroveWatching – getting down and dirty for a healthier environment
  16. HELMEPA Cadets under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Youth
  17. By-The-Wind-Sailors stranded 
  18. Ecosystems need sharks (Science Alert)
  19. SPOTLIGHT ON: Western Australia’s Marine Discovery: Bunbury and Hillarys

MORE FOR TEACHERS

CARBON CYCLE

Science Daily: Carbon cycle – students lack scientific literacy
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110107094904.htm
According to research published in the January issue of BioScience most college students in the United States do not grasp the scientific basis of the carbon cycle -- an essential skill in understanding the causes and consequences of climate change.
Here is a webpage that has Carbon Cycle Changes information and games:www.windows2universe.org/earth/climate/carbon_change.html                 
Windows2the Universe


SEA LEVEL RISE

Antarctica’s Climate Secrets Activity – sea level rise
www.andrill.org/flexhibit/flexhibit/materials/activities/index.htmlThis activity comes from a National Science Foundation research team and all of materials are freely available courtesy of ANDRILL (ANtarctic geological DRILLing) website www.andrill.org/education


Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre: what does the future hold

www.acecrc.org.au/uploaded/117/797532_01ib03_sealevelgeneral_07.pdf 
The impacts of sea-level rise are already being felt through changes in the average sea level as well as changes in the height or frequency of extreme sea level events, such as very high tides and storm-related surges.

CLIMATE CHANGE

CLIMATE KIDS: Harnessing the tides for renewable energy (NASA) climate.nasa.gov/kids/news/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=11 Energy is everywhere, in sunlight, wind and in the ocean. NASA’s eyes on the earth show how huge machines can harness the tides. For an explanation of tides visit here scijinks.jpl.nasa.gov/tides

SHARING

Our Ocean Space (World Ocean Observatory)  thew2o.net/our-ocean-spaces  Our Ocean space is a web-based network for exchange of projects, art, audio-visual presentations, and other imaginative formats, created and up-loaded by young Citizens of the Ocean to share with their counterparts worldwide. The intent is for teachers and students to up-load and share their ocean-related projects with other classrooms, linking together young people through their understanding and interpretation of ocean systemsSocial software for study --  chronicle.com/article/New-Social-Software-Tries to/125542/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

POSTERS

With the new school year getting underway AUSMEPA has received a number or request for the FREE posters  we provide for primary students and those for middle year students that link to the units of work on the AUSMEPA website. If you are thinking of doing a unit of work about the marine environment  this year send an email to info@ausmepa and request a set of  posters. Please state whether you require  primary or middle year posters and don't forget to give your mailing address.

NATIONAL SEAWEEK 

AUSMEPA has good friends in the Marine Education Society of Australasia (MESA) who have been the driving force behind National Seaweek over the last 3 decades. The event occurs in March to promote educational issues of relevance to the marine environment. This year s theme is Spotlight on Marine Science as a focus for bringing together students, schools and communities to inform and inspire them. Join them in the colour and fun of Seaweek 2011. If you missed participating this year put it on the calendar for next March. For more information go to the MESA website here  

World Environment Day 5 June 2011 Marine and Coastal Management Award & Sustainability Education Award NOMINATIONS OPEN

RightShip Develops Ship Environmental Rating

AUSMEPA congratulates RightShip Pty.Ltd. for developing a world first environmental rating option for ships listed in its ship vetting data base. The environmental rating comprises two components:
  • An environmental star rating based on an analysis of a range of data for each ship and includes pollution incidents, compliance with international marine environmental conventions and standards, affiliations with organisations like AUSMEPA and the Green Award.
  • A greenhouse gas emissions rating which looks at the mass of CO2 emitted in terms of grams of CO2 per tonne of cargo and distance travelled.
 It is hoped that this new initiative will assist in making sustainability a criteria in the vessel selection process used by vessel charterers who wish to ensure their cargo is carried in the best environmentally operated ships.
AUSMEPA is closely associated with RightShip Pty. Ltd which maintains an AUSMEPA fleet data base of ships in the AUSMEPA Ship Membership scheme (here). 

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Posted by AUSMEPA Marine Education at 4:01 AM

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