MARINE PESTS AND THREATS

Our lives depend on a healthy marine environment. We know that exotic species can throw our ecosystems out of balance. Do hitchhikers in ballast water and clinging to the bottom of ships arriving from other waters affect the health of Australian waters? AUSMEPAs Marine Pests and Threats unit of work (here) for students and teachers puts that question into perspective. The newly renovated pages have just gone live! If you wish to learn and share information on this interesting topic please visit our Curriculum Unit webpage at http://www.ausmepa.org.au/pests/default.asp?pageid=2&nav=2  Use this website to research the facts and decide on the actions needed to prevent marine pests and threats coming to Australia either in ships’ ballast water or attached to ships’ hulls.

AUSMEPA MEDIA RELEASE: RHONNDA ALEXANDER MEMORIAL MARINE EDUCATION GRANT

RHONNDA ALEXANDER MEMORIAL MARINE EDUCATION GRANT

AUSMEPA’S Executive Director, Michael Julian, announced today the launch of the Rhonnda Alexander Memorial Marine Education Grant in the memory of Rhonnda Alexander and her support for AUSMEPA as well as for marine conservation and marine environment education. Rhonnda was married to Michael Alexander, AUSMEPA’s first Chairman, for 46 years until her tragic death on 19 July 2011 in a car accident near their Peregian Springs home.

Rhonnda played a key role in the setting up of AUSMEPA and encouraging her husband Michael to also get involved and accept the challenge of being the inaugural Chairman. Throughout her husband’s Chairmanship Rhonnda was a keen supporter of AUSMEPA making suggestions on how AUSMEPA could grow and achieve its goals.

AUSMEPA will award the grant of $3,000 each year to the school that can demonstrate, in its application for the grant, the most effective school marine education project that will lead to students actively improving the marine environment. This could include educating their local community and other environmental behaviour change activities.

The type of project is entirely up to each school; however the grant application must meet the required criteria. See attachment.

For the first year of the grant, applications are being sought only from schools whose teachers are members of the Marine Teachers Association of Queensland. Once AUSMEPA has gained experience in administering the grant, applications next year and subsequent years will be invited from all schools in Australia.

Applications will close at the end of April with AUSMEPA announcing the school to be awarded the grant at the end of May 2011. The successful school will have until the end of November to complete the project and submit to AUSMEPA a three minute video clip about the outcome of their project. The video clip will be loaded on to the AUSMEPA website.

For more information please contact Michael Julian 0417 657 951.

Criteria for AUSMEPA’s Rhonnda Alexander Memorial Marine Education Grant

Main criteria

1. Students must have a major role in organising the project.
2. On completion of their project the students will create a video clip communication product suitable to  be placed on the AUSMEPA website. Permission slips will be required.
3.  The project must have a major coastal conservation application either by direct action or involvement with community education (they have equal weight).
4. The innovative approach to the project has application to other schools.
5. The quality of the project content, outcomes and outputs.
6.  The grant money should not be used for resources already available at school however may be used for example to go towards purchasing or hiring equipment that the school would not normally have.
7.  The attached application must be fully completed, signed and dated by the school Principal.

Other important information.    

1. All applications must have both a concise and a detailed description of the student project. Details of expected educational outcomes for students and how this project links to marine conservation must be outlined.
2. An individual teacher needs to be designated as project leader and primary contact between AUSMEPA and the school.
3. There must be a budget showing how the grant will be spent. There is no requirement to find matching funding. It is anticipated that some projects may find small unexpected variations in expenditure. Please note there is no requirement to obtain any additional funding however if other sources of funding are made available these should be detailed in the budget.
4.  The project may be undertaken with a community partner. If there is a partner, details of their role and support needs to be included in the application
5.  Supporting documentation can be provided as an attachment however the primary assessment will be restricted to the application information.  NOTE:  The application may also be supported by a presentation prepared by the students using one media of their choice to explain why their project is important. Examples of media could include video clip, PowerPoint presentation, song, poem, poster, or postcard etc.   Principal’s signature is required to confirm that the project has the full support and encouragement of the school community. The Principal will supervise the expenditure of the grant taking into account there may be variations that the school will be responsible for resolving.
6. The project will be considered to be concluded upon confirmed receipt of the student’s video clip communication about the project, accompanied by Parent Permission Slips for student images and budget sign-off by the Principal.

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). 

TED TALK: Brian Skerry reveals ocean's glory and horror

Brian Skerry reveals ocean's glory -- and horror | Video on TED.com

www.ted.com

TED Talks Photographer Brian Skerry shoots life above and below the waves -- as he puts it, both the horror and the magic of the ocean. Sharing amazing, intimate shots of undersea creatures, he shows how powerful images can help make change.

Click here to view see the talk and view the magnificent photography of Brian Skerry.

Coast and Marine Teacher Training in South Australia 22 March 2011

Marine coastal conservation project and student leadership

AUSMEPA has finally launched the eagerly awaited student, teacher and community support materials for marine and coastal conservation projects.. 

Is it time for your students to organise their own exciting coastal conservation project? 

The AUSMEPA website will help students plan their next project. 

• It is full of new ideas about what kind of innovative projects they can do with community partners. 
• There is 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 also 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 of 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:                                                                                                                 

1. Start here: provides students with a summary and checklist for deciding on a project and planning it.
2. Students: this is a detailed reference section for students to dip into at the different stages of organising their project.
3. 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.
4. Community: is designed to help community groups develop partnerships with schools.
5.  Photo survey: provides procedures for students using digital cameras and GPS units to make libraries of conservation images for future use.
6. Revegetation: suggests some methods specific to schools for organising a revegetation project.

To access these free materials click here

Project Sponsored by Caring for our Country

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

Please find following information regarding the upcoming United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards 2011. Nominations are now open nationally for the Awards. The Awards are held in celebration of United Nations World Environment Day 5 June and 2011 the International Year of Forests.

Please share with any individual or organisation who may be interested in entering the Awards this year. 

NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN NATIONALLY. Each year on World Environment Day, June 5, the United Nations focuses world attention on the environment, and in particular, on positive programs that work towards protecting or restoring the world's natural heritage. The United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) actively promotes World Environment Day through the annual national World Environment Day Awards. In 2011, the Awards support the International Year of Forests and UNEP World Environment Day theme 'Forests: Nature at your Service'.

The national awards program invites nominations from individuals, organisations, community groups, schools, businesses and the media across Australia whose work demonstrates environmental leadership. The Awards play an important role in raising awareness about key environmental issues and challenges, and inspiring and motivating individuals, organisations and businesses to take positive steps towards sustainability and environmental excellence in their homes, schools, communities and workplaces.

The Award Categories for 2011 are:

• WSP Lincolne Scott Sustainability Leadership Award

• Peter Szental Award for Sustainability Entrepreneurship

• Virgin Blue Business Awards

• Department of Sustainability and Environment Biodiversity Award

• Green Building Award

• Local Government Awards

• Excellence in Sustainable Water Management

• Environmental Schools Award

• Sustainability Education Award

• Excellence in Marine and Coastal Management Award

• Media Award for Environmental Reporting

• Community Award

• Individual Award for Outstanding Service to the Environment

For more information including award categories and entry criteria,

please visit: www.unaavictoria.org.au