The Schools Environment Program
The Schools Environment Program encourages the formation of partnerships between Council, school populations and the local community. It aims to create environmental improvement within school grounds with opportunities to foster greater community awareness in relation to environmental education. This in turn facilitates the spread of environmental stewardship throughout the wider community.
Through the Program, Council is able to assist with the following;
- The development of recommendations for on-ground environmental improvement in
school grounds.
- Facilitate the incorporation of environmental education into the school curriculum
through “Sense of Place – A Resource Kit for Schools”
- Coordination of local field days and excursions
- Coordination of workshops and presentations relating to environmental issues.
- Accessing external funds to implement on-ground recommendations
- On-going support and technical expertise.
For more information please contact Councils Environmental Programs Team on (02) 4934 9700.
The Environmental Youth Forum
The Environmental Youth Forum runs as a component of the Schools Environmental Program. It is a bi-annnual event hosted by Maitland City Council to provide local high school students and teachers with the opportunity to come together to learn about and share ideas about the environment. The forum also endeavours to achieve a sense of appreciation for the natural environment within participants.
The 2006 Environmental Youth Forum
The 2006 Environmental Youth Forum was held on 29 November at Walka Water Works. The forum was attended by high school students and teachers, the Maitland Green Corps team and volunteers from Conservation Volunteers Australia.
Workshops were presented by the following organisations:
- The Reptile Park Gosford: Reptiles and their local environment
- Hunter Central Rivers Waterwatch: Water Quality and Water Bugs
- Department of Environment and Conservation (National Parks and Wildlife Service): Conservation and Wildlife Management
- Walka Water Works/Maitland Region Landcare Network: Native Vegetation Planting
- Maitland City Council - Noxius Weeds Officer: Weeds in the Maitland area
- Maitland City Council - Environmental Health Officer: Composting and Worm Farming
- Maitland City Council - Community Support Officer: Plant Identification and Propogation
- Hunter Resource Recovery - Recycling in Maitland
- Hunter Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority - Wetlands
- Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council - Aboriginal Artifacts, Didgeridoos and Local Dances
Funding for the 2006 event was provided by Maitland City Council with additional grant money provided by the Hunter Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority.
Sustainability Snapshots
The Sustainabiility Snapshots Program is an initiative of the Hunter Waste Educators Group, made up of representatives of the five Lower Hunter Councils including Maitland City Council and the NSW Departmnt of Environment & Climate Change.
The Program aims to provide the community with information on how they can reduce their impact on the environment by living more sustainably.
The Program has seen the development of display boards for static displays and a series of entertainment and educational presentations developed to provide people with snapshots of actions they can undertake to live sustainably in their lives.
The Sustainability messages portrayed fall into four (4) main categories, 'In the Home', 'At the Shops', 'In the Yard' and 'On the Move'.
During 2007 Sustainability Snapshots was featured at the Maitland Mercury Hunter River Super Show in February and Tocal Field Days in May.
Waste as Art
Waste as Art is an annual competition run by the Councils of the Hunter Region and the Department of Environment and Climate Change to encourage the community to use waste to create artwork. The competition has been running for eight years.
The 2007 competition saw the following artwork categories:
- 3D/Sculpture Art
- Functional Art
- Letterbox Art & Design
- Primary School Age Group
- Secondary School Age Group
- The Maria Callinan Memorial Award - best use of waste materials
- People's Choice - voted on during the period of exhibition
- Overall winner of the Waste as Art 2007 Art Prize
Works are judged on how effectively they address the 'waste-to-resource' concept, through the use of waste materials in the creation of art. Works are also judged on aesthetic merit, artistic quality, creativity, innovation and craftsmanship.
The competition generally opens in March each year with artwork required to be submitted for judging in May each year.
For further information on Sustainability Snapshots and Waste as Art visit the Hunter Waste Educators Group website at www.hweg.com.au.
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