Introduction
The following links and documents can assist school communities, educators, students, families and community organisations to:
- Develop an integrated and whole-of-community approach to education for sustainability
- Use education for sustainability to improve all aspects of students’ learning experiences
- Promote biodiversity and develop 'flora for fauna' habitat for native birds and other species.
Community Gardens
Cultivating Community is a not-for-profit organisation that promotes and supports the development of community garden projects.
Ecological Restoration
Practical Ecology offers expertise in ecological restoration, flora and fauna assessments, environmental planning and site preparation and planting.
FLORA FOR FAUNA
The Best Practice Guidelines for Enhancing Urban Bird Habitat includes research and practical guidelines for environmental officers, landscape architects, schools and homeowners.
Gardens and nurseries
The Australian Garden in Cranbourne features 100,000 plants in 15 different landscape displays and exhibition gardens. The Garden's Education Service has also developed curriculum based programs for students from pre school to tertiary levels.
The Kuranga Native Nursery in Mount Evelyn is a retail nursery specialising in Australian native flora. Widely regarded as one of Australia’s foremost native nurseries.
The Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary Plant Nursery specialises in plants indigenous to the Lower Yarra Valley. Over 250 species of indigenous plants are available from the nursery.
The Victorian Indigenous Nurseries Co-operative in Fairfield propagates and supplys local native plants to schools, local government and government agencies and community members.
ORGANISATIONS AND Programs
Former US Vice President Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, includes an educational guide.
The Australian Native Plants Society promotes awareness of the beauty and diversity of our flora and encourages the growing of native plants in home gardens, public places and for revegetation.
The Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative (AuSSI) is a partnership of the federal and state governments that supports schools and their communities to develop a whole-system and whole-school approach to sustainability. The AuSSI website includes case studies and resources.
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has a range of environmental sustainability policies and programs. This includes an environmental sustainability strategy and tools and resources for schools.
The Gould League conducts environmental education and sustainability programs for schools and the community.
The Institute for Sustainable Solutions at the University of Sydney covers research in the fields of energy, health, development and the environment.
ResourceSmart Schools links the many sustainability programs available to Victorian schools. It brings together sustainability educators and delivery organisations to help schools to:
- Minimise waste
- Save energy and water
- Promote biodiversity
- Cut their greenhouse gas emissions.
The Melbourne Wildlife Sanctuary provides an indigenous natural environment for conservation, education and research activities. It is developing:
- A 28 hectare open range sanctuary for indigenous species of fauna which existed in the area before European settlement
- An Education Resource and Visitor's Centre comprising tutorial rooms, laboratories, environment displays and library areas.
Sustainability Victoria helps communities, businesses and governments to actively make a difference by converting policies into practical programs with a measurable impact on sustainability.
The Climate Project (TCP) was founded by Al Gore with a mission to increase public awareness of the climate crisis at a grassroots level world-wide.
The Victorian Association for Environmental Education provides a forum for educators and fosters debate about, and helps to develop, the most effective ways for education for sustainability.
SCHOOL initiatives
The Gresswell Cluster is an example of a cluster of schools focused on environmental citizenship. The now-disbanded Gresswell Cluster is a model of how primary and secondary schools can work together in a collaborative P-12 way.
Tourism and camps
McLeod Eco Farm on French Island offers a unique organic farm-stay experience.
