One of the best ways to stay informed and find out about great ideas to grow your programs, is to talk to like-minded people in your community.
Join a local network
The following bring like-minded teachers and educators together around sustainability:
Network for Environment & Sustainability Teachers Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai (NEST) – Teachers from across Sydney are welcome to join.
Sustainable Schools
Curriculum
Videos/Youtube
Envirotube is Council's own environment, sustainability and wildlife channel.
Gibberagong Environmental Education Centre has it's own educational Youtube Channel.
Lessons
Sustainability in Schools helps you build a case for sustainability in your school.
Cool Australia has over 12,000 free lessons.
NSW Government provides a range of lesson plans and resources.
Indigenous Australia
Ku-ring-gai Aboriginal Heritage explores our Indigenous history and how you can get students actively involved.
NSW Government
Indigenous Weather Knowledge
Share the knowledge passed down through countless generations by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with your children. Explore our local D’harawal Country and language with the Indigenous Weather Knowledge Calendar. It shares the behavior of native wildlife and plants in different seasons and how this guides the eating and living habits of local people.
Biodiversity
The Biodiversity Conservation Trust website is improving the understanding, appreciation and sharing of knowledge when it comes to how to protect our vulnerable plants and animal species. They have resources for primary and secondary schools. Including maps, colouring-in, facts sheets, online games and videos to use in the classroom.
Nature play
Nature play supports teachers and parents to get children outdoors and observe nature at work.
Bush excursions
Schools excursions at the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden provide curriculum-based bushwalks, workshops and nature investigation for students of all ages.
Passionate about experiential learning, the rangers are keen to encourage children to discover and investigate the bush around them.
There are half and full day programs to support teachers at all stages.
Citizen Science
Get your class or community group involved in helping us spot and record our many wonderful critters.
Activities
Host a bag-making workshop
Boomerang Bags is a passionate group powered by volunteers, encouraging others to replace plastic bags with reusables.
They host regular sewing bees to make cloth bags out of recycled fabrics.
Their bags are distributed to various supermarkets and shopping centres for use across Ku-ring-gai.
To host a bag workshop at your school or community group email sustainability@krg.nsw.gov.au.
Primary
Twig Boat
All you need is:
- Long pieces of tough grass– you may need to experiment with different types
- A selection of twigs of a similar size
- A few fallen flowers
- A large leaf
- Lay out your grass vertically underneath your twigs (6-8) which are laid horizontally together on top.
- Tightly wrap your grass around the twigs – this may take a few attempts. Try to keep your twigs flat and tight, as together as possible.
- Next, take one extra twig and slot it into the bottom of your boat to become your mast.
- Thread the large leaf gently by poking the mast through it in two places – this will make the sail.
- Add a few fallen tiny flowers for decoration and that is it
- Set it afloat in a paddling pool, bathtub, stream, lake, or local waterway.
Leaf rubbing
Grab some crayons or pencils, paper and a hard surface like a clipboard and you are good to go. Head outside and collect leaves of differing sizes. Come together with your students and place the leaf upside down on the clipboard with the paper on top. Draw gently over the top of the leaf, pressing onto the veins of the leaf especially. Explain the role of leaves and how the veins draw nutrients to the plant. Display in your classroom, or create bookmarks and other items.
Red Toadlet
Invite younger students to create their own native animal using origami techniques. Instructions and print out for download below.
Origami folding instructions Red Toadlet kids activity(PDF, 372KB)
Red Toadlet print on A3 paper kids activity(PDF, 340KB)
Grass Heads & Boot Pots
Gardening Australia shows us how to create quirky pots out of old boots and a 'Grass Head'.
Recycled art
Ask students to bring in bottles, boxes, bottle tops and other items to make their own ‘artworks’.
Nature bingo
Head outside into the playground or local park and give each student a nature bingo card (create your own or google and print free online).
Who can spot all of the things on their card? Choose a tall tree, a seed pod, a bush turkey and a ladybird to get your children learning about the world around them and the other wildlife and plants that live there.
Secondary
Create a mini-greenhouse
Instructions here. Use recycled plastic boxes, bottles or egg cartons to grow your own seedlings.
Bee, Ladybird or Butterfly Hotel
Create a home for your beneficial bugs and insects. A beautiful timber creation for the garden.
Make your own recycled paper
Instructions here. Recycle paper scraps, using them to create colorful handmade paper.
Annual Environment Days
Tailor your activities to specific events through the year:
| Event |
|
World Wetlands Day
|
February
|
|
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
|
February
|
|
World Wildlife Day
|
March
|
|
Kids Schools Clean Up Day
|
March
|
|
Clean Up Australia Day
|
March
|
|
International Women's Day
|
March
|
|
International Day of Forests
|
March
|
|
World Water Day
|
March
|
|
Earth Hour
|
March
|
|
Earth Day
|
April
|
|
World Migratory Bird Day
|
May
|
|
National Volunteer Week
|
May
|
|
World Environment Day
|
June
|
|
World Oceans Day
|
June
|
|
National Reconciliation Week
|
May/June
|
|
Plastic Free July
|
July
|
|
National Tree Day
|
July
|
|
Threatened Species Day
|
September
|
|
National Organic Week (Composting)
|
September
|
|
International Disaster Reduction Day
|
October
|
|
Bird Week - Aussie Backyard Bird Count
|
October
|
|
National Water Week
|
October
|
|
Australian Pollinator Week
|
October
|
|
National Recycling Week
|
November
|