Media Statements - Resource kit to help teach environmental appreciation

21/2/08

Getting young people to understand and appreciate their environment will be made easier through a new Ribbons of Blue/Waterwatch WA teacher resource kit and website.

Launching the kit and website today, Environment and Climate Change Minister David Templeman said many children now played in highly sophisticated ‘virtual’ worlds and often needed to be goaded into embracing their natural surroundings.

“In acting now to protect our future, we need to engage young people because they will become the custodians of our earth,” Mr Templeman said.

“We need to instil values about protecting and nurturing our environment from an early age and continue that engagement throughout their lives.

“There is now plenty of evidence that the Ribbons of Blue program makes a significant contribution to increasing young peoples’ understanding of their local environment.

“It helps form positive attitudes and enables young people to take action and look after local environments.”

The website uses the virtual world to connect students to the natural world and will complement the new teacher resource kit which adds to the services the Ribbons of Blue regional co-ordinators offer teachers.

The kit provides the resources to build a program around key field experiences and includes lesson plans, worksheets, assessment tasks and marking guidelines linked to the Curriculum Framework reporting requirements for teachers.

“With more than 400 pages of activities, the resource kit has a wide range of topics and background information and is designed to make teachers’ tasks easier,” the Minister said.

Ribbons of Blue is co-ordinated in Western Australia by the Department of Environment and Conservation and supported by the Department of Education and Training and the South West Catchment Council.

More information is available at http://www.ribbonsofblue.wa.gov.au

Minister's office - 9220 5050