Education

"Education for sustainability develops the knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary for people to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living.   It enables individuals and communities to reflect on ways of interpreting and engaging with the world. 

Sustainability education is futures-oriented, focusing on protecting environments and creating a more ecologically and socially just world through informed action.   Actions that support more sustainable patterns of living require consideration of environmental, social, cultural and economic systems and their interdependence."*

Benalla Sustainable Future Group actively engages in a range of educational activities which contribute to a more sustainable community:

Swanpool Environmental Film Festival

BSFG partners with Swanpool Landcare and the Gecko CLaN ​in running the annual Swanpool Environmental Film Festival at the Swanpool Cinema.   

Running since 2013, the 2016 Festival featured three thought provoking films - 'Polyfaces', 'Anthropocene' and 'Tarkine In Motion' - alternating with presentations by inspirational guest speakers, Prof Kate Auty;  'Polyfaces' co-Director Isabella Doherty and Cinematographer Andreas Overdahl; Dr Kerryn Higgs' on  ‘Collision Course: The Growth Delusion’ and Prof Michael Clarke's on ‘Ecological Literacy, ambivalence and inspiration’.

The 2017 Festival featured  'The Age of Stupid' with Peter Postlethwaite; ‘The Age of Consequences‘ and ‘The Bentley Effect‘. The films were interspersed between guest speakers Julian Cribb on ‘Surviving the 21st Century’; Dr Richard David Hames on ‘Burying the 20th Century’ & Prof Sharon Beder, on ‘Business-Managed Democracy’

The 2018 Festival on 16th June was a sell out, with 195 bookings!  The festival featured Dr Samuel Alexander and film ‘Living in the Futures Past’: Dr Charles Massy, author of 'The Cry of the Reed Warbler' and film ‘Living the Change’; a Guest Panel chaired by Kate Auty featuring Dr Ian Herbert; Bertram Lobert, Shirley Saywell and speakers from the Strathbogie Forests group who took action at the Barjarg coupe and the film ‘Paper Trail’.

​The 2019 Swanpool Environmental Film Festival 2019 (PG) held on Saturday 15 June, featured Dr Tilman Ruff and film ‘System Error’; Professor Samantha Hepburn and Short Enviro Film Festival; Professor Tim Reeves and film ‘2040’.  

The 2020 and 2021 Festivals were casualties of the Pandemic.  Speakers booked for the 2021 Festival presented on its return in June 2022, when the program featured Assoc. Prof. Michael-Shawn Fletcher, feature film ‘River’, Dr Kerryn Higgs, feature film ‘GrowthBusters’; a Short Enviro Film Fest and feature film ‘Once You Know’. 

The 2023 Festival was the 10th anniversary of the Swanpool Environmental Film Festival.  David Karoly, Hon. Prof. University of Melbourne, Climate Council Australia, who spoke at the first festival in 2013, titled his presentation ‘Update on Climate Change Science, Impacts and Solutions for Victoria.  Download David's presentation.  Sue Lebish, Chief Executive Officer, Winton Wetlands titled her presentation ‘Winton Wetlands: A Story of Hope and Renewal’.  Download Sue's presentation. Introduced by Landcare Facilitator Claire Birch, Bertram Lobert and other members of the Save our Strathbogie Forest Group spoke about recent actions which have resulted in the cessation of logging in the Strathbogie Forest.  Films screened - The Rights of Nature, A Global Movement.  Watch the film;  Greenhouse by Joost; and the Bob Brown film The Giants,  .

The 2024 Swanpool Environmental Festlval was held on again on June 15, with three sessions commencing at 1.00 pm; afternoon tea and evening meal.and musical interludes featuring     Guest Speaker Dr Mark Diesendorf, Hon. Assoc. Prof. UNSW Sydney spoke on  'The Path to a Sustainable Civilisation', followed by the film 'THE NEW CORPORATION'. Session 2 featured the film 'FINDING THE MONEY', with opening comments, questions & answers and discussion with Dr Steven Hail Assoc. Prof. Torrens University Australia, Economist at Modern Money Lab  Session 3 included Margot Nash Filmmaker, Visiting Fellow, University of Technology Sydney, who introduced her short film ‘UNDERCURRENTS: Meditations on Power’ 20 mins. Australia 2023. followed by Save Our Strathbogie Forest Update, presented by Bertram Lobert.    Find out more  from our news blog - Peter Maddock's post  'Another successful Swanpool Environmental Film Festival in 2024'  follows the program closely, providing links to videos and resources which may interest people who were unable to attend, or would like to review, the Festival program.

Quarterly Newsletter 

BSFG's newsletter, published quarterly, provides an opportunity for members who enjoy reading, discussing and writing about sustainability to share their environmental wisdom with the community of BSFG members.  For example, the July Newsletter #24)  included President Peter Holmes' message, 'Why should we stop Adani?' and articles The Bob Brown ‘Stop Adani’ Convoy' by Ian Herbert, 'Climate Change Epiphany' and 'System Change v’s Individual Change' by Peter Maddock, 'Swanpool Environmental Film Festival' by Ian Herbert, and Member Submitted Article Links.

The Newsletter is emailed to the BSFG mailing list and published on this website.    Members are invited to contribute articles of about 200 words about an environmentally themed topic.  It might relate to an action group they are involved with; something of personal interest including actions being taken to live more sustainably; thoughts about major environmental issues, and more.   

The Newsletter Page and Newsletter Archive contains newsletters from 2012 to 2023.

Speakers

Guest speakers regularly feature at BSFG Meetings.  The speaker at the AGM on Thursday 27th June 2021 was  Dr Lisa Farnsworth, Winton Wetlands Restoration Ecologist.. Past speakers - Serenity Hill, Open Food Network; Lance Lloyd, Restoration Scientist with the Winton Wetlands Committee of Management;  Professor  Deli Chen on reducing nitrogen emissions from agriculture; Dr Nick Aberle on Environment Victoria's 'Six Steps to Climate Leadership' report; John Liddell, Beyond Zero Emissions; Pablo Brait from  Market Forces: Your Money As  A Force For Good, Strathbogie Sustainable Forest Group's Bertram Lobel; Sarah Stent and Avantika Basu from Winton Solar Farm/FRV services and many more.

Forums

"Only a few seats were left at the Benalla Town Hall on Friday 26 February 2021 when Climate Scientists,  Dr Lynne Bettio and Dr Leanne Webb (pictured with BSFG President Peter Holmes) addressed the subject of Climate Change".  Member for Indi Dr Helen Haines MP provided an update on the introduction of  the Local Power Plan Bill in Parliament. Other forums instigated or facilitated by BSFG  have focussed on Sustainable Housing (2014, 15, 16) and Community Energy (Renewable Energy Future Forum 2016, Comm'nity Energy Forum 2018)

Individual Benalla Sustainable Future Group members also engage in educational activities which contribute to a more sustainable community: 

Projects:  BSFG members have active links to the educational Regent Honey Eater Project in its work to protect, restore and connect significant remnants of native habitat in the Lurg Hills near Benalla and to Winton Wetlands, the largest wetland restoration project in the Southern Hemisphere.

Schools:  A key objective of the BSFG website team is to provide a locally focused resource for teachers and students in Benalla and district schools to draw upon in researching topics and school projects.  BSFG members make themselves available to school educators in educating for sustainability.
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University of the Third Age:  U3A Benalla and District's  'Sustainability' course is facilitated by BSFG member John Lane. 

*Source - ACRA- Cross Curriculum Priorities 'Sustainability' accessed 20 August 2015