Education
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"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:
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Environmental Film FestivalsBSFG partners with Swanpool Landcare and the Gecko CLaN in running the annual Swanpool Environmental Film Festival at the Swanpool Cinema.
The 2016 Festival featured three thought provoking films - 'Polyfaces', 'Anthropocine' 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' featuring Peter Postlethwaite; ‘The Age of Consequences‘ and 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’ and 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) will be held on Saturday 15 June from 1pm to 9:40pm. Three sessions with breaks for afternoon tea & an evening meal: Session One: Dr Tilman Ruff and film ‘System Error’ Session Two: Prof Samantha Hepburn and Short Enviro Film Fest Session Three: Prof Tim Reeves and film ‘2040’ Booking essential on TryBooking. Phone 0498 007 988 for enquiries. Catering by Swanpool Catering Team volunteers sustains Festival audiences during breaks providing opportunities for audience members to network and catch up with friends. |
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Speakers
Speakers at BSFG meetings over the past year have included Sarah Stent and Avantika Basu from FRV services who provided an update on the 85MW Winton Solar Farm in August 2018 and Serenity Hill who spoke to a well-attended meeting in March 2019 about the Open Food Network, a distributed online marketplace making food fair. Our 2019 AGM guest speaker in May, Lance Lloyd, Restoration Scientist with the Winton Wetlands
Committee of Management gave us a good insight into efforts at Winton Wetlands to bring about the ecological regeneration of the catchment. . Past speakers have included Professor Deli Chen on reducing nitrogen emissions from agriculture; Dr Nick Aberle on Environment Victoria's 'Six Steps to Climate Leadership' report; John Liddell from Beyond Zero Emissions; Pablo Brait from Market Forces: Your Money As A Force For Good, Strathbogie Sustainable Forest Group's Bertram Lobel and many more. |
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ForumsBSFG's Sustainable Building Action enthusiasts have actively worked with Benalla's Council to present educational community forums on Sustainable Housing. Forums in 2014, 2015 and 2016 focused on encouraging people building new homes to seriously consider sustainable energy efficient approaches to designing and building their home and people who are retrofitting existing homes to make them more energy efficient and more comfortable. This work is being continued by our action group Renewable Energy Benalla.
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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.
University of the Third Age: U3A Benalla and District's 'Sustainability' course is facilitated by BSFG member John Lloyd.
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.
University of the Third Age: U3A Benalla and District's 'Sustainability' course is facilitated by BSFG member John Lloyd.
*Source - ACRA- Cross Curriculum Priorities 'Sustainability' accessed 20 August 2015