Karen Player, Author at Australian Environmental Education

January 2, 2020December 31, 2020

Welcome to 2020

It is great to jump into the the new year with a goal and a plan. I like to think about what I can realistically achieve, what I can do differently to make a better future. 2020 is going to be My Year of Sustainability. I want to step up and do more and show my children that we can all make a difference.

As we begin a new decade it is important to reflect on the year that has pasted. Australia has experienced heatwaves, bushfire, droughts and floods. According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) 2019 was the hottest and driest year on record.

In 2019 my family made 2 big road trips crossing 5 states. I saw first hand the impact of the droughts across regional New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. In July we saw the receding floodwaters in Queensland where the town of Birdsville was recovering after being cut off by floods twice. The devastation of the bushfires on the NSW South Coast was incredible as we drove down the Princes Highway in late December. Even more so because the worst was yet to come. We stayed at Lakes Entrance and drove through East Gippsland as the fire crisis was beginning. I’ve had an overwhelming sense of doom after being engulfed by bushfire smoke for so long and watching these natural disasters.

Receding floodwater Birdsville Qld and the surrounding area July 2019 © Karen Player

Everything I have seen throughout 2019 has motivated me to make 2020 My Year of Sustainability. So where will I start?

What can I do to make a difference?

I am going to start with the things I can control. I’m avoiding single use items and making sure I always have a spare reusable bag with me. Sydney tap water is some of the best in the world, so we should all say no to buying water in plastic bottles. Just refill your own water bottle, save the environment and save money too.

I will spend more time in the garden; build a haven for local wildlife, grow more fresh food and create a space to enjoy and relax. I miss my chickens and will fix up their hutch and get a couple of hens. Chickens are great for fresh eggs, reduce your amount of waste and keep the garden healthy. I’m also keen to get a native bee hive this year.

I will avoid using chemical in the garden to control pests and try some of these ideas:

Apply soapy water directly Bugs (sap sucking insects).
Place a saucers of beer in the garden to discourage snails or sprinkle sawdust some near the base of plants.
Sprinkle half eggshells throughout your veggie garden to deter cabbage moths.
Pour boiling water directly onto weeds to kill them.
Spray milk directly onto affected leaves to get rid of powdery mildew or mix 4 litres of water, 4 teaspoons of baking soda and half a cup of white oil as a spray.

The drought is continuing and we all need to be Waterwise. In 2019 we installed a pump to use the grey water from our showers and baths in the garden, we fixed our leaking toilet and got a pump and hose for our rainwater tank.

We can all reduce our water footprint with the following tips:

Take shorter showers.
Check for dripping taps and leaking
Only run the dishwasher and washing machine went it is full
Don’t put rubbish or chemicals down the drain.
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean paths and driveways

I will continue to reduce, reuse and recycle and go beyond

Reduce Reuse Recycle Infographic — Reduce, Reuse and Recycle © WWF

Think about what changes you can make to the way you live and work to become more sustainable? What changes are we prepared to make as a community and nation that will help us achieve this goal?

I came across these World Wildlife Fund infographics on Sustainable Shopping and Food Waste that I wanted to share. They both provide simple and tangible actions that I can achieve.

Sustainable Shopping Infographic — Sustainable Shopping WWF

*How Much Food Do We Waste? Probably More Than You Think! © WWF*

Find out more

December 14, 2019June 11, 2023

Becoming Waterwise

Water is essential for all life and is the most abundant substance on Earth, yet water scarcity is one of the biggest issues facing us today. Australia is the world’s driest inhabited continent and 2019 was the hottest and driest year on record. Climate change is impacting the Australian landscape and the affects are already being felt with widespread droughts and the intense and early start to the fire seasons.

See how Climate Change will affect you.

You can be part of the solution by looking at your water usage and exploring ways that you can be more Waterwise and live more Sustainably.

There are many ways to be waterwise.

In the home

Take shorter showers.
Use the half flush button on your toilet instead of the full flush button.
Turn taps off when brushing teeth
Check for dripping taps
Only run the dishwasher or washing machine went it is full
Don’t put rubbish or chemicals down the drain.
Don’t turn the tap on too hard while washing your hands and turn off it properly.
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean paths and driveways.

Save Water Infographic copyright @ Cienpies Design

In the garden

Water the garden early in the morning or in the evening because less water evaporates when it is cooler.
Plant Australian plants that are native to your area and mulch your garden.
Find alternatives to fertilisers and pesticides that may contain harmful chemicals.
Wash the car on the lawn.
Reuse your bath water for plants
Check for dripping taps
Collect rain water to use in the garden

Water Usage Calculator

Try out the Hunter Water: Water Usage Calculator to calculate how much water you use each year. The Water Use table lists how many litres of water are used for common household activities each day. You can also use this to calculate how much water you use each day and help you find areas to reduce consumption and become Waterwise.

WATER USE	LITRES
Toilet (Single flush cistern) Toilet (Duel Flush)	11 litres 3 litres for a half flush 6 litres for a full flush
Bath	100 litres
Shower (standard shower head) Shower (low flow shower head)	20 litres/minute 10 litres/minute
Dishwasher load	12 litres
Washing machine load	90 litres
Brushing teeth with tap running	5 litres/minute
Drinking, cooking, cleaning	10 litres person/day
Hand basin per use	5 litres
Garden sprinkler	15 litres/minute
Garden dripper per hour	15 litres/minute
Car Washing with hose	15 litres/minute
Hosing driveway	15 litres/minute
A dripping tap can waste up to	200 litres of water/day
Leaking or running toilet	500 litres of water/day

Remember to check on your local water restrictions

Find out more about Water Scarcity and the impacts of Climate Change on Droughts with the following links:

November 7, 2019June 11, 2023

Outdoor Classroom Day

Today is Outdoor Classroom Day and is a great opportunity to look at ways to take your students outside to explore. Outdoor Classroom Day is a global campaign to celebrate and inspire outdoor learning and play. Thousands of schools around the world take lessons outdoors and prioritise playtime using nature based and hands on learning practices. Last year over 3.5 million children worldwide took part with over 300,000 in Australia.

Research has shown that outdoor learning improves children’s health, engages them with learning and leads to a greater connection with nature. Play not only teaches critical life skills such as resilience, teamwork and creativity, but is central to children’s enjoyment of childhood.

The Australian Curriculum section on Outdoor learning states it can be instrumental in:

the teaching and learning of self-reliance, interdependence and leadership
the development of an adventurous spirit
managing personal risks
experiencing safe journeys in nature
learning the value of lifelong outdoor recreation for enjoyment, health and wellbeing
understanding nature through direct experience; and the development of deeper human–nature relationships.

Any learning experience that can be undertaken in the outdoors or in a natural setting can contribute positively to a range of learning areas. The unique and specific benefits that outdoor learning can contribute to a student’s education include:

providing direct personal contact with nature (the outdoors) in ways that promote enjoyment of outdoor activity and the natural world. Such enjoyment can be the basis for ongoing outdoor recreation and nature experiences, supporting personal health and wellbeing and providing the foundations for ecological literacy.
enabling perspectives on contemporary living and human-to-nature relationships. Through the provision of outdoor experiences, students have opportunities to reflect on healthy alternatives for everyday living and lay vital foundations for sustainability and stewardship into the future.
developing competence and safety management in the Australian outdoors. This includes how outdoor learning can teach students to assess risk and make judgements about their management of it.
enhancing wellbeing through guided reflection on involvement in group and individual activities that are challenging and adventurous.
developing essential personal and social capabilities such as communication, resilience, self-confidence, leadership, teamwork, goal setting, personal autonomy and initiative.

Read more on the Australian Curriculum website: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/curriculum-connections/portfolios/outdoor-learning/

Outdoor Education in your classroom

Hear are some simple ways you can integrate outdoor education with your class

Wildlife surveys
Water audits
Sustainability
Gardening

November 3, 2019June 11, 2023

World Jellyfish Day

Jellyfish are in the phylum Cnidarians an ancient group of animals with a history of more than 650 million years. The word Cnidarian comes from the Ancient Greek: knide = nettle, named after a type of plant with stinging hairs. They have soft, hollow bodies, live in water and generally have tentacles.

Fun Fact: Moon Jelly can age backwards! They can revert back into polyp stage and then regrow into an adult again. Moon Jellies can also regenerate lost body parts.

Jellyfish: snack food of the sea

Jellyfish were once thought to be at the end of the food chain because they are have low nutritional content. New research shows that many species rely on Jellyfish as part of their diet including penguins, albatross, tuna, turtles, crabs and benthic microbes. Some animals even time their oceanic migrations to coincide with expansive jellyfish blooms like the Leatherback Turtle.

Concerns have been raised about the explosive growth of Jellyfish populations due to climate change, overfishing, nutrient runoff, and habitat modification. However this could be a positive in areas where fish and krill are in decline, as the importance of Jellyfish as a food source for marine animals will increase.

Find out more about these amazing animals

Did you know: the Bluebottle, Physalia utriculus is not a single animal but a colony? It is a colony of four kinds of zooids that are dependent on one another for survival.

The float pneumatophore is a single individual and supports the rest of the colony.
The tentacles dactylozooids are polyps concerned with the detection and capture of food and convey their prey to the digestive polyps.
The digestive polyps gastrozooids breaks down the food
The reproduction polyps gonozooids

Happy World Jellyfish Day

October 28, 2019September 30, 2020

Beachcombing – exploring our shores

Beachcombing is a great way to explore our shores and learn more about the animals that live along our rocky shores, sandy beaches and mangroves. There are so many amazing things to look out for including shells, shark eggs, crabs, cuttlefish bone, seaweed, sponges, along with interesting rocks, sea glass and driftwood. You never know what you will find?

Here are a few ideas to help get you started.

Wear comfortable shoes, hat and sunscreen
Check the tides, the best time to explore is when the tide is going out
A great time to explore is after a big storm
- Use caution and common sense as waves can still be big.
Bring a camera to record your discoveries
- Use a scale to help identify the animals later
Check local restrictions on collecting shells and driftwood.
- It is illegal to remove living animals or plants from the foreshore and rocky reefs in Marine Parks and National Parks
- Remember hermit crabs are always needing to upgrade their shells
Bring a bag to collect rubbish to help keep our marine environment clean.

Below are some of the animals I found on a recent walk near Anna Bay in New South Wales, Australia. There were lots of shells, bits of driftwood and I was very lucky to photograph these crabs before they disappeared beneath the sand.

Soldier Crab Mictyris longicarpus *Anna Bay NSW*.
Soldier Crabs sort through the sand for organic matter, whats left is made into balls and left on the sand.

If you find something interesting or that you haven’t seen before, do some research. Using a Google image search is a great place to start. You can also contact the Australian Museum for species identifications. Make sure your image has a scale to help with identification https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/species-identification/

The Pumice Raft is coming

Keep an eye out along the east coast of Australia for the arrival of the Pumice Raft between March and June 2020. Queensland University of Technology geologist Scott Bryan said pieces of pumice from the eruption of an underwater volcano near Tonga in early August 2019 would wash up on Australian shores in 7- 12 months. “When it gets here, the pumice raft will be covered in a whole range of organisms of algae and barnacles and corals and crabs and snails and worms,” he said. “We’re going to have millions of individual corals and lots of other organisms all coming in together with the potential of finding new homes along our coastline.”

You can record what animals you see along our shores at the Atlas of Living Australia

October 10, 2019October 8, 2022

World Octopus Day

World Octopus Day is on the October 8th, I think these amazing animals should be celebrated everyday along with other Cephalopods: Squids, Cuttlefish and Nautilus. The largest Cephapods are the Giaint and Colossal Squid that are over 10m in length, this makes them the largest invertebrates. The smallest cephalopod is the squid Idiosepius, at only 1cm. The Colossal Squid also has the largest eye in the animal kingdom that is about the size of a soccer ball.

*Credit: Bristol ridin/Flickr/CC-BY-2.0*

Learn about 10 different species of Octopus with Ocean Scuba Dive

October 3, 2019June 11, 2023

Christmas Beetles

There are about 35 species of Christmas Beetles and they are in the family Scarabaeidae. Eight Christmas Beetle species are found in Sydney. Christmas Beetles are another sign that summer is coming and that Christmas is just around the corner.

Christmas beetle babies have c-shaped grubs that spend a whole year growing up in small chambers just underneath the surface of the soil. They eat plant roots and decaying organic matter.

Christmas beetles like:

Moist, but not too wet, environments.
Grassy woodlands.
Mature eucalyptus leaves.

Become a Citizen Scientist to discover the amazing diversity of Australia’s most famous beetles with Australian Museum identification guide! https://apps.apple.com/au/app/xmas-beetle-id-guide/id1180442876

September 7, 2019June 11, 2023

Welcome to Australian Environmental Education

Australian Environmental Education is a place to discover more about the natural world.

I think Threatened Species Day an appropriate time to launch Australian Environmental Education. As a day to raise awareness of plants and animals at risk of extinction. It is also a day to reflect on what we can do to make a difference. Australian Environmental Education is my responses to that question, this is what I can do to make a difference.

I have been developing and delivering Environmental Education programs for the last 20 years and I am a passionate advocate of hands on learning. I have been developing a range of programs to make learning natural science easy. Science Made Easy are hands on programs aimed at increasing scientific literacy through investigations and experiments. Programs are designed to empower kids and provide them with the knowledge and skills to continue their learning.

I will post useful ideas and resources for engaging your student in environmental education and to become environmental citizens for our future.

To start off I have collated some resources and links for Threatened Species Day