COUNTING BIRDS, FISH AND DATA 🔢
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Green Living Education #4 2023
COUNTING BIRDS, FISH AND DATA
It's a big season for counting.
Whether you're counting fish, birds and bandicoots or aluminium cans and old shoes, Casey's got you covered.
Count energy - Teach students how to keep their cool as the temperatures rise by borrowing one of our free home audit kits. If you’re not sure how to borrow or use one, check out our team's demonstration at the Lynbrook Community Centre.
Count kilos - Last year, the free unwanted textile drop-off event collected 6,314kg textiles sorted for recycling. This year we’re giving you even more opportunities to send your linens, clothes and shoes to either local charities or straight into the circular economy for recycling.
Count cans - From November the container deposit scheme will reward Victorians with a 10-cent refund for every eligible can, carton and bottle they return. A golden - and silver and clear - opportunity to raise funds in 2024. Casey and the rest of the state’s east will be serviced by Return-It.
Count data - Casey has developed an online dashboard displaying a range of data sets, including the average household electricity and gas emissions by suburb. See how your students' suburbs compare.
Count animals - celebrate Casey's biodiversity by counting our ocean fish and birdlife
And count yourself lucky, because you can read on for comprehensive class resources, competitions,grants and what’s on. If you'd like to learn more about how the City of Casey can help support you in and out of the classroom, please email us at eduwaste@casey.vic.gov.au
TERM FOUR DATES TO CELEBRATE
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Saturday October 14 World Migratory Bird Day
Monday 16 October - Sunday 22 October Aussie Bird Count
Thursday 19 October 11.00am–1.00pm Recycle Right in Casey
Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 October Growing Friends plant sale
Thursday 26 October 9:00am-6:00pm Careers for Net Zero Fair
Tuesday 31 October 2023 11:00am-12:30pm Energy and Water Efficiency Home Audit Kit Demonstration
Friday 3 November 9.00am–4.00pm Follow Your Waste Tour
Saturday 18 November 9.00am–3.00pm National Recycling Week - Textile Drop-Off
Saturday 18 November 9:00am-3:00pm Detox Your Home – Dandenong
Tuesday 21 November 8.00am-4.30pm Melbourne Urban Agriculture Forum 2023 - Food as a Public Good
Schools Recycle Right Challenge runs from Monday 9 October to Friday 17 November 2023
Great Victorian Fish Count is running from Saturday 18 November until Sunday 17 December.
CLASSROOM RESOURCES
FOUNDATION-PRIMARY
Bandicoots! We’re lucky enough to have Southern Brown Bandicoots in the City of Casey, but they’re still endangered. This group of students weren't as fortunate to watch how they raised awareness of these gorgeous native mammals. |
Creatures and critters Discover the biodiversity Casey has to offer. Why not have a springtime hunt with your class, or just around your home? |
What Is the Water Cycle? Evaporation goes up, rain comes down. But there are also some steps in between. Let's examine all aspects of water's continuous cycle and why it's important for the health of our planet. |
SECONDARY
Avoidable pollution Let's celebrate Wilson Botanic Park's sitewide balloon ban! The increasing amount of litter left in the park and in the lake can kill the beloved resident turtles, birds and other wildlife. Not only are these single-use items deadly, releasing balloons into the environment is illegal in Victoria. |
National Recycling Week - Manufacturing Materials Students investigate the chemical changes required to change raw materials into materials ready for manufacturing. They find out how iron, aluminium and plastics are produced. They use chemical equations that show how raw materials are chemically changed into materials that can be used for manufacturing. |
Evaluating Data to Assess Impact How does your energy use compare to your neighbours? Casey has developed an online dashboard displaying a range of data sets, including the average household electricity and gas emissions by suburb. See how your household compares. |
ALL-AGES & COMMUNITY
Counting fish Every November and December, hundreds of divers and snorkelers plunge into the water to take part in the biggest citizen-science event on Victoria’s marine calendar, the Great Victorian Fish Count. If you enjoyed the Biodiversity Blitz, here's another reason to keep using iNaturalist. |
English Support classes |
Raingardens: managing our stormwater What's a raingarden? Explore how they can protect rivers and creeks from stormwater pollution, and how you can build one. Picture: Stormwater harvesting at Sweeney Reserve in Narre Warren |
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
LifeChanger programs - Empowering young people to live thriving, resilient lives LifeChanger workshops are pre-emptive, holistic and interactive sessions to support mental health in students and teachers. The evidence based program centres on the Five Pillars of Health, Skills, Self, Purpose and Tribe to build emotional, social and resilience skills.Workshops are highly engaging and interactive; providing opportunities for participants to connect and collaborate with peers, mentors and facilitators. |
ResourceSmart Schools If your school is not yet part of the state government's ResourceSmart Schools program, consider this. Since 2008, more than 1,600 schools have participated in the program. Together, they have:
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Melbourne Urban Agriculture Forum 2023 - Food as a Public Good The event will showcase leading initiatives from across the city and strengthen the case for a coordinated and well-resourced approach to this sector from the state government, building on Sustain’s Growing Edible Cities and Towns report presented in October 2022, as part of the 2nd national Urban Agriculture Month. |
Visualise Data in the Secondary Classroom If you think your students would be interested in the open Casey data available above, you might be interested in this accredited course, Use infographics to help your students understand data, compare texts, express a point of view or summarise learning. |
GRANTS, PROGRAMS, COMPETITIONS & CHALLENGES
Toyota Dream Car art contest
Encourage and inspire creative expression and imagination, challenging the boundaries of traditional thinking. It’s a chance for tomorrow’s engineers, designers, and creative thinkers to let their imaginations run wild by drawing their ‘Dream Car’.
Australian Heritage Grants 2023-24 (Australian Government) closes 12 October 2023
This grant program supports projects and activities that contribute to the contribution and preservation of specific sites and/or increase community engagement and raise awareness of places listed on Australia’s National Heritage List.
Ocean Conservation Trust Grant closes 15 October 2023
This small grant is available to NFP organisations to deliver conservation projects that are research-based, educational or events in the community that will contribute towards a healthy Ocean.
B.I.G. Future Grants (Barlow Impact Group) closes 20 October 2023
This annual grant is awarded to one Australian organisation to support an innovative initiative that tackle climate change.
Voiceless Grants Program (Voiceless) closes 30 November 2023
This grant aims to support not for profit organisations and/or animal advocates to develop projects and partnerships that address the root causes of animal exploitation.
SHARE YOUR STORIES
We would love to hear about what environmental programs/initiatives you are doing with your students. If you would like to share in future editions, please email us at eduwaste@casey.vic.gov.au.
For your students - what are their tips, hacks or even questions for using, reusing, upcycling and recycling? Please share them with us via email or through the Green Living in Casey Facebook group.
