Planting, ponds and zero plastic
No images? Click here
Green Living Education #2 2023
PLANTING, PONDS AND ZERO PLASTIC
Oceans of entertainment
Casey's waterways, wetlands and Western Port access offer loads of exciting educational opportunities.
Celebrations for our oceans, turtles, mangroves and biodiversity are on the way, making it the ideal time to explore their habitats.
Read on for lesson plans, professional development links, funding opportunities and other local assets.
Make the most of the water this wet winter!
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 TWO DATES TO CELEBRATE
We are excited to host this free event for residents to drop off household chemicals and would appreciate you sharing with your school community via your newsletter. Please contact us if you require the information in another format or need additional information. We appreciate your assistance with the promotion of this event.
International Day for Biological Diversity Monday 22 May
World Turtle Day Tuesday 23 May
National Reconciliation Week Saturday 27 May-Saturday 3 June
We proudly acknowledge the traditional owners, Casey’s Aboriginal communities and their rich culture and pay respect to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge Aboriginal people as Australia’s first peoples and as the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we work and live.
World Environment Day Monday 5 June
World Food Safety Day Wednesday 7 June
World Oceans Day Thursday 8 June
National Education Summit: Inspiring Professional Development for Australian Educators
Friday 16 and Saturday 17 June
Sustainable Gastronomy Day Sunday 18 June
Closing Date Sustainability Awards, Tidy Towns and Cities Sunday 18 June
Plastic Free July All month
World Mangrove Day Wednesday 26 July
Schools Tree Day Friday 28 July
National Tree Day Saturday 30
World Ranger Day Sunday 31
SCHOOLS NATIONAL TREE DAY PLANTING
Would your school like to help us improve our environment?
Join the City of Casey team at our National Tree Day planting during the week of 31 July – 4 August.
Council is providing the tools and plants.
All you have to do is organise your own transport to the site - Cardinia Creek Parklands, Inglis Road in Berwick.
If you'd like to grab this opportunity, please get in touch with Simonette Charles, Environment Projects Officer: scharles@casey.vic.gov.au
We would also love for your schools to advertise our National Tree Day event on Sunday 30 July. Please see more information here: City of Casey - National Tree Day Tree Day Site Details (planetark.org)
Last year's Dolphin Research Institute (DRI) I see I care Ambassadors, after tree planting and water testing at Frog Hollow.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE CASEY KIDS
WIld applause for the ResourceSmart Schools Awards finalists, Strathaird Primary School, Narre Warren South. Led by their deeply committed teacher, Renee Van Styn, the Foundation to year 6 kids completed environmental sustainability as a specialist subject - incorporating science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
Meanwhile, Grade 5 and 6 students participated in a sustainable photo trail, following clues to find different sustainable features at school, leading them to make personal pledges and analyse individual actions.
They've taken their 5 Star commitment beyond the school gate. Congratulations to you all!
CLASSROOM RESOURCES
FOUNDATION-PRIMARY
Help an alien understand how plants are adapted to life on Earth.
Choose different combinations of leaves, seeds and roots to design plants that are best adapted to surviving in mangroves, rainforests, mountain slopes and arid land. (Years 3–4)
Cash for cans – and bottles
Finally – a container deposit scheme for Victoria will start this November! A terrific potential fundraiser, you’ll get 10 cents back for every eligible can, carton and bottle returned. We’ll tell you more as it becomes reality.
Bin Night with Bluey
Bluey, Bingo and Dad always take out the bins. Watch the episode, then check out the worksheets. When you're done with the lesson, discover what goes in what bin in Casey.
SECONDARY
Solving The Problem Of Plastic Waste - Economics & Business /Years 7 to 10
Students consider the role of the different sectors of the economy – government, producers and consumers – in managing plastic waste.
Creating Digital Solutions - Interactive surveys - Digital Technologies / Levels 9 and 10
Here's a survey to analyse:
Plastic Free July Quiz - Find those pesky plastics (in less than 5 minutes)
Sustaining biodiversity and development - VCE Environmental Science Unit 3
Explain the importance of Earth’s biodiversity, analyse the threats and evaluate management strategies to maintain biodiversity of one selected threatened endemic species.
ALL-AGES & COMMUNITY
Join our G4W program as a volunteer garden guide
Casey Gardens for Wildlife Program is recruiting new volunteers now. For more information on the program please visit Gardens for Wildlife (G4W) | City of Casey or you can view this garden visit video. Image: Swordgrass Brown Butterfly. Ricardo Simao
Be a Sleuth with Snap Send Solve
If you want to become a citizen scientist, why not hone your data collection skills with the Snap Send Solve app.
Track dumped rubbish, tree growth and damage, monitor waterways and so much more.
Free Online Food Waste course
Want to save food, water money and the planet?
Look no further than this comprehensive, clear and inspiring online course which will teach you practical ways to makes changes at home, in your community and then on a national level.
LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH
Translated recycling posters
Our waste guide campaign poster (English) has been translated into the most popular languages other than English spoken in Casey - Arabic, Dari, Hazaragi, Hindi, Pashto, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Turkish and Ukrainian.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Teaching Save The World With STEM
Find out how STEM can be used to solve real world problems and help students to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
How to join ResourceSmart Schools
The ResourceSmart Schools program provides practical support to schools to reduce resource use, make cost savings and integrate sustainability into the curriculum.
Supporting First Nations content
You can use this toolkit any time of the year, not just during National Reconciliation Week or NAIDOC Week. Create opportunitiese to celebrate indigenous excellence and amplify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices.
Learn to teach On Country care
This is a series of free lessons designed to educate students about the importance of Traditional Knowledge of Caring for Country. Cultural burning is something that's an important part of land management in Victoria.
Teaching primary maths to measure waste
This course will help you provide real-life learning experiences that develop students’ maths skills and understandings. It includes different methods for collecting and representing waste data.
GRANTS, PROGRAMS, COMPETITIONS & CHALLENGES
Last chance - Student design competition
OzHarvest and the City of Casey are running a design competition for young people between 5 to 18 to create their own Use It Up tape. The tape can be used in your fridge, freezer or pantry to mark out an area to place food that needs using up, or as stickers on individual items or containers.
Be part of the plastic-free July videos
Every individual choice is making powerful impact and we want to inspire others to join in. Together, we can show the world how these steps make a big difference. Follow these simple instructions on how to take part in just a few minutes.
Victorian Landcare Projects Grants (Victorian Government) – closes 16 May 2023
Funding to support Landcare and environmental volunteer groups and local networks for community education and engagement, capacity building activities and on-ground works that improves native vegetation or fauna, waterways, wetlands or soils.
GLOBE Community Grants – closes 28 May 2023
This small grant supports a range of projects, activities and initiatives that engage LGBTIQ communities across Victoria.
William Angliss Charitable Fund – closes 31 May 2023
This fund supports community projects and services across a broad range of areas including, but not limited to, seniors and families, children and youth, educational and health focused organisations.
SilverChef Grants Program – closes 30 June 2023
SilverChef provides certified used hospitality equipment and cash grants to support community groups that offer hospitality and food services to vulnerable communities.
Honda Foundation Grants – closes 30 June 2023
Not-for-profits, charities and unincorporated groups working across a wide range of social and environmental issues can apply for financial assistance or a 12-month vehicle loan program.
Australian Communities Foundation Public Ancillary Fund
The ACF hosts a Funding Proposal Portal that allows community groups to submit a funding proposal to be considered by Donors with a wide range of interests and objectives.
Purves Environmental Fund Grants
This fund offers support to not-for-profits working in the areas of environmental sustainability and biodiversity to deliver projects focused on building organisational capability, reducing habitat destruction and climate change adaptation.
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.
