Eco Education - DEC

For Schools and School Communities

The Department of Environment and Conservation offers schools, teachers, students and their communities a variety of products and services designed to foster awareness, appreciation and understanding of the natural environment and its relation to traditional Aboriginal culture. EcoEducation programs are designed to generate interest in and action for biodiversity conservation, sustainable living and practical ways to act on conservation issues.The programs are:

• For students from Early Childhood to Late Adolescence
• Applicable to all Learning Areas, focus on
• Society & Environment, Science and English
• Contribute to Health & Physical Education outcomes
• Address the clusters of core values-
• Environmental Responsibility
• Social and Civic Responsibility

Excursions

DEC's EcoEducation excursions provide many opportunities for students of all ages to take part in nature-based learning. EcoEducation provides information assisting teachers to develop an Excursion Management Plan as required by the Department of Education and Training's Excursion: Off School-site Activities Policy. Programs have three elements, linked to the outcomes of all curriculum learning areas:

• professional development for teachers;
• classroom resources; and
• excursions or camp activities based at a number of venues in the metropolitan area and in the South West of WA.

EcoEducation programs support students to understand sustainability concepts, achieve outcomes in all learning areas and develop the Cluster of Values, Environmental Responsibility and Social and Civic Responsibility. All excursion activities contribute to Health & Physical Education outcomes.

Professional Learning

Our professional learning (PL) opportunities are a good way for teachers to familiarise themselves with the range of educational resources for the classroom and field opportunities that EcoEducation offers. PLs help teachers address areas of the Department of Education and Training's Excursion Policy and make sure they are familiar with the centres' facilities, excursion activities and the supportive environment in which they are conducted. All this makes an excursion or camp a great pleasure and learning experience!

PLs provide:

• Resources for you to use at school and an overview of how they link to the Curriculum Framework.
• A resource package relevant to your school program.
• An overview and experience of selected excursion activities.
• An opportunity to see and handle some of DEC's educational packages and resources.
• A chance to find out about threatened species, ecosystems and the Western Shield program.
• Specialised overnight camps and an opportunity to meet and question DEC's scientists and field staff.
• Meals, accommodation and/or refreshments.
• All of the above at minimal cost.

Resources 

Resource packs and booklets for use at school to support activities in the natural environment. 

Camps 

In the Metropolitan area and the south-west of Western Australia there are a number of camp sites close to the centres where EcoEducation programs are available for schools. The camp sites are ideal locations for studies and exploration relating to biodiversity conservation.

Aboriginal Heritage Unit

The Aboriginal Heritage Unit programs help fulfill outcomes of the curriculum framework across all learning areas, particularly The Arts, English, Science & Society and Environment. Staff from DEC's Aboriginal Heritage Unit are available to provide educational talks, experiences and activities on their Nyoongar culture in the classroom, local bush and river/wetland settings. Programs available

• At the School
• Wankinying Boodjah (talking land) (suitable for upper primary to secondary level).
• River/Wetlands (suitable for upper primary to secondary level)
  Learn about the importance of the river system to the Nyoongar people
• Walyunga NP
  Nyoongar tools and tales (suitable for secondary level only)

The Perth Hills National Park Centre, Mundaring