School collective taking on climate change

Local schools are tackling climate change head on with significant support from Council’s Coastal Environment Centre (CEC) providing resources to teachers to deliver to their students.

High praise has come from the Peninsula Community of Schools (PCS) who has acknowledged the strong relationship between local schools and the Environment Centre.

The collaboration has resulted in the creation of the PCS Green Collective, drawing upon the desire of local teachers to enhance their student’s knowledge of the environment and the passion of the CEC’s educators to share it with them.

The Green Collective brings like-minded teachers together and offers a support network across 13 public primary schools on the Northern Beaches.

The CEC educators have been instrumental in educating the teachers in a variety of topics including how to conduct audits to help reduce waste and sustainable gardening techniques.

One example is Wheeler Heights Public School who has been praised for its work towards creating a plastic free canteen with the help of Council staff.

CEC educators have also brought experts on board to present topics of interest to teachers, including sustainable garden tours to demonstrate what can be achieved in their own school.

Additionally, the CEC continues to provide its highly-acclaimed excursions for pre-school, primary and high school students to experience outdoor, hands-on environmental education.

The primary goal of the educators is not only to make the sessions informative, but also relevant to the curriculum.

For more information on programs offered visit the Coastal Environment Centre website.

Below are some testimonials about the great work of our Coastal Environment Centre:

“I cannot thank them enough for their endless time and effort shown to myself, Wheeler Heights Public School and the entire peninsula. They have helped us achieve a massive reduction in our daily waste, achieving a reduction of 50% waste in one year and only one fifth going to landfill! A love of the environment has been instilled throughout our students and I am so proud to see the passion within them to live sustainably.” Belinda Alexander, Wheeler Heights Public School

“Mona Vale School is blown away year after year by the passion and commitment of the CEC in supporting our programs. The team has helped us carry out sustainability projects within the school, as well as providing authentic excursions and incursions that not only link beautifully to the syllabus but also connect students to the local natural world.” Sam Hobbs, Mona Vale Public School

"The program provided by the Council has honestly saved me from tearing my hair out! Thanks to the CEC team we now have an effective compost system going, seedlings planted and cared for…I have made connections to other schools and can learn from their systems and processes too." Madison Ross, Beacon Hill Public School

"The work that the CEC and the Council are doing in supporting our professional development as teachers has been invaluable in starting conversations at our school…around waste, reducing waste and implementing change so we can have a positive impact on our planet. Thank you!" Natalie Tasker, Cromer Public School