Teachers' Environment Network

The Teachers' Environment Network (TEN) has been running since 2005 and is a joint Nillumbik and Banyule undertaking. The network aims to support local teachers in both schools and early childhood settings in delivering an integrated and locally relevant sustainability curriculum by:

• providing an opportunity for teachers to share knowledge, experiences and skills about environmental education and projects they are undertaking

• providing support, advice and encouragement to schools and early childhood centres, wherever they are on their sustainability journey

• providing a range of relevant and interesting professional development sessions for teachers around sustainability education

• bringing awareness to relevant Council environmental projects, policies, grant opportunities and events.

The Network usually holds two meetings per term on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon from 4–6pm. Often the meetings are held at Edendale, but sometimes at local schools to showcase an environmental project, or other local destinations such as the Gawa Trail in Watsons Creek or Bunjil Reserve in Panton Hill. It provides a variety of guest speakers, as well as the opportunity for discussion and sharing.

The sessions have continued to provide an interesting and varied array of speakers and topics including:

  • Dr Rachel Forgasz, a lecturer from Monash University, who spoke about climate change education
  • Dr Luis Mata, an ecologist from the University of Melbourne who spoke about native pollinators and pollinator observatories
  • Holly Hale, an incursion provider from the Yarra Valley specialising in bees and minibeasts and their importance in the environment
  • A sustainability grant-writing workshop run by CERES
  • The Gardens for Wildlife, Home Harvest and Seed Library programs and how schools can get involved
  • Kim Davis, a volunteer wildlife rescuer and carer on her role and how to help if you find an injured animal
  • Katrina Naish from A Fitting Connection (textile waste and recycling)
  • Rachel Sietzema, on dealing with environmental and climate-anxiety

The tentative dates for the 2024 program are:

  • Wednesday 21 February @ Edendale - Gardens for Wildlife, Schools for Wildlife, Pollinator Gardens in Schools and tour of Edendale Pollinator Garden
  • Wednesday 20 March @ Edendale: Bush foods with a walk and talk tour of Edendale's Indigenous Bush Food garden
  • Thursday 9 May: Topic TBC
  • Wednesday 5 June @ Edendale: World Environment Day: A Fitting Connection and a hands-on textiles upcycling activity
  • Wednesday 31 July: Topic TBC 
  • Thursday 12 September: @ Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary: Come and experience the Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary, hear about experiences on offer, discounted plants and workshops as well as the Great Southern Bioblitz (and how your school can take part). There will be demonstrations on how to engage kids outside and as an optional extra there will be a Twilight Tour for teachers after the workshop, starting at 6:30pm.
  • Thursday 24 October: Topic TBC

Attendance at TEN meetings can be counted towards teachers' Professional Development requirements for VIT registration.

Please note that dates for meetings can change during the year depending on presenter availability. An email invitation is sent out prior to each meeting to everybody on our email list. If you would like to be added to the TEN email database, please sent us an email at edendale.education@nillumbik.vic.gov.au

We are always interested in ideas for speakers and topics, so please feel free to contact us if you have any ideas.

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