Content
Environmental Sustainability Education
WINNER - Birds in Backyards
Aussie Bird Watchers Twitchy
It's no wonder Aussie birdwatchers are twitching. Australian birds are doing it tough, with over 20% of bird species under threat of extinction, compared to 10% elsewhere in the world. A website enlisting backyard bird enthusiasts to combat the decline has won the $10,000 NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change Allen Strom Eureka Prize for Environmental Sustainability Education.
This prize is part of the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, the Oscars of Australian science. Coveted among science prizes, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes were announced at a glittering event in Sydney on 19 August attended by a ‘who's who' of Australian science, government, academia and industry.
The winning website, Birds in Backyards, was developed by the Australian Museum and Birds Australia. It is a research, education and conservation program focusing on ‘birds that live where people live'. With over 500 pages, the site contains encyclopaedic coverage of Australian birds.
"By tapping into the growing enthusiasm for bird-watching, Birds in Backyards provides a wonderful introduction to concepts of biodiversity and sustainability. And the site assists anyone with a garden to become a conservation activist, by creating habitat for wildlife," says Australian Museum Director, Frank Howarth.
The website has been a huge hit, with 5,000 members and 55,000 user sessions per month. It exhorts visitors to get involved by taking part in online surveys, learning how to create bird-friendly spaces in gardens and local communities and encouraging them to find out more about Australian birds and their habitats.
The website provides information to identify birds, including delightful birdsong recordings. The ‘Top 40' chart has categories such as ‘screechers', ‘hooters', ‘trillers' and ‘whistlers' - so you can discover the name of the bird waking you up each morning! There's even a section on ‘birds behaving badly' - look here for the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos and Noisy Miners.
As part of the interactive site, visitors are encouraged to answer surveys about local bird species. The army of ‘backyarders' has completed more than 12,000 surveys, totalling nearly 75,000 species records - valuable scientific data gathered entirely through community participation.
By promoting bird-friendly garden design, Birds in Backyards challenges loss of biodiversity in an increasingly urban landscape. It suggests easy changes such as planting local natives, reducing lawn area, providing water sources and increasing habitat layers to provide food and shelter for small birds.
The site was initiated in 2005 after scientific observations found rapid urbanisation and loss of bird habitat appeared to be causing a decline in bird diversity.
The Eureka Prize for Environmental Sustainability Education honours Allen Strom's 40 years of untiring devotion to conservation and education. The Prize is awarded for an outstanding and innovative program that has contributed to behavioural change among individuals and organisations and led to changed practices and environmental improvement.
Contents
Sponsor
The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change Allen Strom Eureka Prize for Environmental Sustainability Education is sponsored by New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change.
Description
The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change Allen Strom Eureka Prize for Environmental Sustainability Education is awarded for excellence in the design, implementation and evaluation of an innovative, leading edge program that has contributed to behavioural change among individuals and organisations and has led to changed practices and environmental improvement.
prize
$10,000
Purpose
The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change Allen Strom Eureka Prize for Environmental Sustainability Education is sponsored by the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change to reward excellence in the design, implementation and evaluation of programs for environmental sustainability education.
The prize commemorates the outstanding work and untiring devotion to education related to the environment over 40 years by Allen Strom - considered by many as one of the founders of the conservation movement in New South Wales.
The prize reflects the New South Wales Government's recognition of the vital role that education can play in promoting understanding of and responses to environmental sustainability issues in the community.
The winning entry will be publicised as an innovative, leading edge model for environmental sustainability education. Programs nominated/entered must have these characteristics.
"Education for sustainability motivates, equips, and involves both individuals and communities in reflecting on how they currently live and work. This assists them in making informed decisions and creating ways to work towards a more sustainable world. Learning for sustainability seeks to implement systematic change within the wider community." (NSW Council on Environmental Education. Draft Learning for Sustainability: NSW Environmental Education Plan 2006-2009, 2005. p.ii).
Sustainability is defined as "the goal to be achieved through ecologically sustainable development. It refers to the ability to continue an activity into the future or maintain a state or condition undiminished (or enhanced) over time. Sustainability involves integrated ecological, personal and social (including economic) goals and implies changes in behaviour and practice by individuals and organisations." (CEE, Draft Learning for Sustainability: NSW Environmental Education Plan 2006-2009, 2005. p.iii).
Entries in this prize are invited from organisations and individuals from areas such as: business and industry; schools, pre-schools, universities and TAFEs; non-government organisations; professional associations; government agencies; vocational education and training providers; communication, media and the arts.
Judging Criteria
Entries must address each of the following criteria:
1. Project development (10%)
• What prompted development of the program?
• What research was undertaken in developing the program?
• Was a needs analysis conducted before the program was developed? What did it reveal? Who was consulted?
• What are the program's environmental sustainability objectives?
• How was internal commitment to develop and support the program gained?
2. Innovation (20%)
• Why is the program innovative?
• In what way does it break new ground in the design and/or delivery of education for environmental sustainability?
• Does the program promote environmental behavioural change among individuals and organisations?
3. Implementation/Delivery (15%)
• What is the process of the program and the delivery methodology?
• Does the program encourage the engagement of internal and/or external stakeholders in its development and delivery?
4. Impact/Outcomes (30%)
• Does the program encourage the formation of partnerships or networks?
• To what extent does the program deliver attitudinal/behavioural change among individuals and organisations?
• What are the environmental outcomes to date?
5. Promulgation (15%)
• Does the program demonstrate the promulgation of sustainability principles through the organisation or the community?
• Does the program demonstrate an ongoing long-term commitment?
6) Evaluation and monitoring (10%)
• To what extent does the program incorporate evaluation and monitoring?
Conditions of entry
The prize is open to individuals or groups. Entrants can either enter themselves or be nominated by others.
The activity entered/nominated for this prize must have been undertaken:
• in Australia by an Australian citizen(s) or Australian resident(s)
• no more than three (3) years prior to the closing date for entries.
Online entry forms close 5pm AEST Friday 2 May 2008. Hard copy entries will not be considered until and unless an online entry form has been completed.
Completed entries must be received by the Australian Museum no later than 5pm AEST on Friday 9 May 2008. Entries delivered to the Australian Museum after this time will not be considered.
Entries with insufficient sets of documentation will not be considered. Submitted material will not be returned.
The activity entered/nominated for this prize may not be entered/nominated for another Australian Museum Eureka Prize.
The deliberations of the judging panel remain confidential. All recommendations and decisions taken are binding and final and no correspondence will be entered into on such matters.
Information provided by the entrant(s) in relation to the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes (including photos), may be used by the Australian Museum for promotional/publicity purposes.
Personal information provided in connection with the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes will be used only by the Australian Museum and only in connection with the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.
How to enter
1. Complete an online entry form
Complete the online entry form by 5pm AEST on Friday 2 May 2008. Make sure you print out a copy.
2. Prepare five (5) sets of the entry, with each set consisting of:
1. a printed copy of the online entry form as submitted
2. a brief description of the program entered, including objectives and results to date (two page maximum)
3. a brief description of how the program entered addresses each of the judging criteria (two page maximum)
4. a sample of the program's work if appropriate/desired
5. a maximum of four (4) written reports addressing each of the judging criteria from assessors who are familiar with the program. NOTE: Judges rely on assessor's reports to provide additional perspective and informed opinion on the entry. Assessors should not be personally or directly involved in the program entered in this prize.
3. Submit the entry
Submit five (5) complete and separate sets of the entry clipped together (not bound). Please do NOT bother with elaborate presentation when submitting the entry. This will be removed before material is sent to judges. The five (5) sets of the entry should be sent to:
Eureka Prize for Environmental Sustainability Education
Australian Museum
6 College Street
SYDNEY NSW 2010
4. DEADLINE for submission of entries
The five (5) sets of the entry must be received at the Australian Museum by 5pm AEST on Friday 9 May 2008. Entries received after this time will not be considered.
