World EE Day: the first events took place all over the world

Did you enjoy the World Environmental Education Day? What did you organise? Several associations, universities, parks and institutions sent us information about their events. Let’s go to have a look in this first report, and remember that you can still send us your event even after 14th October!

In Italy the Weec Network Permanent Secretariat organised the public speech of Gunter Pauli, during the Innovation and Science Festival held near Turin.

A group of associations and universities (RESS education research and socual studies, CEAS university center for sustainability, GEP group education and peace, GISCEL group action and study linguistic education) organised the seminar “Immigration and climate change: a question to be investigated”. The seminar has been focused on the knowledge of the little known and discussed issue of environmental migrations to try to clarify the connection between environmental factors and social, economic, political, cultural dynamics and highlight the importance of a training commitment in this regard.

The park Parco fluviale Gesso e Stura organised two events.“ Meteorologies for a day”, a scientific educational laboratory for children. What’s the weather going to do tomorrow? Of course, we can not foresee the future but we can learn to understand and measure the “signals” that the natural environment sends us. By constructing particular instruments we can try to become small meteorologists… even just for one day!
“Butterfly effect”Special World Environmental Education Day. Guided tours with the curator at the exhibition “Butterfly effect: different worlds in one life”. From caterpillar to butterfly, from leaves to flowers: the conquest of the wings. Surprising adaptations, strange and complex symbiosis, unexpected curiosities about these small fragments of the landscape: countless pieces of the great puzzle of nature.

Another park, Parco del Serio, organised the “Autumn party at the botanical garden”. Educational workshops dedicated to the discovery of agri-food products.

The environmental organisation Academia Kronos, association specialized in shipments abroad to study the phenomenon of global warming, organised courses on Environmental Education, Environmental Communication, Naturalistic Cinematography, Alternative Energies, Experts on Climate Change.

EUROPE

In Hungary the Hungarian Institute for Educational Research (Founder and network centre of the Hungarian Eco-school Network for 14 years) managed a 4000-member mailing list. In their biweek news, they urged their member schools (more than 1000 schools) to celebrate the EEDay in or around 14th October. And – as member of the Science for Carpathians academic and transdisciplanary network – they also facilitated a workshop on 16th October on the 5th Forum Carpaticum (fc2018.hu) dealing with the possibilities of formal education.

In Spain the academic institution Resclima, in collaboration with A Eira do Ceesg (Working group on Environmental Education of the Professional Association of Social Educators of Galicia) celebrated the World Environmental Education Day with the organization of a “Photocall for Climate Change Education”, in which it has been highlighted the strategic centrality of Environmental Education in mitigation and adaptation policies to face the climate crisis. It took place on October 17th, at the central module of the Faculty of Educational Sciences (South Campus) of the University of Santiago de Compostela (Galicia, Spain).

In Greece the Environmental Education Center of Samos in cooperation with 2nd Kissamos Primary School of Chania visited the Elos Lake in the Prefecture of Chania. 46 pupils and 4 teachers participated in outdoor environmental activities.

In Lithuania the Žemaitijos nacionalinis parkas organised two events. A pre-event: laboratory for kids and teenagers in the local library with different indoor and outdoor activities, such as building a small soil model in glass jars, drawing and writing, debating about environment, environmental edication and finding out together daily practises for a “greener” society.
Main event: celebration of the entire anniversary (October 14th-26th) with online quizzes and other enjoyable games for everyone, every day on a different topic related with environmental issues, such as pollution, wastes, energy sources, food production, climate change, ecc.

AFRICA

In Mali the NGO AADECOM  Association of Support to Community Development of Mali, engaged in the development of Mali, contributed to the World EE Day with the following objectives: to promote and support in Mali as well as on the African and even worldwide scale, any initiative aimed at promoting education for sustainable development and international solidarity and contribute to improving the daily life of local populations. Set up awareness-raising, training and support actions for the populations targeted by the two associations. Promote environmental education and local tourism with a focus on youth participation. Promote the green economy through sustainable management of natural resources and an effective fight against global warming. Develop a synergy of action to mobilize resources internally and externally to finance projects to be implemented as part of the implementation of this EDDSI approach.

The African Network for Sustainable Development Education -ANSDE, an environmental organization of the civil society based in Cameroun, that works for the education and information orgnised his work on the streets and markets to sensitize on the use of plastic, showing that plastic waste has colonised our lifes and our marine and its marine animals are in danger because of our manner to live and use plastic waste. «So we have to change our way of living – they explained – if we don’t want to disappear from the earth».

The University of Kinshasa, Department of Environmental Sciences (Democratic Republic of Congo) organized a special event for 2000 students comprising a sanitation sensitization day for youth in the secondary school Mont Amba and also for students of other departments of the university. An accent will be on plastic waste collection since it is valorized by the department in making cobblestone from the mixture Plastic-Sand. The day ended with a conference on “Benefits of Environmental education in the development of developing nations”.

The World EE Day was also an opportunity to give space to dreams and individual projects like that of Hicham Filalizehri, from Morocco that wants to share his dream «to create an environmental library in a rural natural area in Morocco».

AMERICA

Two proposals from Canada.

The Manitoba Museum, Museum or Informal Educational Center (Canada) explained that we use energy in almost every aspect of our lives, and finding sustainable sources of energy is the key to affecting climate change. At the Green Science workshop, visitors could do hands-on experiments and learn all about different forms of alternative energy including… Hydroelectricity! «Come harness the power of moving water to turn on light bulbs with our Water Wheel activity. See how certain types of light bulbs use up more energy than others and learn more about the energy that powers most of Manitoba».
Hydrogen gas! It’s been called the energy of the future – and it’s so easy to make, you can even do it at home! Feel the energy from just a small amount of hydrogen gas created right in front of your eyes, and make a “hydrogen generator” that you can take home with you!
Solar Power! Who says gathering energy can’t be fun? Grab a magnifying glass and focus some light energy on to solar panels on top of toy cars, planes, boats and…. grasshoppers!? Read about some myths and misconceptions regarding solar energy and find out about Earth’s energy budget

The environmental organisation Burrard Inlet Marine Enhancement Society/Mossom Creek Hatchery proposed the Salmon Sunday (October 21st). Deep in the forest on the north shore of Port Moody, the Mossom Creek Hatchery and Education Centre is open to the public between 11 am and 1:30 pm. Visitors can check out the nature education centre displays, explore short trails along the creek and through the forest and can chat with dedicated volunteers who are committed to sharing nature with the community. A variety of very popular school field trip programs are available and Salmon Sunday is a great time for teachers to find out more about what is on offer.

AUSTRALIA

The environmental associazion AAEE Queensland Chapter invited members across Queensland to celebrate World Environmental Education Day by joining with their communities to take a Nature Walk and enjoy casual conversations in their local environment. This is aimed as a low-key way to reconnect with EE colleagues and the community in a relaxed, family-friendly social activity.

ASIA

In Iran the Farzanegan highschool went to park and by playing theatres about global warming and it’s effects, try about public advocacy trough out art. «Also we have drawing and painting on the as long as 50 m paints in the park about climate change and global warming, the 14th October».

In Vietnam on 21 October 2018, Gaia Nature Conservation organised a fieldtrip for approximately 400 students aged from 12-14 years old to experience the nature and to learn about wildlife.

Other report are coming and publishing soon.