Environmental Education Archives - Australian Environmental Education

September 8, 2025September 8, 2025

Celebrating 7 Years of Australian Environmental Education

This month marks a very special milestone, it’s 7 years since I started Australian Environmental Education. What started as a small idea to share my love of nature and create meaningful learning opportunities has grown into something I’m incredibly proud of.

Over the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege of connecting with schools, community groups, and families all across Australia. From backyard biodiversity to coastal habitats, from frogs and insects to oysters and bees, we’ve explored the wonders of the natural world together. Each program, excursion, and resource has been driven by a simple goal: to inspire curiosity, connection, and care for our environment.

Some highlights along the way have included:

Bringing virtual excursions to classrooms across the country, making environmental learning accessible no matter where students live.
Developing hands-on programs like Fabulous Frogs and Noises in the Night, encouraging everyone to look closely at the wildlife around them.
Sharing stories about our incredible ecosystems through blogs, talks, and workshops that invite everyone to see themselves as part of nature.
Partnering with amazing organisations and communities who share a passion for protecting and restoring our environment.

I’m also grateful for the growing community of teachers, students, parents, and citizen scientists who engage with Australian Environmental Education. Your enthusiasm and curiosity remind me why this work matters. Every conversation, every question from a curious mind, and every shared success story fuels the next step forward.

As I celebrate this 7 year milestone, I’m excited about what’s to come. There are so many more stories to tell, habitats to explore, and opportunities to empower the next generation of environmental stewards.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you’ve joined a program, read a blog, or shared a passion for nature, you’ve helped make Australian Environmental Education what it is today. Here’s to the next seven years of learning, discovery, and connection with the amazing natural world around us.

— Karen Player
Founder, Australian Environmental Education

August 31, 2025August 31, 2025

Biodiversity Month 2025 – Every Species Matters

September is Biodiversity Month and it is time to celebrate the incredible variety of life on our planet and to reflect on the role each species plays in keeping our world healthy. From tiny insects in our gardens to the whales roaming our oceans, every living thing is connected, and together they create the web of life that sustains us all.

Biodiversity is more than just a list of species. It’s the richness of life at every level – from the genetic diversity that helps species adapt, to the variety of ecosystems that provide us with clean air, fresh water, fertile soils, food, and medicines. Healthy ecosystems are resilient ecosystems, able to recover from challenges like climate change and continue supporting life for generations to come.

Find out more

Unfortunately, biodiversity is under serious pressure. Habitat loss, pollution, overuse of natural resources, and climate change are causing species to disappear at an alarming rate. Each loss weakens the balance of nature and impacts us directly.

Threats to Biodiversity infographic - Deforestation, pollution, climate change, and overexploitation of natural resources

But there is hope – and we can all play a part.

Protect and restore habitats by planting native species in your backyard.
Support conservation programs and policies that safeguard wildlife.
Make sustainable choices every day – reduce waste, save water, and choose products that don’t harm the environment.
Share what you learn – education and awareness are powerful tools for change.

During September take time to connect with nature. Listen for the frogs in your local wetlands, notice the pollinators visiting your flowers, or simply enjoy a walk in a nearby park. These moments remind us that we are part of nature, not separate from it.

Record frog calls for the Australian Museum’s FrogID project and help track the health of frog populations.
Join Pollinator Count and discover which insects are visiting flowers in your garden or schoolyard.
Take part in river, beach, park or school clean-ups and collect data on marine debris to protect our oceans.
Snap photos of wildlife for the iNaturalist project, contributing to a global biodiversity database.
Help monitor birds through the Aussie Backyard Bird Count.
Explore your local waterways with Waterwatch, measuring water quality and spotting freshwater life.

Find a citizen science program

Every action, no matter how small, helps. Together we can protect the richness of life on Earth and ensure that biodiversity continues to thrive well into the future.

August 12, 2025August 12, 2025

Spark Curiosity: Environmental Science made easy!

National Science Week is the perfect time to immerse students, families, and curious minds of all ages in nature-based science adventures. I’ve got some ideas below to spark your curiosity!

Dive Into Virtual Excursions & Online Classes

Even if your students can’t head outdoors, they can still journey into compelling environments:

Science trivia: 1pm on Wednesday 13 August: Test your knowledge of the ologies – a subject of study. 1pm on Thursday 14 August: Test your knowledge on the Animal Kingdom.
My Journey Beneath the Waves: Explore Sydney’s rocky reefs, kelp forests, and sponge gardens through live virtual excursions. Perfect for discovering marine biodiversity and fragile coastal ecosystems.
What’s in Your Backyard: Turn your own backyard into a science lab. Investigate local wildlife by observing animal signs and traces—learn about the creatures that call your neighbourhood home.
Life on Earth: Travel back 4.6 billion years and explore Earth’s geological history through fossils and ancient Australian animals.

Hands-On Science: Experiments at Home or School

Ignite wonder with DIY experiments using everyday materials:

Eruption Volcano: Create a mini volcano using baking soda and vinegar to simulate eruptions—scientifically fun and visually exciting.
Stra wberry DNA: Have science fun by extracting DNA from a strawberry. DNA is in the cells of every living thing and is found in structures cell called chromosomes. Discover these building blocks of life in your kitchen.

Check out these fun and educational science experiments. Create some amazing experiments using some simple household ingredients. Make sure you have an adult helping too.

Find out more

Citizen Science: contribute to real research

Empower young learners by letting them contribute to meaningful science projects. Students can engage in wildlife monitoring and environmental data collection. Many projects are supported by the Bureau of Meteorology and local institutions—perfect for hands-on learning and scientific discovery.

Find out more

CSIRO Wild Watch

CSIRO Wild Watch calls curious minds – young and young-at-heart – to connect with nature and form a nationwide team of citizen scientists. Young people, schools, community groups and families can head outdoors, observe local flora and fauna, and contribute valuable biodiversity data for Australian research.

Help track Australia’s biodiversity and add your observations to the iNaturalist app.

CSIRO Wild Watch calls curious minds

Themed Explorations: Deepen the Learning

Frame your activities around key environmental themes and integrate discussion, reflection, and action:

Biodiversity & Habitats: Activities like “Create a Frog Hotel,” “Make an Insect Hotel,” or building a wildlife garden are both science-rich and creative. Australian Environmental Education
Water & Rivers: Celebrate World Rivers Day by exploring river ecosystems and discussing river conservation. Australian Environmental Education
Threatened Species Awareness: Commemorate Threatened Species Day (September 7) by learning about endangered Australian species and brainstorming ways to protect them— perhaps even creating wildlife-friendly backyards. Australian Environmental Education

Tips for Educators, Families, and Science Champions

Blend formats: Mix hands-on experiments, virtual experiences, and video storytelling for varied and inclusive learning.
Localise the science: Use backyard observations or citizen science tied to your region to make content personally relevant.
Extend into cross-curriculum links: These activities align beautifully with environmental studies, Earth science, literacy, and creative arts.
Share the excitement: Encourage students to present findings via posters, presentations, or online platforms like blogs or class socials.

National Science Week is a celebration of curiosity, discovery, and environmental stewardship. With these dynamic resources you can inspire a love of science, empower learners of all ages, and nurture the next generation of environmental explorers.

July 30, 2025August 1, 2025

The Forgotten Reefs: Teacher professional development session

The NSW Oyster Reef Restoration and Research Project is learning more about the ecology of oyster reefs and restoring these unique marine habitats so they can do their job again – naturally. I have had the pleasure to work with the team to develop a series of education resources highlighting shellfish reefs and the restoration project.

Shellfish Reefs:

Graphic on how shellfish reef benefit the environment

The three learning packages explore shellfish reefs across NSW, their ecological importance, and efforts to restore them. The learning packages not only include information a wealth of information focused on oyster reefs, but also provide opportunities to engage students with interactive learning experiences through excursions, fieldwork, hands-on activities, and extension tasks.

Some activities are designed to complement an excursion to the travelling ‘Bidhiinja – Restoring Our Oyster Reefs’ exhibition. Other excursion and fieldwork activities have been included if you live too far away from an exhibition location or are unable to visit.

Teacher professional development webinar

During the session teachers will learn about the new education resources the Forgotten Reefs that have been developed through this project for primary and high school students. The webinar will provide the following:

Background on the NSW Oyster Reef Restoration and Research Project
The importance of oyster reefs
Tips on how to use the new learning packages

Forgotten Reefs webinar promotion image showing oysters cleaning water

Live webinar at 3.30pm on Thursday 7 August AEST

Find out more about the NSW Oyster Reef Restoration and Research Project

Learn more

The Forgotten Reefs learning packages were funded by the NSW Government through the Marine Estate Management Strategy, which aims to deliver a healthy coast and sea, managed for the greatest wellbeing of the community, now and into the future.

July 8, 2025July 8, 2025

Plastic Free July

Join millions of people reducing their plastic waste this July. Plastic Free July is important because it encourages people worldwide to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics, contributing to cleaner streets, oceans, and communities. By participating, individuals can make simple changes that reduces plastic waste and its harmful effects on the environment, wildlife and human health.

Tips to reduce plastic waste and to prevent ocean pollution: sustainable lifestyle, environmental protection and zero waste concept infographic — © elenabsl

Be part of Plastic Free July by pledging to refuse single-use plastics?

The website is full of great ideas to make it easy for you to make changes in all parts of your life.

One change can make a big difference

Plastic free July website

Australians are embracing sustainable living in their daily lives and want to transition to hosting a sustainable events. If you’re planning to throw a celebration that leaves a minimal environmental footprint, we’ve got you covered. In this post, we’ll guide you through the steps to put on a sustainable party.

How to host a sustainable party

Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution. By part of the change!

January 30, 2025January 30, 2025

World Wetlands Day 2025

World Wetlands Day is celebrated on 2 February every year. It is time for everyone to understand the importance of wetlands. This years theme is Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future. Wetlands are areas of land saturated or flooded with water permanently or seasonally. There are a variety of wetlands including:

Coastal wetlands: saltwater marshes, estuaries, mangroves, lagoons, coral reefs
Inland wetlands: marshes, peatlands ponds, lakes, rivers, floodplains, swamps, fens
Human-made wetlands: fish ponds, reservoirs, saltpans

Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing essential services such as:

Water purification – Wetlands filter pollutants, improving water quality for both wildlife and humans.
Flood control – They absorb excess rainfall, reducing the impact of extreme weather events.
Biodiversity hotspots – Wetlands are home to countless species, from birds and fish to insects and amphibians.
Climate resilience – They store carbon, helping mitigate the effects of climate change.

Despite their importance, wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests due to urban development, pollution, and climate change. By understanding and protecting these ecosystems, we can secure the future of our water resources and biodiversity.

In Australia there are 66 Ramsar sites wetlands of international importance covering about 8.3 million hectares. These sites include iconic wetlands such as Kakadu National Park, Roebuck Bay, Gippsland Lakes, Moreton Bay, Blue Lake, Macquarie Marshes and the Coorong.

The main threats to wetlands in Australia are:

river regulation and water diversion
land reclamation and development
catchment disturbance
introduction of weeds and pest animals
climate change

This World Wetlands Day, take action to support wetland conservation:

Visit a local wetland – Explore these unique habitats and learn about the species they support.
Participate in a clean-up – Join a community group to remove litter and improve wetland health.
Plant native vegetation – Help restore wetland areas by planting trees and aquatic plants.
Educate others – Share knowledge about the importance of wetlands in classrooms and online.

I’m based in the Central Coast in NSW and it is surrounded by a number of estuaries and coastal lagoons, from Lake Macquarie in the north to the Hawkesbury River in the south. Within the Central Coast it is estimated there are about 870 hectares of mangroves, 190 hectares of saltmarsh and 1,780 hectares of seagrass.

Find a wetland near you to explore this weekend!

Wetland Finder

Join us in celebrating World Wetlands Day 2025 by taking steps to protect these vital ecosystems. For more information and resources, visit https://www.worldwetlandsday.org and follow us for upcoming events and activities!

Check the health of your local wetland with the Wetland Audit.

Wetland Audit

Let’s work together to ensure a sustainable future for our wetlands and water resources!

January 20, 2025January 30, 2025

Top 10 webpages

I started making the Australian Environmental Education website in 2019 and I have really enjoyed creating all the content. I love to see the information being used by so many people across Australia and around the world.

I have now written 185 webpages and 100 blog posts for the Australian Environmental Education website. There have been almost 700,000 visitors viewing 2.1 million pages. Top 10 pages make up about a quarter of the page views over the last 5 years. You can check out the content below:

You can also check out the video content that I have made exploring my backyard and beyond on my YouTube channel.

It has been great to get messages from children, parents and teachers about how they are using the content. I will continue to make easy to use environmental content and I hope what fascinates me also fascinates you!

December 5, 2024December 5, 2024

World Soil Day

World Soil Day (WSD) is held annually on 5 December to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil for the sustainable management of soil resources. Our planet’s survival depends on the link with soil. Over 95 percent of our food comes from soils and 15 of the 18 naturally occurring chemical elements essential to plants.

The theme for the WSD celebration in 2024 is “Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage.” This theme highlights the importance of accurate soil data and information in understanding soils characteristics and supporting informed decision-making on sustainable soil management for food security.

Find out more about World Soil Day

What is soil?

Soil is the thin layer of material covering the earth’s surface and is formed from the weathering of rocks. It is made up mainly of mineral particles, organic materials, air, water and living organisms—all of which interact slowly yet constantly. Most plants get their nutrients from the soil and they are the main source of food for humans, animals and birds. Therefore, most living things on land depend on soil for their existence.

Graphic: SoilLife Get Dirty! Get Connected!

Soil is a valuable resource that needs to be carefully managed as it is easily damaged, washed or blown away. If we understand soil and manage it properly, we will avoid destroying one of the essential building blocks of our environment and our food security.

Find out more about Soils

November 3, 2024November 3, 2024

Creating a Thriving Wildlife Garden: A Success Story

Transforming a garden into a thriving wildlife sanctuary is a rewarding and impactful way to support local biodiversity and connect with nature. I have had a great time working on the garden and creating a space that is relaxing for me and haven for local wildlife.

My goal was clear: design a garden that would support native flora and fauna while creating an inviting natural oasis. Native plants were chosen for their resilience and compatibility with local species, while a dragonfly garden with a water feature was included to attract dragonflies, damselflies, and frogs. By providing a habitat with food, shelter, and water, the garden aimed to draw in various species and give them a safe place to thrive. I now have a Water Dragon that lives nearby, tadpoles, damselfly and dragonfly nymphs living in the pond.

I started the process of The transformation was almost immediate. With the native plants taking root, insects and small animals quickly followed. The pond became a lively centre of activity, home to dragonflies, damselflies, and tadpoles. Stripe marsh frogs and common eastern froglets were soon heard calling, marking the garden as a hotspot for native frogs.

Key Elements of the Wildlife Garden

Native Plants and Vegetation: Carefully selected native plants formed the backbone of the garden. Hardy shrubs, grasses, and flowering plants created a layered structure that mimicked local bushland. These plants provide food and shelter for insects, birds, and small mammals while requiring minimal maintenance.
Dragonfly Garden and Pond: The heart of the project was a small pond, ideal for attracting dragonflies, damselflies, and native frogs. Shallow and shaded at the edges but deeper in the centre, the pond was lined with rocks and aquatic plants that offered ideal spawning grounds for tadpoles and larvae, adding biodiversity to the garden ecosystem.
Log and Rock Piles: Strategic log and rock piles added structure to the garden, offering hiding spots for reptiles, insects, and small mammals. These features also help to retain moisture, creating a microhabitat that attracts invertebrates, which in turn attract other wildlife up the food chain.

During the night I hear the unmistakable calls of the Powerful Owl and Southern Boobook Owl echoed through the garden, suggesting that even these top predators were taking note of the new ecosystem. The presence of these owls, which rely on small mammals and other prey, indicated that the garden was supporting a complex food web.

Dragonfly Garden infographic © Australian Environmental Education

The increase in insect life attracted various bird species, enriching the biodiversity and adding another layer to the garden’s ecosystem.

Creating a successful wildlife garden is not only about design but also about patience and careful observation.

This wildlife garden is a testament to the impact of intentional, eco-friendly gardening, proving that even small spaces can support diverse and thriving ecosystems. For anyone inspired to start their own wildlife garden, this success story offers a roadmap and motivation to begin. By embracing native plants and creating a few key habitats, any garden can become a sanctuary for local wildlife, benefiting both the environment and the community.

August 30, 2024September 2, 2024

Awesome August

What a week, but really I should say what a month! August has been awesome, with so many events and programs linked to National Tree Planting Day, National Science Week and Book Week.

It was wonderful to be back at the Rhodes Science Festival with Mary Bell from Nature Knows for National Science Week. We always have so much fun talking to visitors and there is always a great vibe at the event.

I presented the What’s in your Backyard virtual excursion for SciFest 2024, celebrating National Science Week. Almost 4000 students were registered for the event and many classes have followed up and watch the recording below.

I also created and delivered amazing series of online trivia events for SciFest 2024. I did 4 session linking to the National Science Week Theme Species Survival – More Than Just Sustainability. There were over 6500 students register across, Biology trivia, Australian Animal trivia, Plant life trivia and Environmental trivia.

It was great to be able to follow up from National Tree Planting Day and do some school tree planting with Greening Australia. Tree Planting enables people to make new habitat zones, improve green spaces, increases shade and creates connection to nature. There are so many ecological and social benefits from tree planting and it is great to be involved in Greening Australia’s Cooling the School program.

Cooling the Schools is an initiative delivered by Greening Australia and funded by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure. Watch a short video from Ferncourt Public School about there Colling the Schools experience.

Watch the Clip

I delivered a STEM family activities with Little Scientist at an early childhood centre on the Central Coast NSW. There were 80 children participating in 4 inquiry based learning activities across the afternoon. Children were constructing towers or creating a tool to carry a ping pong ball around an obstacle course. Everyone had a lot of fun.

I wrapped up August with the Willoughby Fauna Fair. This year was the 20th anniversary of the event. The What’s in your Backyard display and Nature Craft activity fit perfectly into this year’s theme Our Awesome Urban Survivors and celebrated the resilience and adaptability of wildlife in urban environments.

I definitely deserve a break after all these events, but September is Biodiversity Month and the 5th anniversary of launching Australian Environmental Education. Maybe October will be quieter!