Abstracts of Conference Papers
Workshops - Saturday
Workshop 1
Seadragon Monitoring
"Into the Dragon’s Lair"
Vicki-Jo Russell
State Coordinator Threatened Species
Network
120 Wakefield Street
Adelaide 5000
Alex Gianuzzi
Education Officer
Marine Discovery Centre
Queenscliff
|
![](images/syng.gif) |
Seadragons. The word sounds almost mythical, yet here
in the southern Australia we are lucky enough to have two species, the
leafy and weedy seadragon that are found nowhere else in the world.
The Dragon Search Project aims to encourage community
involvement in monitoring a marine species and its habitat with the view
to establish a data base of Seadragon sightings. This can be accessed
by researchers and may assist in the establishment of marine protected
areas in significant habitat areas.
This workshop undertook a Dragon Search under Queenscliff
Pier.
Workshop 2
"Experimental Learning in and for Marine Environments"
Assoc.Prof. John Nicholas &
Students
University of Canberra
Canberra, 2601
![](images/nicholas.gif) |
Whatever Marine Education or
Environmental Education or indeed any worthwhile education means
it means involvement of the learner in doing ( DEWEY).
Teachers cannot be expected
to involve their students in action based learning (FREIRE) - he
died in May so get in quick before the conservative parties iconize
him unless they’ve been there themselves.
|
This workshop presented the experiences of a lecturer
and his teacher education students of diverse curriculum backgrounds in
attempting to put practical wheels (there are no other) on the idea of
teaching/learning for the environment (LUCAS).
In attempting to 'environmentalise' a unit of teaching
some remarkable learning occurred e.g. How would you have environmentalised
theories of wave formation given: surf, metre sticks, wet suits, flippers,
reel and line, etc?
This workshop contained action packed stories of success
and failure in pushing students to the limit in learning in, through and
for the environment and especially hot saline ones.
Workshop 3
Swan Bay Discovery Tour
Mark Rodrigue
Education Officer
Marine Discovery Centre
Queenscliff
Combining outdoor adventure activities with environmental
education provides educators with some great strategies for exploring
and finding out about the environment. In this activity participants had
the opportunity to learn the basics of canoeing while at the same time
using the canoes to explore the diverse community of Swan Bay Marine Reserve.
A variety of sampling equipment was used on the trip
to find out what lives in Swan Bay as well as consider some of the links
between the Bay and the surrounding land.
Workshop 4
Swan Bay Integrated Catchment Management
Sue Longmore
Swan Bay Catchment Facilitator
Russell Irving
Coast Action Co-ordinator
Swan Bay is an internationally important wetland, teeming
with life. The extensive seagrass meadows, rich mudflats and saltmarshes
fringes provide food and shelter for a myriad of marine animals. This
field trip highlighted the links between Swan Bay and its catchment, impacts
on Swan Bay Marine Reserve and strategies implemented by urban and rural
community groups to effect integrated catchment management.
Strategies included interpretive trails - the Swan Bay
Environment Trail, foreshore and streamside restoration, water monitoring,
stormwater awareness, wildlife corridors, management of significant roadside
vegetation, wetlands enhancement, pest plant and animal control, practical
resource materials and projects for schools and community awareness.
Workshop 5
Student Monitoring Program
'What's going into the Oceans & Who's Doing It?'
A Catchment Study and Water Quality Analysis for School
and Community Groups.
Mrs. Leonie Hansen
Marine Studies Co-ordinator
Swansea High School
Park Avenue, Caves Beach
NSW 2281
Workshop presenters: Michael
Bailey, Trevor Cocksedge, Brendan Delaney, Shane Harding, Robert Hughes,
Rebecca Young. Year 12 - 2 unit Marine Studies
With the ever-increasing population and technological
pressure on the environment the waterways and associated estuaries and
oceans of the world are becoming more and more the garbage dumps for the
land. The physical appraisal of a catchment and chemical analysis of its
waterways are important tools that can provide knowledge and understanding
which can bring about change.
This workshop provided participants with the hands-on
skills and enthusiasm needed to introduce this method of teaching to students
and community groups. After the initial training students and community
groups can move into the field and test sites throughout a catchment.
If the number of participants performing the tests is greater than five,
the test can be performed within an hour. The trained students and community
groups can also become the teachers and train their peers in the testing
and analysis of water.
Participants were taken along a tributary of Port Phillip
Bay / Bass Strait in the Queenscliff area and identify the land uses of
the area and possible sources of water pollution. They took water samples
and test for phosphates, nitrates, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature,
turbidity, total dissolved solids and faecal coliform on location.
The results from both the catchment survey and water
sample analysis were discussed producing a snap shot of the water quality
and catchment issues. Ease of testing and quality of results will also
be discussed.
Workshop 6
Bay Litter Watch or Down the Drain
Bob Winters
Education Programs Manager
Gould League of Victoria
Genoa Street
Moorabbin 3189
In dealings with litter education
for older students, the Gould League has identified three areas
requiring attention.
Schools need to put into place
appropriate litter management strategies, students need to become
more motivated not to litter and they need to clarify some of their
values that cause them to litter.
|
![](images/winters.gif) |
Using a kit developed and produced by the Gould League,
a teacher and their students can visit their closest beach and survey
the rubbish. This workshop will look closely at how to apply practical
skills, change students' attitudes, involve the local community and determine
the impact litter has on the study area.
|