Doug

BOURNDA EEC FUTURE LEADERS ENVIRONMENT AWARD 2020

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Jade Mudge of Ulladulla High School is the winner of the 2020 Bournda EEC Future Leaders Environment Award. Bournda Environmental Education Centre Principal, Doug Reckord, at the Ulladulla High School Leadership Investiture Ceremony on Thursday 13th August, described Jade’s submission for the award
as, “outstanding, demonstrating a strong commitment to the environment and community service”, and thanked Mr Close, the Student Environment Council Coordinator, for compiling the nomination. 
Jade’s contributions include engagement with many environmental issues and community service projects: assisting emergency services workers during the bushfires; supporting native wildlife; Treading Lightly, Take 3 For the Sea, Manyana Matters, Fight for the Bight, Young Eco, Young Environmentalist of the Year and Student Strikes for Climate. In the school’s nomination Mr Close summarised Jade as “a unique individual who has consistently and independently devoted her time and energy to a range of local initiatives which promote sustainability while garnering public support.”
Jade is the 4th winner from Ulladulla High School since the award started in 2014, reflecting the school’s outstanding culture of leadership and excellence in caring for the environment. Previous Ulladulla HS winners were Brooke Kalocsay (joint winner 2015), Ava Del Tufo and Darcy Forrester-Sach (joint winners 2017) and Takesa Frank (joint winner 2019)
Caption: Jade Mudge receives the Leadership Certificate and a prize of $1000, donated by Dr Helen Sykes of Future Leaders  , from Doug Reckord, Bournda EEC Principal. 
Award winner
Doug

World Environment Day Dinner 2020

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Young ecologist, photographer, film-maker and all round good-guy, Harrison Warne gave us a drone. He had a name for it which we have forgotten so it is now called “Harrison”. This was Harrison’s first Bournda EEC flight, with Flight Captain Phil Lord at the controls, and under the watchful eye of NPWS Ranger Grant Brewer. We liked the footage so much and The New Graces’ song “Stitch” fitted so perfectly we have turned it into a promo for our World Environment Day Dinner Online. Thank you Kate Burke of The New Graces for permission to use her beautiful song. Nature is the Stitch in everyone’s seam.

During National Reconciliation Week we would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians, the Djiringanj People of the Yuin Nation. In the lead up to World Environment Day we acknowledge that the Wisdom of the Elders is a pathway to sustainability and human health.

Doug

Wallagoot Lake Shoreline Update January 30 2020

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In 2009, 2010 and November 2019 we mapped the shoreline of Wallagoot Lake at Scotts Bay. The lake level has continued to fall and we recently did another walk in the mud with the GPS. You can check out the results on this Google Map. Click on the map to zoom in on Wallagoot Lake. You can click on the January 30 shoreline to see some additional photos


Images: Taken 22/1/2020

Wallagoot Lake shoreline January 2020

 

Doug

Climate Change Preparedness

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MORE ON CLIMATE CHANGE PREPAREDNESS RESOURCES

The Climate Change Preparedness Resource was developed by Julie-Ann Sheridan and Gaye Braiding, on behalf of the Environmental and Zoo Education Centres NSW through funding from the Office of Environment and Heritage which has been taken over by Department of Planning, Industry and Environment .

This is an excellent and timely resource aimed at high school geography students and teachers and uses the sustainability action process (SAP)

It currently sits on scootle for all teachers:

https://app.education.nsw.gov.au/…/700e9ecf-86f1-4d25-90e…/1

and also on the LAC Curriculum site:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/…/sustainability-action-process

Doug

Wallagoot Lake Shoreline

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In 2009 we mapped the shoreline of Wallagoot Lake at Scotts Bay. In 2010 as the drought worsened, we did it again. The recent dry conditions have seen the lake level drop so we got the trusty Garmin 78S GPS out and squished around in the mud to repeat the experiment. You can check out the results on this Google Map. Click on the map to zoom in on Wallagoot Lake!


Images: From Left to Right – Scotts Bay – 6/8/19, 17/10/19 and 14/11/19

Wallagoot Lake shoreline August 6 2019

 

Doug

Bega Valley PS Stage 2 Camp

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Yes it is windy but no severe weather alert for our part of the coast so we are going ahead as planned.  The Hobart Beach Shelter Shed is the central point for our activities and it provides shelter from the westerlies. Putting up tents will be a challenge but there will be plenty of support for teachers and students – the joys of camping! We’ll having fun exploring the park and learning how to cope with the weather!

Max 25
Sunny.
Chance of any rain: 5% 

Sunny. Winds westerly 25 to 40 km/h tending northwesterly 20 to 25 km/h in the evening then becoming light in the late evening.

http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/bega.shtml

 

Doug

CDAT Camp – change in pick up time to 12:00pm

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The  Fire Danger Rating (FDR) for the Far South Coast is changing from today’s HIGH  to VERY HIGH tomorrow (Friday, 24/10/19) with strengthening warm to hot north to north-westerly winds ahead of a cold front.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecast for Merimbula  for Friday shows a maximum of 31 deg C with light winds becoming north to northwesterly 25 to 35 km/h in the morning then becoming northwesterly 35 to 50 km/h in the middle of the day.

At 3:03pm  today the BOM has also issued a FIRE WEATHER WARNING for the Far South Coast – “Warm, dry and windy conditions will result in elevated fire dangers for the eastern parts of the state”

Just to be on the safe side, we have decided to bring forward the departure time to avoid the worst of these conditions, especially since the bush is so dry at the moment.

  1. The current program will be altered to keep the students in the vicinity of our established evacuation/shelter sites at the Field Studies Hut and Bournda Lagoon.
  2. The current program will be altered to allow for an earlier lunch and departure (12:00pm). If you are picking up students, please note this earlier time.
  3. If the 5am forecast is worse, or conditions show signs of deteriorating, staff will plan for an even earlier departure or cancellation of the program. Again schools will be notified.
  4. Any further changes will be notified to schools and via the BEEC Website, Facebook and Twitter
  5. If you have any concerns or wish to discuss these plans do not hesitate to contact Bournda EEC Principal, Doug Reckord 0428 267 956 or the Bournda EEC office  64945009
  6. BEEC Staff will monitor the weather forecast tonight and early (around 5am) tomorrow for any changes and will continue to monitor the Fires Near Me app. We have mobile notifications activated for Fires Near Me
  7. Be alert, but not alarmed and note the 12pm pick up at the Field Studies Hut – see map for location details
Doug

Merimbula PS Stage 2 History program

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Very sad to have to postpone the day tomorrow due to the Severe Weather Alert for damaging winds.  It is predicted to be windier than today and the conditions are forecast to be unpleasantly cold and dangerous around trees.  So we will regroup to organise another day.  As always thank you to the MPS staff for their work organising outdoor activities. We only wish that it was also forecast to rain a lot; that would make a postponement something to celebrate!

Doug

World Environment Day action

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World Environment Day is the United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP) most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries.  Stage 2 and Stage 3 students from Wolumla PS, Tathra PS, Eden PS, Towamba PS, Bega Valley PS and Wyndham PS got together to learn about video production and animation and have produced a positive video message for World Environment Day 2019. The theme is #BeatAirPollution and these students have put their creative skills and enthusiasm into this positive World Environment Day message!

Doug

Dr Ceridwen Fraser chats with About Regional

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A wonderful chat between Dr Ceridwen Fraser, Associate Professor at University of Otago, and Ian Campbell from About Regional.  Dr Fraser talks about her experiences embarking on a career in science and touches on issues affecting women in science.  A small crew of students from Bega High School were there with others joining the webinar online.

We will report an update on the genomic analysis of bull kelp that we sent to Dr Fraser when those results become known!

Thanks to Inspiring Australia for supporting this initiative!

 

 

 

Dr Ceridwen Fraser in the lab