Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T14:03:29.237Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A Participatory Approach to University Teaching About Partnerships for Biodiversity Conservation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2015

William Gladstone ,
Robin Stanger  and
Liz Phelps
William Gladstone*
Affiliation:
University of Newcastle
Robin Stanger
Affiliation:
Urban and Wildlife Corridors Australia
Liz Phelps
Affiliation:
National Parks and Wildlife Service
*
†School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle(Ourimbah Campus), PO Box 127, Ourimbah, NSW 2258, Australia. Email: william.gladstone@newcastle.edu.au
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Loss of biodiversity and habitats is one of the greatest threats to the environment and education has a critical role to play in addressing this issue. This paper describes a teaching activity for first-year university students studying sustainable resource management at the University of Newcastle which established a partnership between education, government and the community to rehabilitate a nature reserve where biodiversity values were threatened by weed invasion. Students research the problem (weed invasion), quantitatively assess the impacts of weed invasion and management interventions, and work alongside a community-based bushcare group and government agency during on-ground rehabilitation of the reserve. Key outcomes for students have been knowledge and skills relevant to a critical issue for the Australian environment; a more optimistic attitude towards environmental issues and their potential to develop solutions; a positive perspective about the role of community involvement; continued participation in community bushcare groups outside the classroom; and personal involvement in solving a critical environmental issue.

Keywords

biodiversitynatural resource managementprotected areathreatened speciestertiary teaching
Type
Research Article
Information
Australian Journal of Environmental Education , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , 2006 , pp. 21 - 31
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Biggs, J. (2003). Teaching for quality learning at university, Second edition. Buckingham: Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.Google Scholar
Bogner, F. X. (1998). The influence of short-term outdoor ecology education on long-term variables of environmental perspective. Journal of Environmental Education, 29(4), 17–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bogner, F. X. (1999). Empirical evaluation of an educational conservation programme introduced in Swiss secondary schools (Research Report). International Journal of Science Education, 21(11), 1169–1185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buhrs, T., & Aplin, G. (1999). Pathways towards sustainability: The Australian approach. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 42(3), 315–340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Byron, I., & Curtis, A. (2001). Assessing and managing burnout in Landcare. Natural Resource Management, 4(1), 19–24.Google Scholar
Canfield, R. (1941). Application of the line interception method of vegetation analysis. Journal of Forestry, 39(2), 386–394.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia (1992). National strategy for ecologically sustainable development. Canberra: Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories.Google Scholar
Commonwealth of Australia (1996). The national strategy for the conservation of Australia's biodiversity. Canberra: Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories.Google Scholar
Curtis, A. (1998). The agency/community partnership in landcare: Lessons for state-sponsored citizen resource management. Environmental Management, 22(4), 563–574.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dettmann-Easler, D., & Pease, J.L. (1999). Evaluating the effectiveness of residential environmental education programs in fostering positive attitudes toward wildlife. Journal of Environmental Education, 31(1), 33–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Emmons, K. M. (1997). Perceptions of the environment while exploring the outdoors: A case study in Belize. Environmental Education Research, 3(3), 327–344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Environment Australia. (1999). Today shapes tomorrow: Environmental education for a sustainable future, a discussion paper. Canberra: Department of the Environment and Heritage, Environment Australia.Google Scholar
Environment Australia (2000). Environmental education for a sustainable future, national action plan. Canberra: Department of the Environment and Heritage, Environment Australia.Google Scholar
Foster-Smith, J., & Evans, S. M. (2003). The value of marine ecological data collected by volunteers. Biological Conservation, 113(2), 199–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Freeman, A. N. D. (2004). Constraints to community groups monitoring plants and animals in rainforest revegetation sites on the Atherton Tablelands of far north Queensland. Ecological Management & Restoration, 5(3), 199–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garnett, S., & Crowley, G. (2000). The action plan for Australian birds. Canberra: Environment Australia.Google Scholar
Gill, N. (2005). Slag, steel and swamp: Perceptions of restoration of an urban coastal saltmarsh. Ecological Management & Restoration, 6(2), 85–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenwood, J. J. D. (2003). The monitoring of British birds: A success story for conservation science? Science of the Total Environment, 310(1–3), 221–230.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Trust (2000). Guidelines for bushland weed mapping. Sydney: Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchment Management Trust.Google Scholar
Healthy Rivers Commission (2002). Independent public inquiry into coastal lakes: Final report. Sydney: Healthy Rivers Commission of New South Wales.Google Scholar
Hutchinson, F. (1997). Our children's futures: Are there lessons for environmental educators? Environmental Education Research, 3(2), 189–201.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jensen, B. B. (2000). Participation, commitment and knowledge as components of pupils' action competence. In Jensen, B. B., Schnack, K. & Simovska, V. (Eds.), Critical environmental and health education: Research issues and challenges. Copenhagen: Danish University of Education.Google Scholar
Koehn, J. D. (2004). Rehabilitating fish habitats in Australia: Improving integration of science and management by agencies and the community. Ecological Management & Restoration, 5(3), 211–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ludwig, J. A., Bastin, G. N., Eager, R. W., Karfs, R., Ketner, P., & Pearce, G. (2000). Monitoring Australian rangeland sites using landscape function indicators and ground- and remote-sensing techniques. Environmental Monitoring andAssessment, 64(1), 167–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miles, I., Sullivan, W. C., & Kuo, F. E. (2000). Psychological benefits of volunteering for restoration projects. Ecological Restoration, 18(4), 218–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milton, B., Cleveland, E., & Bennett-Gates, D. (1995). Changing perceptions of nature, self, and others: A report on a Park/School Program. Journal of Environmental Education, 26(3), 32–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
NSW NPWS (New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service) (1993). Wamberal Lagoon Nature Reserve Plan of Management. Sydney: New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.Google Scholar
NSW NPWS (New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service) (2001). Threatened species information – Syzygium paniculatum. Sydney: New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.Google Scholar
NSW NPWS (New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service) (2005). Threatened species web page. Retreived January 2006, from http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.auGoogle Scholar
Reidy, M., Chevalier, W., & McDonald, T. (2005). Lane Cove National Park bushcare volunteers: Taking stock, 10 years on. Ecological Management & Restoration, 6(2), 94–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rickinson, M. (2001). Learners and learning in environmental education: A critical review of the evidence. Environmental Education Research, 7(3), 207–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Safstrom, R., & O'Byrne, M. (2001). Community volunteers on public land need support. Ecological Management & Restoration, 2(2), 85–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stevenson, S., Evans, C., Maclachlan, M., Karmel, T., & Blakers, R. (2001). Access – effect of campus proximity and socio-economic status on university participation rates in regions. Canberra: Department of Education, Science and Training.Google Scholar
Thomson, D., & Pepperdine, S. (2003). Assessing community capacity for riparian restoration. Canberra: Land & Water Australia.Google Scholar
Weston, M., Fendley, M., Jewell, R., Satchell, M., & Tzaros, C. (2003). Volunteers in bird conservation: Insights from the Australian threatened bird network. Ecological Management & Restoration, 4(3), 205–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, J., Read, C., Norton, A., Dovers, S., Burgman, M., Proctor, W., & Anderson, H. (2001). Biodiversity, Australia state of the environment report 2001 (Theme Report). Canberra: CSIRO.Google Scholar