Newsletter April-May 2024

Assistant Principal at Armidale Primary School, Zane Osborn threads #fun and #sustainability (a cross-curricula topic) throughout his teaching.

Determined to cut through the busy curriculum, Zane, with the BEATS @Vinod Ralh developed a Sustainability & Biodiversity Learning Resource. It’s now available free at Sustainability learning resource.

The module is aimed at years 5 and 6 kids and is also part of theBEATS.org’s strategy to reach a million minds – see more on that in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly below! Also Listen to Zane’s podcast Ep 6 and see his video. The kids love it!

It’s fun, creative and engaging. It is also a great tool to teach Maths, English, Science, Geography etc. And importantly, it makes life easier for teachers!

1. In March the National Geographic Society included fungi in its definition of ‘wildlife.’ This opens up a funding channel for fungi, an important part of soil biodiversity. And that helps us tackle #climate change and hunger.

2. Did you know that leaf litter provides cover and nutrition for millions of insects that cycle nutrients and soil, pollinate ecosystems, and sustain larger organisms such as birds and fish? You can help e.g. butterflies and others survive winter by raking dead leaves onto the garden, rather than into the rubbish. And leave seed heads on plants too. This lets these amazing ecosystem engineers’ shelter and return precious nutrients to the soil.

Regen educator, BEATS adviser and friend, Brian Wehlburg asks young farmers “Why?” ‘Why do you want a shed full of tractors?’ ‘Why do you want financial security?’ The answer is to have a healthy, loving relationship with their communities and their land.  

Regenerative Agriculture for schools (on FB) – Thanks to Kate Spry (see podcast – A Sense of Humus for more)

3. The Nature Conservation Council along with the Environmental Defender’s Office have settled their 3 – year court case to get the NSW Government to recognise that climate change in water sharing arrangements. This means more water for the fragile eco-systems across the whole state, healthier river systems and greater security for communities.

On our end February BEATS strategy day, we shared what was going well, what to stop, and/or change. And considered what to add. We challenged ourselves on what we have achieved and where to next.

• We agreed that our 2023 Mission and Vision – To get a Million Minds to Learn and Care about Biodiversity, Endangered and Threatened Species (BEATS) and Take Action is as pertinent and powerful as ever.
• We’ve had some amazing successes with our School Education Partnerships e.g. Zane Osborn, Mel Tyas etc., our Australian Association of Environmental Educators (AAEE) Survey, Lynne Strong (Active Agriculture &Koala fame), Jane Beattie (Trees4Nature)
• And our Paint ‘n Sip and Amazing Race events, our podcasts and Wombat Anthropomorphic outreach Campaign. But we need to do more.
• Action: So, keep an eye out for our upcoming invites to our next Paint ‘n Sip. And as soon as we can, an invite to another Amazing Race to tour our Botanic Gardens to find the threatened and endangered species as part of a fun game.
• Simple action now: Pickup 3 pieces of rubbish every time you go out!

1. Respects our natural world
2. Acts to conserve and further sustain our natural world
3. Takes a scientifically informed approach
4. Recognises and amplifies the good work of other like-minded people and organisations
5. Acts with respect and positivity in all situations.

To ensure a Million Minds Learn and Care about Biodiversity, Endangered and Threatened Species (BEATS) and Take Action, we need to get on board. As we’ve seen from Zane’s successes – it needs to be fun. Hence our Paint ‘n Sips and Amazing Races. We also need to reduce the natural hazards – like floods, fires, droughts, and of course pollution and waste reduction. This is one of our current projects and campaigns working with the marvellous ecosystem developer Lynne Strong of Action4Agriculture, Kreative Koala and Moo and Co fame.

Some useful links and stuff to share…

The Australian Wildlife Conservancy support researchers from QUT use AI and bioacoustics technology to help protect the endangered Eastern Pink Cockatoo more here. Queensland’s high vegetation clearing isresponsible for their endangered status – loss of old hollow-bearing trees.See more on the amazing use of technology here https://www.australianwildlife.org/world-wildlife-day-2024/.

Magic Mushrooms! Or to be scientific about it under the reproductive structures we know as mushrooms, truffles, or crusts there is a hidden network of life called the mycelium. These networks have enzymes that enrich and maintain healthy soil, feed plants and many other organisms, as well as fungi. They help trees and plants absorb water and nutrients, they act as communication networks warning of disease and passing on signals and they remove carbon from the atmosphere.