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Environmental education resources for teachers

School children making paper [photo]. Environmental education is a multi-disciplinary approach to learning that develops the knowledge, awareness, attitudes, values and skills that will enable individuals and the community to contribute towards maintaining and improving the quality of our environment.

New Zealand’s national strategy for environmental education, called “Learning to Care for our Environment”, was adopted by the Government in 1998.

The Ministry of Education’s “Guidelines for environmental education in New Zealand schools” (1999) are intended to help teachers identify opportunities within the existing national curriculum statements to plan and provide education in, about, and for the environment. The Ministry also supports a professional development programme for teachers and many Learning Outside the Classroom projects.

Resources and links

There is a wide range of online resources and curriculum-related learning material for environmental education.

The Ministry of Education’s website Te Kete Ipurangi – The Online Learning Centre has information about the environmental education guidelines for schools, curriculum learning materials and useful links.

Information about resources which can be used as part of an environmental education programme can be found in the Environmental Education Directory of New Zealand. This directory provides information about activity packs, resource kits, places to visit, booklets and other material on a wide range of environmental topics.

Your regional council may also have useful resources and programmes for environmental education.

Some other useful websites for environmental information, programmes and initiatives are:

Last updated: 27 February 2008