Week Ten - Environmental Education

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Used to describe actions taken within the school systems as well as with the public at large, environmental education (EE) is the process through which people are taught about the natural environment, the various challenges and issues associated with the environment, and how human beings, individually and as a whole, can confront environmental problems, act responsibly in the future to prevent such problems, and overall, preserve the environment. Environmental education within school systems is imposed in a variety of ways, ranging from merely integrating the related material into the original curriculum to building "green schools", which base their teachings almost entirely upon the subject, are constructed to be energy-efficient, and serve healthy, freshly-prepared, locally-grown foods. Environmentally educating the public is, for the most part, done through the handing out of pamphlets and flyers, the creation of websites, and the running of media campaigns. I personally believe that environmental education, for everyone, is one of the most important branches of environmentalism. From what I've observed, the majority of the population is not intentionally attempting to harm the environment - most of the mistakes made, at least on an individual basis, stem from a combination of laziness and an ignorance of the consequences of those mistakes. If people, both young and old, can be thoroughly educated about the environment, its issues, and how said issues can be resolved, I feel as though the natural environment can be well on the road to recovery.

This topic impacts our group project in the sense that it is, essentially, the reason behind the project: the Rowan University Wildlife Conservation Society is attempting to educate the university's students, professors, and administration about the environment, how we can fix the environmental problems on campus, and how we can prevent other issues from arising in the future. We are doing so specifically by focusing on the various bird populations in the area, tying in whatever aspects of environmental education we may need to explain how, by making the Rowan University campus friendlier for birds, we can improve the campus's overall environment as well.

Sources: Wikipedia.org

ü Articles on Environmental Education ü

• Potter, Ginger. "Environmental Education For The 21st Century: Where Do We Go Now?" Journal Of Environmental Education 41.1 (2010): 22-33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Dec. 2011.

Article Summary: In her article, "Environmental Education For The 21st Century: Where Do We Go Now?", Ginger Potter explains that, since their implementations in the early 1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Environmental Education Act (NEEA) have successfully educated the public about the environment and the issues which surround it through a variety of means, specifically the $100 million spent so far to do that educating. However, Potter believes that not only is that amount of money comparatively small when the size of the NEEA's and EPA's audience is considered, but also that the NEEA and EPA are "woefully out of date", created at a time before the now-enormous influence of the Internet in our every-day lives existed. She also argues that, while the NEEA and EPA educate the public about the environment and the issues which surround it, they do not teach ways in which these issues can be resolved. In order to combat what she perceives as the failings of both the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Environmental Education Act, Potter suggests that, among other things, environmental education be more heavily interwoven through the school system's traditional courses.

• Short, Philip C. "Responsible Environmental Action: Its Role And Status In Environmental Education And Environmental Quality." Journal Of Environmental Education 41.1 (2010): 7-21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Dec. 2011.
• Lichtveld, Maureen Y. "Education For Environmental Protection: Successes, Challenges, And Opportunities For USEPA's Environmental Education Program." Human & Ecological Risk Assessment 16.6 (2010): 1242-1248. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Dec. 2011.

ü Additional Information ü

http://www.ecoliteracy.org/teach

The website of the Center for Ecoliteracy:

"A leader in the green schooling movement."

http://www.epa.gov/enviroed/

The United States' Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Internet article on environmental education.

http://www.naaee.net/

The website of the North American Association of Environmental Education:

"NAAEE is the membership association for all of us who help others learn about the environment."

http://www.neefusa.org/

The website of the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF):

"[NEEF] provides knowledge to trusted professionals who, with their credibility, amplify messages to national audiences to solve every day environmental problems."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_education

The Wikipedia article on environmental education.