Fruitbowl - Fresh Ideas from Hawke's Bay

The NZ Association of Environmental Education’s biennial conference starts in Hastings at Lindisfarne College today and runs from 19-22 January, 9am – 5pm.

Around 200 conference attendees are coming from all over New Zealand, and from Australia, Malaysia, Germany, South Africa, Thailand, and Papua New Guinea.

The conference theme is ‘Taking the Next Steps – Te Ahu Whakamua’, which reflects the United Nations’ Decade for Sustainable Development

Keynote speakers include: Dr Roger Maaka, Professor of Maori and Indigenous Studies at Te Manga Maori at Eastern Institute of Technology(EIT) and a member of recently formed UN-Habitat experts panel on Indigenous Peoples in Cities; Metiria Turei, Co-Leader of the Green Party; and Annette Hamblett, public awareness supervisor for the Department of Conservation.

John Minto, the political activist, will be on the social change panel along with the youngest conference speaker, Megan Hunt, a student who has just completed her final year at Central Hawke's Bay College and who has been integral in developing student-led environmental care programmes at both her primary and secondary schools.  Phil Smith, President of the Australian Association for Environmental Educators, will also present at the conference. The conference ends with a youth perspective on the recent Copenhagen climate change summit from Louis Chambers.

Nine field trips have been organised for Friday morning (22 January) to Boundary Stream, Lake Opouahi, Cape Kidnappers Preserve, Sustainable Farming, Eco Houses and Gardens, Sustainable businesses, Sustainable winegrowing, kiwi hatchery, and early childhood/primary education.

The conference is being hosted by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council in association with the NZ Association of Environmental Education.  UNESCO is a major sponsor for the conference.  Other conference supporters are Department of Conservation, Massey University College of Education, Auckland Regional Council, Environment Waikato, Dunedin City Council, Hamilton City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, reef (Reef Environmental Education Foundation)and Waiariki Institute of Technology.   The conference is being convened by the Central Hawke’s Bay company, Game Plan NZ Ltd.

Find the programme and more information on the conference website by clicking here.

Media contacts and photo opportunities:

Emily Rockwell, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council environmental education coordinator, and conference coordinator, cellphone 027 554 1141 - please contact her as first point of contact on site; cellphone will be on throughout the conference (although may be out of range during Friday field trip)
Or my details below if any difficulty.

Susan Wylie
Communications Coordinator
Hawke's Bay Regional Council
159 Dalton Street | Private Bag 6006 | Napier 4142
P 06 835 9208 | M 027 256 8549 | F 06 835 3601
susan@hbrc.govt.nz |www.hbrc.govt.nz