Media Releases
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19 Oct 2009
New Zealand children create lanterns of hope for a climate safe future
Thousands of New Zealand school children are being given the chance to join young people from around the world in asking world leaders to protect the planet, ahead of a crucial global climate summit.
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10 Dec 2008
Kiwis unite for WWF’s Earth Hour 2009
Thirty councils across New Zealand have confirmed they will join WWF's Earth Hour next year, the world's biggest environmental event.
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04 Dec 2008
Saturday 6th of December 2008 is the International Day of Action on Climate Change, so if you're in Wellington this Saturday, come to the 350 Climate Change Action Festival!
Publications
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07 Jul 2008
Take action for Maui’s short film
Take Action for Maui's is a new short film from WWF. We joined forces with students at Te Huruhi School and together made this film to spread the word about how children can help save Maui's dolphin.
Environmental education is a positive response to the global challenge of how to live sustainably today, without compromising the quality of life for future generations. Only when we take collective responsibility, and make informed and sustainable lifestyle choices as individuals, will society begin to live within the limits of the Earths resources. WWF believes environmental education is the key to achieve this social shift, and that it should be an integral part of every New Zealander's school experience.
Environmental education starts with what is relevant to the learner.For young people exploring their connections with the natural world around them is an important first step. From there, environmental education motivates and empowers students to take responsibility for the environment. This ranges from direct conservation action (planting trees, monitoring local stream health) to considering sustainable lifestyle choices (recycling, walking to school). Environmental education challenges learners to explore and engage with the environmental, social, cultural, and economic influences that shape the future of the planet and people’s roles within it.Our goal is that all New Zealand students receive environmental education as part of their school experience. To achieve this WWF believes that six key changes need to happen:
- Environmental education, or education for sustainable future is visible and integrated within the New Zealand Curriculum Framework
- All teachers have access to and use professional development in environmental education
- All pre-service teachers learn about environmental education as part of their training
- All New Zealand schools adopt a whole school approach to sustainability
- The government follows through with commitments it has made to international agreements, in particular the UN Decade of Education for Sustainability
- There is an active culture of research and evaluation within environmental education
