#ForNature at Bournda

Each year, World Environment Day on 5 June is a big day in the environmental education calendar. On the Far South Coast of NSW, Bournda Environment Education Centre for over 30 years has hosted a dinner with a guest speaker to mark the occasion. This year due to COVID-19 restrictions, a series of online conversations are planned instead, featuring scientist Dr Ceridwen Fraser, author Prof Clive Hamilton and community greening facilitator Peter Dawe.

World Environment Day celebrations will culminate with a dinner presentation and performance by local band, The New Graces.

About the speakers

At 10am, join Dr Ceridwen “Crid” Fraser, a young scientist doing lots of interesting research in places like Antarctica and closer to the Bega Valley, on kelp samples collected at Tathra. This Zoom meeting is being hosted by the University of Otago e-conferencing team.

At 12pm, educator Peter Dawe will talk about his work as the Youth Community Greening Coordinator for the Royal Botanic Gardens where he has worked for over 6 years.

From 2pm, Professor Clive Hamilton will respond to questions from local students. A well-known author (Affluenza, Scorcher, Defiant Earth) and commentator, Prof Hamilton recently interviewed some local young people about their bushfire/climate change experience for a new book. On World Environment Day, he returns to the region virtually to have those same young people interview him and ask questions that matter to them. Anyone interested in the issues of climate change and the significance of individual and community action, would be welcome to come along to join in on the discussion.

All events are free. However participants must register for each session to receive the Zoom link to each event.

Fit for a Planet dinner

From 7pm, all welcome to join a dinner presentation that will feature a report on the BVSC Waste Education program and a chance to preview materials that students will be working on in a series of Creative and Talented workshops.

After that, the fabulous local talents The New Graces will perform a set. Currently number 1 album (Seasons) in the ARIA Charts for Australian Country Music, The New Graces features Robyn Martin who teaches at Eden Marine High.

Feature image shows Dr Ceridwen Fraser in her lab. Guest post by Doug Reckord, co-convenor of the Sapphire Coast Regional Science Hub and Sustainability Eduation Network. The World Environment Day activities are supported by Inspiring Australia NSW as part of its Year-Round events initiative.