Students at work in the Tasmanian wilderness. Photos: Bookend Trust.
The award winning Bookend Trust team, from left to right: Ninna Millikin (Media Producer), Peter Harcourt (Cameraman/Editor), Dr Alastair Richardson (Academic Director), Dr Niall Doran (Director), Andrew Hughes (Education Officer), Felicity Wilkinson (Envirothon Planner), Dr Regina Magierowski (Envirothon Coordinator). Photo: Cherie Cooper, UTAS Media Office.
An innovative Tasmanian education initiative has won three separate national awards
within the past two months.
Founded by private individuals sacrificing their own income, the Bookend Trust works in
partnership with the State Government, schools and the University of Tasmania to deliver
positive environmental education projects for students and the community.
These projects are gaining significant national attention, culminating in the program
being named the Conservationist of the Year by the Australian Geographic Society at a
gala dinner in Sydney tonight (June 20).
Earlier this month, the Bookend Trust was honoured with a World Environment Day
Award by the United Nations Association of Australia for its community outreach work.
In April, Bookend teacher Andrew Hughes was also awarded the $50,000 Power of One
Award by Penguin Australia and international best-selling author Bryce Courtenay to
further his work with Tasmanian students.
Recent Bookend projects have involved Tasmanian school students assisting researchers
in the remote Tasmanian highlands and the Tarkine, helicoptering to research sites in the
great south-west wilderness, and even flying to Antarctica.
Bookend is currently planning a Tasmanian coastal survey involving over 2,000 school
students across the state, to be launched soon (participating schools in each region of
Tasmania are listed below, and more are welcome!). The survey will also involve online
participants from interstate schools in Darwin, Geraldton and NSW.
Bryce Courtenay and his wife Christine said “It is a wonderful program, and
environmental initiatives in Tasmania are a subject close to our heart.”
The United Nations Association of Australia commented: “The judges selected the
Bookend Trust from a very strong field because the program is achieving inspiring
environmental and personal outcomes for participants and the broader community.
“It is a positive example of an engaging educational model that could be applied
more broadly, and one we should all embrace whole-heartedly.”
The Australian Geographic Society has previously helped support Bookend projects
and research, and in December 2011 announced in partnership with Bookend that
5 of 7 national summer scholarship places had been won by Tasmanian students.
Dr Niall Doran, Director of the Bookend Trust said the recent awards were a great
honour and good recognition of the hard work of everyone involved
in these programs in Tasmania.
BACKGROUND:
More information on the Bookend Trust
http://www.bookendtrust.com/whatdoesbookenddo (overview)
and:
http://www.bookendtrust.com/newsletter-jan-may-2012 (latest update)
Tasmanian Schools participating in this year’s coastal program and related projects:
Central North and North-west Tasmania: Burnie Primary, Montello Primary, Sprent Primary,
Ulverstone Primary, Reece High, Smithton Primary, Smithton High, St Brendan-Shaw College.
North-east Tasmania: Trevallyn Primary, Winnaleah District High, Swansea Primary,
Scottsdale High, Launceston Church Grammar.
Southern Tasmania: Woodbridge School, Waimea Heights Primary, New Norfolk Primary,
South Arm Primary, Landsdowne Primary, Albeura Street Primary, Snug Primary,
Margate Primary, Glenorchy Primary, Campbell St. Primary, Goodwood Primary,
Lenah Valley Primary, Illawarra Primary, Kingston Primary, Howrah Primary,
Windermere Primary, Montague Bay Primary, Triabunna District High, Dodges Ferry Primary,
Ogilvie High, Jordan River Learning Federation, Friends School, Calvin Christian School,
Rosny College, Elizabeth College.
THE AWARDS
The three recent national awards presented to the Bookend Trust are as follows:
(1) At the end of April, Andrew Hughes won Penguin Australia’s Power of One Award for
the two Bookend programs he runs (Expedition Class and Skullbone). These are run
in partnership with the Department of Education, and the award came with $50,000
donated from Bryce Courtenay towards these projects. Bryce Courtenay will come
to Tasmania later in the year to officially congratulate Andrew and to see the results
of his work on this program. In announcing the Award, Penguin and Bryce stated
“Andrew has designed an innovative environmental teaching program that engages
students in the world around them and helps them develop a positive view towards
protecting the environment, by providing them with opportunities to learn outside the
classroom as part of research projects in world-class Tasmanian wilderness areas.”
Bryce and his wife Christine added as a personal note “It is a wonderful program,
and environmental initiatives in Tasmania are a subject close to our heart…
Our warmest congratulations to Andrew.”
(2) On Friday 8 June in Melbourne, the Bookend program was announced as the
winner of the World Environment Day Award for Community Outreach, awarded
by the United Nations Association of Australia. Bookend was the only Tasmanian
representative among the finalists in any of the categories. The judging panel’s
full comments were: “The judges selected Bookend Trust from a very strong field
because the program is strongly grounded in the community and is achieving
inspiring environmental and personal outcomes for participants and the broader
community. It is a positive example of an engaging educational model that could
be applied more broadly, and the program’s motto: ‘we need to inspire,
not terrify the next generation’ is one we should all embrace whole-heartedly.”
(3) The Australian Geographic Society will announce Bookend as their 2012
Conservationist of the Year at their annual awards dinner in Sydney tonight
(20 June). The Society was impressed with the sheer scope of the different
programs Bookend runs. This news is strictly embargoed until the dinner
is complete.
STOP PRESS: Tasmania did exceptionally well at the 25th Anniversary Australian Geographic Society Awards in Sydney last night. Tasmanians won three of seven national awards (the Bookend Trust was named Conservationist of the Year; Bob Brown was awarded the Lifetime of Conservation Award; and Don McIntyre was awarded the Lifetime of Adventure Award). The night was also opened by the singing of Dewayne Everettsmith, national ambassador for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal.
Niall Doran, Bookend Trust
