A group of Millennium Kids (MK) families met at Harold Rossiter Park, Kensington last Sunday for our monthly  MK Lab. It was very hot in the sun, about 35 degrees celsius.

The Friends of Jirdarup Bushland had a petition to save the Black Cockatoos at the start of the limestone path that does a loop through Jirdarup bushland. Most of our group signed this petition to help the birds.

We all enjoyed a bush walk through this area until 12pm. While we were walking we collected rubbish, pulled up weeds, spotted the odd bird (bird spotting is better done early or late in the day) and we identified some of the plants. We saw Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, New Holland Honeyeaters, Singing Honeyeaters, Swallows and Ravens. Cat told stories about the lemonade tree and the toilet bush. The flowers of Banksia attenuata (candlestick banksia) can be soaked in water to make a sweet drink that tastes like lemonade. In the past Adenanthos cygnorum (wooly bush) was used as toilet paper.

At the end of the walk, we sat under the trees and talked about what we were going to do at the next MK lab on 20 March 2022. The shade was a welcome reprieve from the sun on the walk. We had lunch in the shade here together.

The next venue was Perron Place in Victoria Park, a short drive away. We car-pooled to save energy. At Perron Place there was a theatrette inside. We sat in here and talked about indigenous acknowledgements at Millennium Kids events including workshops and talks.

One issue that is topical at the moment is the plight of the penguins on Penguin Island. We all made origami penguins and discussed this situation. We wrote messages to Reece Whitby, the Environment Minister, about the penguins.

Nick from the Friends of Lake Claremont arrived and and shared some exciting news. They are reintroducing 30 Quendas into Lake Claremont bushland. We had the opportunity to ask lots of questions about this.

Next on the agenda was a painting workshop. I talked about my Green Lab Postcard Project with the group. I showed everyone how to do the grid transfer method to transfer a picture and make it a different size. People chose different postcards to work from. I helped guide participants with their drawings and painting. This was a nice way to end another Millennium Kids Lab.

Patrick
25/02/2022

Loss of trees and an increase in the temperature of urban areas is concerning the youth of Kalamunda. Significant areas of trees are on school grounds so it is important that trees and bushlands on schools are protected.

Teachers from six primary and secondary schools in the City of Kalamunda participated in a Millennium Kids Green Lab and Adopt-a-Patch Professional Learning day visiting bush areas and meeting the people involved in conserving them.

The Adopt-a-Patch program supports schools to identify a natural area on their school grounds to conserve. The Green Lab approach to viewing these areas as outdoor classrooms enables teachers to incorporate conservation activities into various learning areas.

The day started with a journey across the City of Kalamunda from the hills to the plains at the base of the Darling Scarp, to help participants gain the big picture of the importance of their school’s green spaces. They met volunteer bush carers and Indigenous Elder Neville Collard to gain perspectives on the history and value of the natural areas and find out about their local patch.

In the afternoon session the value of networking with teachers from other local schools was evident. Activities about recognising, protecting, increasing and monitoring bushland and urban canopy included learning how to

  • map their school patch and assess its value.
  • develop a conservation project and create a Green Lab outdoor classroom.
  • create an inquiry project plan
  • pitch ideas to principals and the school community

By the conclusion of the day participants had identified key focus areas to start to develop their plans and a dateline to contact Millennium Kids and City of Kalamunda to obtain support to bring their projects into action. Schools have submitted planning ideas and  will  work with MK and City to implement these in 2022.

For more information about Green Lab email cathy@millenniumkids.com.au

Since 1996, Millennium Kids has enabled thousands of young people to have their say about the environment, leading to hundreds of inspiring youth-led initiatives that have contributed significantly to the environment and communities in WA and beyond.

The Mandurah Youth Led Deliberation brought together young people to deliberate over the charge: How can we, in Western Australia, collectively tackle climate change while supporting our places to thrive? What does this mean for our region and the way we live? Throughout the day attendees participated in a number of activities which encouraged them to think critically and deliberate over the most viable solutions needed to tackle the climate issues facing Mandurah.

The day began with an introduction to deliberation: how to do it; why it’s important; and why the method is different to what decision makers are currently doing. Next participants got to know each other through a range of introductory activities. Feeling comfortable and connecting with each other in the environment was an important aspect of the day because it enabled the participants to have open discussions and also develop strong relationships with like minded individuals. Following this, participants were further educated about the climate issues facing our region through a series of videos. The young people then had the opportunities to ask questions to a number of climate experts in the room.

It is important to note that the Mandurah event also had some adults attend and participate. However, lead facilitators separated participants who were under 25, with participants who were over 25, to ensure that the creative process of the younger participants was not hindered.

After the learning about the issues, participants began a “World Café” activity. This involved getting into small groups and identifying the changes that they felt needed to be made, both to their region as well as individually.

Using the challenges they identified, the participants then used an Affinity Diagram to organise the ideas collected and selected the top two priorities for each question: What changes does our region need to make and what changes do we need to make to the way we live. The solutions were further discussed and a list of actions which the young people believed needed to be actioned was then outputted.

Following deliberation, critical thinking and extensive questioning, the participants decided that the changes needed to be made to the way we lived were increasing conscious consumption through education and incentives as well as reducing the purchase of new clothing and reusing already owned clothing through introducing a clothing version of Containers for Change, handing down clothes and education.

The young people decided that the changes needed to be made to our region included: further educating the community about Climate Change and improving ocean biodiversity through an Adopt a Dolphin program and providing incentives to collect waste.

 

For a link to the full report click Mandurah Youth Led Deliberation on Climate Change (4)

The MK collaboration with the Sumbawa not for profit Yayasan WeSAVE has gone from strength to strength over the last year, despite the constraints of COVID – 19. Although we have not been able to visit, or bring any of their member to Perth for training, much has been achieved.

Our fund raising for the collaboration has now raised thirty thousand dollars, thanks to a ten thousand dollar donation from the Owen Francis Foundation, and two very generous private donations. These donations have enabled us to pay a deposit on some land, and begin the construction of our first school. The land and school are now in use, and are a hive of activity.

We had done the ground work for this project over the last few years, when we looked at several pieces of land and worked through the pros and cons of each with the WeSAVE team.

This land use assessment training set the parameters for what constituted a suitable site, through consideration of cost, access, utilities, and a range of environmental factors.

Because of these extensive on ground discussions, we were very confident when they told us they had found a site.

The joy of modern communications has allowed us to share in the process with regular video updates of progress. WeSAVE submitted detailed costings for all work and materials, and then in their usual fashion achieved a bigger and better building with the money we sent through. The MK training in project planning, management and accountability are evident in the detailed records and receipts we receive covering our contributions, facilitating acquittal of the donations.

The WeSAVE video updates showing legions of volunteer young people carrying materials to the site, and hand batching and carting concrete for pouring the floor are heart-warming. We are about to send up the next building payment which will see doors and windows added and the walls plastered. More than just a school, the site is evolving incredibly quickly into the sort of education precinct we have so often visualised. A quick video tour sent through recently showed extensive vegetable gardens established, fruit trees being planted, animal husbandry of goats and small livestock. We saw an upgrade of the grey water system under construction. Within the new building several classes were underway, with young women not only learning, but leading and teaching.

A well has been sunk and a pump installed, and discussions are now turning to the design and installation of a renewable power system for the site. The building has been constructed with a reinforced concrete roof in preparation for the addition of a second story when time and resources permit

In short, we now have our first Millennium Kids School. It is abuzz, and waiting for the opportunity to host exchange classes when we can get there. We will continue to fund raise for this group, as they are so inspirational, doing so much for so many with so little.

Wayne O’Sullivan

Yayasan We SAVE Partnerships Lead

We are super excited to announce that our Green Lab program has been selected as a winner of theUpLink – Economic Forum
#GenerationRestoration Youth Challenge along with 13 other youth initiatives from around the world!
Our youth led Green Lab program aims to protect, monitor and increase canopy across the Greater Perth metropolitan area. Check out our story along with the other winners here.
Thanks to major partners: 1t.org Salesforce

to restoring nature!

 

India Aniere, Millennium Kids member and facilitator, met up with Elizabeth PO and Adrian Glamorgan from Understory this week to talk about our work to engage with young people about climate change through a deliberative democracy process. India and a team of young people have been working alongside Prof Janette Hartz-Karp to learn about the citizen assembly and deliberative democracy process in 2020 – 2021. The team of Millennium Kids have engaged with young people in:

  • Mundaring
  • Karratha
  • Bunbury

to learn about climate change and plan a positive pathway to change.  India speaks hear with the team from Understory to share the story of the process. The team will present their findings at the Australian Association for Environmental Education Inc National Conference in Mandurah and hope to run a Citizen Assembly process across WA in 2022.

PS: You will also hear from ecologist dad Steve McCabe, and his eleven year old son, talk about ways to engage young people and nature.

Check out the interview here. 

Thirty nine students registered for the two day 1000 Actions for the Planet Lab at Bob Hawke College in Term 3 with the aim of identifying local issues and developing a changemaking project  to create a solution.

  • Biophylic roof tops to cool the planet
  • Solar energy
  • Light pollution education

and

  • Converting food waste to energy

were just some of the ideas pitched to Prof Lyn Beazley and Tim Keely from Curtin University during the pitch session on the second day.

Students will work on their projects over the next few months and showcase their ideas in  an expo in Term 4.

The Citizens’ Assembly youth-led steering committee has now run three regional deliberations in Mundaring, Karratha and Bunbury. These deliberations aim to facilitate conversations with the young people around “how can we, in Western Australia, collectively tackle climate change while supporting our places to thrive? What does this mean for the way we live and our environment?”

It has been fantastic to have Professor Janette Hartz Karp advising our committee and we were excited to have Dr Naomi Godden as an expert advisor at our Bunbury Deliberation. Our next Youth Climate Deliberation will be in City of Mandurah on 29th September 2021.

As part of these  deliberations the participants  will  create action plans for how they are going to implement their proposed solutions and present their plans to decision makers.

For more information email bellap@millenniumkids.com.au

 

The Your Move schools team is excited to invite schools to nominate 10 students accompanied by a teacher to attend one of our Term 2 Your Move Leadership Labs. These Labs will be facilitated by Millennium Kids, using project based learning tools to engage and empower the students.

At the two day labs students and teachers will:

  • Be introduced to Millennium Kids Project Based Learning tools;
  • Have opportunities to share ideas with students from other schools;
  • Find out about the skills and knowledge needed to develop a successful project to get people active at your school;
  • Plan a project in collaboration with others;
  • Pitch a project to a panel of experts and get support from the Your Move team after the Labs.

Check out the Lab calendar and email info@millenniumkids.com.au for more information.

  • Your Move Leadership Lab 1
City of Perth –  17th and 18th June 2021
  • Your Move Leadership Lab 2 
City of Rockingham – 23rd and 24th June
  • Your Move Leadership Lab 3
City of Stirling –  28 and 29th June 2021
  • Your Move Leadership Lab 4
City of Albany – 1st and 2nd July 2021

There are teacher relief packages available for schools. Places are still available. 

Hello everyone! My name is Bronte and I will be the Guest Editor for the next newsletter. My pronouns are she/her and I am a Millennium Kids member. My action for 1000 Actions for the Planet is to create a newspaper that highlights small businesses in the community making change for the better. As well as highlighting small businesses, it also spotlights people in the community performing sustainable actions. This would give hope to people reading, highlighting that people are making a change. Also, I hope my newspaper will give these businesses more publicity so they can grow. It would also, in theory, make more people buy sustainable products and that would decrease prices of sustainable things. To achieve this goal, I was given a wonderful opportunity to be Guest Editor of this newsletter for the next 6 months to get experience in this sector. I hope you all enjoy the next newsletter!    – Bronte