ELLA Fursman’s willingness to share what’s in her diary with others has earned the student from St Joseph’s School, Kangaroo Point, the UNESCO Green Lane Hero award in this year’s National Green Lane Diary Competition.
Green Cross Australia’s Green Lane Diary is a curriculum-linked education program designed by environmental educators to help children aged 10-12 years become aware of the issues the earth confronts and how sustainable living can make a difference.
In 2010, Green Cross Australia introduced the Green Lane Diary pilot program in schools, homes and communities of thousands of eight-13-year-olds across Australia.
By working through topics on water, waste, energy and biodiversity, young people turn 10 weeks of discovery during Term 3 into a “Green Scrapbook” which they can enter for a draw for prizes.
The diary uses print and interactive web tools to address environmental issues related to climate change, biodiversity, waste management, severe weather resilience and natural resource management.
The second Green Lane Diary Awards celebration hosted by Kell Morris and Seamus Evens, from Channel 10’s Toasted TV, honoured those students and classes that stood out from more than 31,000 participants in the program this year.
Federal Education Minister Peter Garrett presented winners with their awards at a special event at the State Library Queensland.
Energex Energy Heroes Awards went to Our Lady of the Rosary (OLR), Kenmore, for its Power Rangers program; St Mary’s School, Ipswich, for its People Power and St Pius X School, Salisbury, for its Eco House Investigations.
The 2011 Class Community Action Award went to St Joseph’s, Kangaroo Point, for leading the way for schools across Australia.
St Brendan’s School, Moorooka, received a special mention for its continued support of the Green Lane Diary and its fundraising efforts to help a school in Ghana to access clean water.
OLR teacher Louise Erbacher said judges were impressed by the fact that the Power Rangers volunteered their time to monitor energy consumption and loved the idea of the Power Rangers Class of the Week Award.
Green Cross Australia head of programs Miranda Mason said the numbers of young people involved in the diary program had grown from 12,000 Queensland students in 2010 to more than 31,000 diaries reaching students across Australia in 2011.
