EONZ as an organisation, is committed
to working towards a sustainable future. EONZ sees sustainable
practice as underpinning good practice in the outdoors. This is
because if through our actions or inactions, we degrade or deplete
the resources of the world then we will lose the very thing that we
cherish. Sustainability is about considering all elements of the
environment, biosphere and living organisms on the planet when
making choices or decisions about how and what we do.
We encourage
schools, organisations and individuals to carefully consider the
rationale and purpose of their activities and programmes, and how
they can fit within a model of sustainability. We invite ideas and
discussion about ways in which that could be achieved.
EONZ would like
to know what you are doing with your students and participants to
develop thinking and programmes that integrate sustainability into
your approach. If you would like to contribute to this page please
email your ideas and material to Pete Brailsford
p.brailsford@paradise.net.nz
Sustainable Action Ideas
>
Get in contact with your local Councils to be involved in
conservation or restoration projects
>
Get in contact with the Department of Conservation about conservation
projects like DOC's Weedbusters
>
Grow plants from seed and plant a tree for every visitor
>
Link up to community organisations involved in sustainability projects
>
Apply "leave no trace", "do no harm" principles to your activities
>
Use eco cleaner recipes in your camp or classroom kitchens
>
Do a beach tidy-up, rubbish pick ups, add litter collection bonus
points in a rogaine/ orienteering course
>
Adopt an area of local land (through your local council or DOC)
>
Set up worm farms or composting systems to deal with your school's or
programme's compostable waste
Links to Sustainability
Ministry of
the Environment -
Manatū Mō Te Taiao
has the environmental stewardship for a prosperous
New Zealand. The site includes the six government strategies for
sustainability.
carboNZero
calculators The Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research site allows you
to find out the size of the carbon footprint (the quantity of carbon)
that your lifestyle, school or business generates and suggests
strategies to mitigate the size of the footprint.
Climate Care Carbon Calculator This UK site allows you to calculate
the likely carbon emissions of different aspects of your activities
including individual airline flights and car/vehicle usage. It also
discusses some of the myths about climate change like "its too late for
us to make any difference ..."
New Zealand Trust
for Conservation Volunteers site links to a wide variety of
conservation projects around the country and in your region, and the
ways in which you can participate.
