“Exploring the Socioecological in Education and Culture: Becoming Active Participants in Change”

The 2011 Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication (EECOM) conference will focus on exploring the issues of learning and being active in society AND our environment. The word ‘socioecological’ foregrounds the intertwined nature of environmental education with cultural and social justice issues. We need to continue to consider our environment and our place in it as integrated. It is time for more decolonising narratives to be brought forward and explored within the field of environmental education. Learning and activism are the contexts within which socioecological ideas will be explored. Learning extends beyond the K-12 education system. All aspects of formal, informal and non-formal education are welcomed and open for discussion. Activism is broadly considered as taking opportunities to be actively engaged in socioecological expression. The urban and rural interface in education, sustainable living practices, and political activities are welcome opportunities for exploration of this socioecological learning theme.

EECOM website >> Full Conference Info

The NLEN is pleased to launch its 2010 Year in Review. With this publication we‘ve taken a snapshot of some of the incredible work being carried out by member organisations of the Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network.

In addition to the stories submitted by our member organisations, we have also sought to highlight some key environmental issues and events in 2010. We‘ve include feature stories on Hurricane Igor, environmental management in our offshore oil sector in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, and efforts to protect Sandy Pond on the southern Avalon Peninsula.

Download report: NLEN Year in Review 2010 (pdf 3.6 MB)

In a report released Friday, January 21, Auditor General John Noseworthy has repeated his call for a centralized inventory of contaminated sites in the province. The report indicates that Government’s environmental liability is likely higher than the $21.1 million reported. There are problems regarding the identification of contaminated sites and the determination of remidiation costs. To access the report, click here >>

Montreal-based newsprint producer Kruger Inc. has withdrawn a proposal to burn used car tires as an energy source for its western Newfoundland newsprint mill.

In a terse statement Friday, the Newfoundland and Labrador government said Kruger had withdrawn an undertaking that had been filed under provincial environmental review legislation.

For complete story >>

OTTAWA – January 14, 2011 – The Joint Panel reviewing the proposed Lower Churchill Hydroelectric Generation Project announced today that the environmental impact statement (EIS) along with the additional information submitted by the proponent contains sufficient information to proceed to the public hearing on the environmental effects of the project.

The public hearing will begin on March 3, 2011 in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. The Panel invites and encourages all interested parties to participate.

The public hearing will give interested individuals and organizations the opportunity to hear about the project and its potential impacts and to provide their views to the Panel. The hearing will also allow the proponent to present the project and to offer clarifying information as required.

To ensure that the hearing offers all parties an opportunity to participate, the Panel will hold three types of hearing sessions:

• General hearing sessions will be held in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and in St. John’s. Participants at these sessions may share with the Panel their overall views and conclusions on the project and its potential impacts. Presentations at the general sessions may be on any aspect within the scope of the review.
• Topic-specific sessions will take place in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Topic-specific sessions will be more focused and will provide an opportunity for participants with a special interest or knowledge to share their views with the Panel on the following subjects: Project need, purpose and alternatives; reservoir preparation, filling, operation and decommissioning; aquatic environment; terrestrial environment; economic impacts; social and cultural impacts; and environmental management, monitoring and follow-up.
• Community hearing sessions will be held for the communities of Mud Lake, Northwest River, Sheshatshiu, Cartwright, Rigolet and Nain. Sessions will be held in Sept-Îles for the Aboriginal communities in Quebec. Some of these sessions will be carried out through video-conferencing.

Community sessions will allow participants an opportunity to present to the Panel their views on the impacts of the project and on issues of importance to local communities. The hearing process will be adapted to the needs of the community where possible.

The hearing will be completed within 45 days. The public hearing procedures which outline how the sessions will unfold were recently issued and are available on the public registry.

Participants who wish to make a presentation to the Panel at any of the hearing sessions will be asked to register with the Panel secretariat 10 days in advance of the hearing sessions. Registration will begin once the dates for the hearing sessions are made public.

The Panel will soon provide further details on the hearing session dates and locations along with more information on registration and filing submissions for the hearing.

More information on the panel review is available on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry, registry number 07-05-26178.

Nalcor Energy proposes to construct two hydroelectric generating stations with a total capacity of just over 3000 megawatts (MW) on the Lower Churchill River, together with transmission lines to connect the two generation sites to the existing Upper Churchill Project. The proposed generation stations would be located at Gull Island (2,250 MW) and Muskrat Falls (824 MW).

-30-

Media may contact:

Lucille Jamault
Manager, Communications
613-957-0434

Ducks Unlimited Canada is seeking nominations for the Lieutenant-Governor’s Greenwing Conservation Award. This award is intended to recognize outstanding contribution to wetland conservation in Newfoundland and Labrador. If you know a hard-working conservationist who deserves recognition please nominate them! The nomination criteria and nomination form are available through the following links.  (Deadline for nominations: Friday, February 11^th and the award ceremony will take place on Tuesday, March 22^nd.)

Nomination criteria:

Click to access crit_nl.pdf

Nomination form:

Click to access nom_nl.pdf

You are invited to view the Environmental Policy Unit’s film series on

Wednesday, February 2 @ 7:00 p.m.  in the Forest Centre, FC2014.

Click on  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1137439/ for more information.  Parking is available in area P2 directly across from the front of the Fine Arts Building.

At the Annual Gathering of the Wellness Coalition-Avalon East on January 28th, we will be seeking nominations for the position of co-chair of the steering committee for the coalition. This position is currently held by Greg Noel of The Lung Association NL. As per our terms of reference, this position is for a two year term and Greg has completed this. Please consider nominating a member of the coalition or putting yourself forward for this role. Further details are below. Please contact Heather Powell (contact details below) by January 26^th if interested in making a nomination or if you have questions.

Steering Committee:

Leadership will be shared via a co-chair model. One co-chair position shall be permanently held by a Health Promotion staff from Eastern Health. The second shall be a coalition member, not employed by Eastern Health. This co-chair shall be elected by the membership for a two year term at the Annual Gathering and will have a minimum of one year participation in the coalition.

Commitment includes

• Attending/chairing steering committee meetings which are a minimum of every two months
• participating in provincial coalition meetings which includes a conference call 2 – 3 times a year and two face-to-face meetings twice yearly (usually 1.5 day duration)
• assisting to develop the annual coalition report and work plan
• potentially taking a lead role in any number of broad coalition initiatives such as the community grants program, website maintenance, communication to members, or general coalition promotion,
• serving as a coalition representative

Heather Powell

Health Promotion Wellness Consultant

Health Promotion Division, Eastern Health

3rd Floor Viking Building, Crosbie Road

(709) 752-4912 (T); (709) 752-4833 (F)

heather.powell@easternhealth.ca

NLEE Connections Event – Screening of the educational film “Play Again”.

What are the consequences of a childhood removed from nature? One generation from now most people in the U.S. will have spent more time in the virtual world than in nature. New media technologies have improved our lives in countless ways; information now appears with a click, overseas friends are part of our daily lives, and even grandma loves Wii. But what are we missing when we are behind screens? And how will this impact our children, our society, and eventually, our planet?

Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Educators (NLEE), in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network, and the Suncor Energy Fluvarium will be holding a FREE Connections Event to screen “Play Again” to the public.

Date: Thursday, February 3^rd
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Suncor Energy Fluvarium, St. John’s.

Parents, teachers, youth, educators, community members – all are welcome to attend! There will be networking after the film; coffee, tea and snacks will be provided.

To learn more about this film, please watch the below trailers or visit: www.playagainfilm.com

TRAILER 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ3J0szCGqk

TRAILER 2 (with David Suzuki): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erVmBIx2lUY&feature=related

For more information about the event, please contact Stephanie Simms at info@nlee.ca, or call 709-753-7848.

Please see Play Again Information for EXTRA INFORMATION on the film’s background, synopsis and directors.

This event is made possible thanks to funding from the Wellness Coalition-Avalon East and the Suncor Energy Fluvarium.

** We hope to screen “Play Again” in more communities across the province! Please contact the NLEN if you’d like the film screened in your community. **

“SPRING CAMP – 2011”

AT THE SUNCOR ENERGY FLUVARIUM!

April 25 – 29, 2011

Registration begins now for The Suncor Energy Fluvarium spring day camp program.

The Suncor Energy Fluvarium Announces:

Riparian Mysteries – Spring Day Camp 2011

for ages 9-12.

This is an ideal camp for young people who want to better understand the natural world around them.  With The Fluvarium and all of Long Pond for us to explore … Imagine yourself as a creature in the natural world … Explore the lives of the creatures in the riparian zone … Discover how we are all connected.

With access to the beautiful ecosystems of Pippy Park, and the spectacular underwater view of Nagle’s Hill Brook, The Suncor Energy Fluvarium offers a spring day camp like no other!

Who:  Children ages 9 – 12

When:  April 25 – 29, 2011

Cost: $135 per one-week session.

Registration is limited to 10 participants.

First come first served, space fills quickly.

For More Information Contact:

Denise Hennebury – Environmental Interpreter and Camp Coordinator

754-3474 or dhennebury@fluvarium.ca