Environmental education as a component of strategies for restoring degraded drylands
This theme will address environmental, social-cultural and ethical challenges characterizing drylands and desertification processes that need to be addressed in the educational arena. Topics included in the environmental education theme: Educational programs and projects conducted within formal and informal frameworks, and community initiatives; Management and education - Examples of degraded dryland restoration projects that integrate the community and/or educational frameworks; Science and education- Implementation of scientific knowledge in environmental education addressing dryland challenges; scientific studies that provide an educational resource and integrate students.; Biophysical, social and educational research conducted on / that provides insight for the challenges of drylands and desertification processes.; Educational success stories including quantitative and qualitative indicators of success; Indigenous and local knowledge in education for sustainability in drylands; Theoretical aspects, environmental philosophy, ethics and thought that have implications for environmental education from a desert perspective.
Educators, environmental experts, activists, researchers and students are invited to submit an abstract to the Environmental Education theme (less then 400 words in English, using the format in the conference website) for a lecture (15') or poster.
Theme Organizers:
Dr. Daphne Goldman
Chair, Department for Environmental Studies and Agriculture, Beit Berl Academic College, Israel
Show Biography
Daphne is an environmental biologist and holds a doctorate in environmental biochemical toxicology from Tel Aviv University, the George S. Wise Faculty for Life Sciences, Institute for Nature Conservation Research.
She chairs the Department for Environmental Studies and Agriculture at Beit Berl Academic College where she is a senior lecturer, developing and teaching courses in the fields of environmental education, environmental studies and life sciences. She was former head of Ecology and Environmental Quality at the Council for A Beautiful Israel Environmental Studies Center. She participated in the Heschel Center Environmental Leadership Fellows Program, where her final project on greening academic campuses lead her to spearhead the greening of Beit Berl. Daphne is currently a member of the National Committee for Accreditation of Green Campuses, lead by the Ministry for Environmental Protection, and is one of the founders of the National Conference on Environmental Education in the Educational System. She has served on the environmental science subject committee of the Ministry of Education, the former National Council for Environmental Quality in which she lead the preparation of the first position paper on the status of environmental education in Israel, and various committees and forums dedicated to advancing environmental education through frameworks such as teacher training and research. Her main research interests include: environmental literacy in teacher preparation, theoretical and practical aspects of environmental education and environmental education in formal and non-formal frameworks, such as youth groups.
Dr. Hanan Ginat
Director of the Dead Sea and Arava Research and Development Center, Israel
Show Biography
Dr. Hanan Ginat serves as researcher and science director of the Dead Sea and the Arava Science Center. He has a B.Sc., M.Sc and Ph. D in Geology and Geomorphology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dr. Ginat specializes in landscape development, quaternary stratigraphy and earth science education. Hanan has been with the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies since 2005, and teaches Earth Sciences and Environmental Education. In 2007, he established the southern branch of the Dead Sea and Arava Science Center. The Center concentrates on regional environmental problems, and conducts ongoing studies in the fields of local water, renewable energy and ecology, as well as other research subjects. Dr. Ginat also used to be a high school teacher and principal until 2006. In addition, Hanan taught for two years at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Committee Members:
Dr. Noa Avriel-Avni
Ramon Science Center, Ben Gurion University, Israel
Show Biography
Dr. Noa Avriel-Avni holds a MSc in plant physiology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a PhD in Environmental Education from Ben-Gurion University of Beer Sheva, Israel. In the past few years she has lead the environmental education research and program development at the Ramon Science Centre in Mitzpe Ramon (Science Ministry). Her main research topics are: Complexity thinking; Socio-ecological coupled systems and its application to education for sustainability; Sense of place and its applications for environmental education; Developing innovation strategies for environmental citizenship; Qualitative methods for environmental literacy evaluation. In addition to her research, Dr. Avriel-Avni teaches courses in Education for Sustainability at Seminar HaKibutzim college and at Ben Gurion University.
Dr. Rnana Ilan
Ministry of Environment, Israel
Show Biography
Dr. Rnana Ilan received her Ph.D. from Bar Ilan University, the department of Land of Israel Studies. Her thesis aimed to present the reasons that cause people to migrate in and out of peripheral areas. She is currently responsible for the environmental education, clarification and communities for the Ministry for Environmental Protection, southern district. Rnana has also been a participant in the Shatil Program for Environment and Social Fellowship in the Negev, in which the final project included initiating and organizing of an educational and community coalition addressing Nahal Hevron, a stream with a large basin in the Negev, which is polluted heavily. Nahal Hevron origins in the Palestinian Authority and runs through the state of Israel, eventually meeting the sea near Gaza. This project was chosen due to the importance of bringing together all shareholders along the stream in order to raise awareness and find acceptable solutions for this complex issue. Her main research interests include environmental education and peripheral regions. Rnana has also taught at the Schechter Institution in Jerusalem.
Ms. Hannah Sivan
Environmental High School, Midreshet Sde Boqer
Invited Guests:
Mrs. Viktoria Keding
Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust (NaDEET), Namibia
Title Of Abstract:
Living and Learning for a Sustainable Future
Show Biography
Viktoria Keding has been the director and co-founder of the Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust (NaDEET) since 2003. NaDEET is a non-profit, Namibian trust located in the NamibRand Nature Reserve. NaDEET's objectives are to provide environmental education for Namibian children and educators, regardless of income, by addressing relevant environmental issues through hands-on, experimental learning, supporting the Namibian school curricula in a practical, learner-centered way and providing them with the opportunity of experiencing their county's namesake - the Namib Desert - first hand, thus creating a sense of respect and responsibility for their natural environment. Keding completed her university degree in Environmental Studies at Bowdoin College in the United States and has lived in Namibia for the past twelve years. Keding has spearheaded all aspects of NaDEET including: management, teaching, the development of programmes, activities and educational materials. She is passionate about environmental education and believes that we must all live a sustainable lifestyle to create positive change for our environment.
Prof. Nir Orion
Weizmann Institute of Science
Title Of Abstract:
Blue Planet Program As A Model For A Global Environmental Education
Show Biography
Professor Nir Orion holds a professorship position at the Weizmann Institute of Science and is head of the Earth Science and Environment Group in the Science Teaching Department. His activities cover all facets of science education: Research, curriculum development, implementation and teacher education from K-12. His main areas of interest are: earth and environmental sciences; the outdoor as a learning environment; "Science for all" and teachers' professional development.
Mr. Atul Pandya
Centre for Environment Education (CEE), India
Title of Abstract:
TBD
Show Biography
Mr. Atul Pandya is Programme Director, Rural Programmes Group of Centre for Environment Education (CEE), India. CEE is an autonomous, national level organization to promote Education for Sustainable Development among multiple stakeholders. CEE is a 'Centre for Excellence' and is supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India. Mr. Pandya was born, brought-up and studied in Gandhian Institutes. He did his Masters of Social Work and various formal courses in the field of environment education and Sustainable Development. Mr. Pandya has more than twenty years of experience of working at various levels in stressed ecosystems such as semi-arid and arid areas. He has vast international experience and has presented papers in many international events and conferences.
Dr. Ian Robottom
Deakin University, Australia
Title of Abstract:
Balancing scientific and community knowledge in (desert) environmental education
Show Biography
Dr. Ian Robottom has coordinated a number of community-based environmental education projects in Australia and overseas, with funding from the Australian Research Council, National Health & Medical Research Council and AusAID. The two AusAID projects involved capacity-building in regions of historical disadvantage in South Africa and Vietnam. He has also conducted environmental sustainability projects with remote communities in the west of Scotland. In 2006, he was awarded the Vice Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning for establishing this new Offshore Teaching Partnership in the Middle East. Dr Robottom has also coordinated two Deakin University Strategic Teaching and Learning projects in which outcomes of the above projects have been incorporated into multi-media teaching materials for use in Deakin University courses. Associate Professor Robottom has extensive publications in international refereed journals and has presented fully-sponsored keynote addresses at international conferences.
Mrs. Marcia Fargnoli Stanton
Sustainable Nature, NamibiaSustainable Nature, Namibia
Title of Abstract:
Unsustainable Development and Restoration Laws, Policies and Strategies- The Case of Namibia
Show Biography
Marcia Fargnoli Stanton serves as the Legal Adviser to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism Dorob National Park Contingency Management Committee. She is also working as the environmental, social and legal specialist for the first Regional Integrated Land Use Plan in Namibia. Marcia spends most of her time on pro-bono environmental and social work for the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ministry of Fisheries, Ministry of Lands and Resettlement and non-governmental organizations such as Save the Rhino Trust and the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project. In her work, Marcia deals with environmental and social issues that surround topics such as desertification, biodiversity conservation, land use, and development. Marcia has fourteen years of experience dealing with an array of social and environmental issues. She holds degrees in Environmental Studies (BA, Pace University), Desert Studies (MA, Ben Gurion University), and Law (JD with Environmental and International Law Certificates, Pace University). Marcia has much international experience and has studied and worked in: the Turks and Caicos Islands, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Israel, Zambia, and Namibia. In 2007, she completed her Master's Degree thesis work on the Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Zambia and Namibia, where she now holds domicile.
Hannah Sivan
Show Biography
Hannah Sivan is a teacher in the High School for Environmental Studies in Sde-Boker. She teaches Geography, Sciences and Environmental Studies. She was a member of the first team of teachers in this high-school and took part in developing the unique curriculum in Environmental Studies as well as few of the Eco Workshops.
Hannah studied Geography and Biology in the Hebrew University and has an MA in Education from Bar-Ilan University. She also has a Diploma in Arial Photography Interpretation and mapping from ITC, Enschede, Holland.
Hannah uses the Internet for teaching for the last 20 years and was involved in few international study groups and projects like "Snunit" (Hebrew), "KIDLINK" and "The 21st Century Schoolhouse". Hannah initiated and build the "Network for Geography Teachers" which lead to creation of an active Virtual Community of Geography teachers.
Hannah is also working for the Ministry of Education as a guide for Geography Teachers.
