Reef Magic’s Education Manager to present at international congress in Canada
Marie Taylor, Reef Education Manager at Reef Magic Cruises , has been invited to present at the 9th World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) 2017 in Vancouver Canada.
It’s an extraordinary honour. WEEC is an international congress addressing education for environment and sustainability with 2017’s congress themed on Culture & Environment: Weaving New Connections. The annual congress forms a meeting point for those working with education for environment and sustainable development.
Earlier this year Ms Taylor wrote a paper on the work she facilitates in her role at Reef Magic Cruises. Her paper entitled Reef Education to Sea Country Connections was co-authored with colleague Gavin Singleton. Mr Singleton is the Yirrganydji Land and Sea Country Ranger Coordinator and a Traditional Owner of the Yirrganydji Clan. Yirrganydji Country extends from Cairns to Port Douglas and the surrounding reef waters.
Presenting at World Congress allows Ms Taylor to detail the innovative work undertaken at Reef Magic Cruises, along with share success achieved over the last three and a half years. Her presentation will showcase Reef Magic Cruises’ work on the Great Barrier Reef including:
• Place Based Education and local outdoor learning
• Global and Cultural diversity
• Environmental Communication (and uncertainty)
• Indigenous Knowledge in EE
• Ethics lead learning and sustainability
• Social Responsibility
• Nature as a Teacher
• Perspectives, challenges and Innovation Research
Reef Magic Education specialise in location-based learning on the Great Barrier Reef – connecting people, sea country and learning. Projects allow for students, their teachers and parents, pre-service teachers, academics, science undergraduates, marine biologists, researchers and sea country rangers to work together amidst the sharing of stories.
Engaging youth and particularly indigenous youth is the objective of using the Great Barrier Reef as an immersive education experience, showcasing the natural and cultural assets as a key aspect of an innovate tourism strategy, sharing local education, training and career pathways.
Reef education is run by marine biologists, with transport, equipment and research resources included. Students have access to eight outer reef sites and Islands in the Cairns region.
Off shore reef education can be logistically difficult and challenging, however, partnerships between tourism, universities, Traditional Owners, government agencies and local stakeholders promoting the importance of productive education relationships has allowed for the innovation of co-learning on the Great Barrier Reef.
Concern about the effects of climate change, the loss of Indigenous values and connections to the Great Barrier Reef and the recent mass bleaching events in 2016 and 2017, has presented the question of how we can best contribute to the custodianship of the Great Barrier Reef, promoting inclusive and sustainable communities.
The reef education programs highlight the social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits of the reef landscape, encouraging students and teachers to look at the larger entity of the reef as an extension of their community.
Reef Magic Education is an intentional engagement tool focused on the reef as the teacher and the community as her students. Co-learning projects promote exploration and a sense of adventure and new understandings that create a lifetime of memories.
The 9th World Environmental Education Congress takes place in Vancouver Canada from 9 – 15 September 2017.