There is a broad range of educational resources and programs to support you to inspire the next generation to be environmentally aware.
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Schools
ResourceSmart Schools
Join other Stonnington schools by becoming a ResourceSmart School and embedding sustainability in everything you do.
Offered by Sustainability Victoria, this free program provides a 5-star certification framework that supports Victorian schools to embed sustainability across their facilities, community and curriculum, while saving them money and resources.
Registered schools work with sustainability experts to complete five modules to develop a whole-school environmental management plan and meet benchmarks for resource use.
Connect with local flora and fauna
- Celebrate National Tree Day by joining one of our annual school planting events in term 3 at a local reserve or park. Sign up to our Sustainable Schools and ELC's Newsletter for upcoming event dates.
- Support important biodiversity research while helping your students observe and understand local plants and wildlife in our city using the iNaturalist app. Your school can use this app to take part in the annual City Nature Challenge, a four-day global biodiversity blitz taking place in April in May.
- Get your students involved in celebrating National Bird Week each October by participating in the annual Aussie Bird Count.
- Give your students the role of Frog Monitor. Head out to a Stonnington wetland or waterway to listen and record frog calls using Melbourne Water's Frog Censis app.
- Find a local park, wetland or waterway near your school to connect learners with our urban environment and biodiversity.
Put a grin on your recycling bin
Our recycling partner, Visy, have launched an online game to help educate children on what can and can't be recycled in a household recycling bin. Visit the Visy website for more information.
Early Leaning Centres
Nature Play
Promote healthy physical, social and cognitive childhood development by encouraging nature-based play. Stonnington's Nature Play Handbook(PDF, 3MB) is a practical and easy-to-use guide for educators and families that provides resources and ideas about how to integrate nature play into early years education.
Looking to start a nature playgroup in a local park or reserve? To register your group and find a space that's right for you, email us at environment@stonnington.vic.gov.au
For more nature-based play ideas, visit the Kids in Nature Network Facebook page and look out for Nature Play Week events each April.
Compost Revolution
Compost Revolution offers discounted compost bins, a bokashi bin and worm farms to the Stonnington community including schools and ELCs.
To find the right system for your school or ELC, email environment@stonnington.vic.gov.au
Waste education sessions
Council provides free face-to-face sessions for schools and ELCs through our education partner, Cleanaway. Their education program, kNOw Waste, includes education on the following topics:
- recycling right
- composting
- reducing litter
- plastic reduction
- circular economy.
To express your school or centre's interest, complete the online form.
Register your interest
One of our Waste Education Officers will contact you to discuss further.
For more tips and resources, visit our avoid waste and recycle page.
Excursions and nature connection
- Discover Stonnington's urban flora and wildlife at key biodiversity sites along the Yarra River (Birrarung) and Gardiners Creek (KooyongKoot) including Glen Iris Wetlands and Malvern Urban Forest.
- Get your students into citizen science by using the ClimateWatch app to observe the behaviour of plants and animals along one of our designated trails at the Main Yarra Trail and Glen Iris Wetlands. The ClimateWatch app helps researchers understand the impacts of climate change on these species over time.
- Connect learners with Stonnington's ancient ecological history and learn about plants on a visit to the Lost Lands Found eco-art installation at Central Park, Malvern.
- Take students on a historical tour along the Yarra River (Birrarung) through the Life of the Yarra audio tour.
To discuss how we can help you tailor a local excursion to suit your school or centre's educational and curriculum outcomes, email environment@stonnington.vic.gov.au
Helpful resources
Birds in Schools
Birds in Schools is BirdLife Australia’s environmental education project. It teaches students to identify and monitor birds, explore their habitats and ultimately take action for local birdlife.
Cleanaway
Cleanaway offers a combination of online and face-to-face waste education programs to ELCs, primary and secondary schools across the country.
Cool Australia
Cool Australia has a wealth of free, curriculum-linked sustainability lessons and unit plans in its digital resource library. The self-paced professional development modules suit all subject areas and year levels.
Environment Education Victoria (EEV)
Environment Education Victoria (EEV) is an independent, professional organisation that supports sustainability educators from early years to tertiary with educational resources, professional development and networking opportunities.
Melbourne Water
Melbourne Water has a great range of curriculum-aligned, interactive games, treatment plant tours and lesson resources for both primary and secondary schools.
Schools Water Efficiency Program (SWEP)
Schools Water Efficiency Program (SWEP) is a Victorian Government-funded program that provides learning resources and data loggers to schools to help track water usage, identify leaks and educate students about water efficiency.
TROPICSU
TROPICSU has a huge, global collection of digital climate change teaching tools and learning resources for a range of subjects and ages, designed by teachers for teachers.
For more information on how we can support your school or ELC, email our Sustainable Environment Unit at about environment@stonnington.vic.gov.au