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I recently returned to my previous school to work with new Geography teachers in the HSIE faculty to develop their 7-10 fieldwork scope and sequence and develop options for teacher-led fieldwork on and around the Bay Run. While I was there, I was able to visit the site of the Balmain Foreshore Project (links to previous posts below) to see the progress of the Living Seawalls installed at the end of 2023. Below are photos taken which demonstrate the progress of organism recruitment on the panels. For each of the Living Seawalls panels you can click through three photos - the first, when the panels were first installed in November 2023; the second, in September 2024; and the third photo in each series shows the most recently photo taken in August 2025. I was happy to be able to revisit the school and handover the Balmain Foreshore Project to a new team of teachers to see this project continue with a new group of students later in the year. There are also plans for a similar project to take place at a neighbouring schools which should begin later in the year. 
This is one of several posts about our Balmain Foreshore Project. Read more...
Balmain Foreshore Project - Introduction Gardening Below the Surface - Operation Posidonia Balmain Foreshore Project - Trial Activities Balmain Foreshore Project - Implementation Balmain Foreshore Project - Living Seawalls Balmain Foreshore Project - Living Seawalls: Pre-Installation Biodiversity Survey Balmain Foreshore Project - Launch and 2023 Reflection Balmain Foreshore Project - Bush care, Year 9 2024 Find resources to support teaching about Living Seawalls on The Harbour School Sydney website,
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En-ROADS is a climate change simulation that allows users to explore how different policies and actions could address temperature increase by 2100. It has been designed by Climate Interactive and MIT Sloan and is based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, and draws on a series of equations, and a few external datasets. It is regularly updated and tweaked to incorporate the latest research. En-ROADs can be accessed here: https://www.climateinteractive.org/en-roads/  Figure 1: The En-ROADS simulator provides a user friendly interface that allows students to easily access basic functionality. Introductory activities and basics Simulation - Basic level - Exploring policy changes on Global Temperature increases At the most simple level, students can explore how changes in six key policy areas: Energy Supply, Transport, Buildings and Industry, Growth, Carbon Dioxide Removal and Other Sources of Greenhouse Gas can impact on aspects of climate change. Students can make changes along each of the sliders on the simulator home page, and the consequences of those changes are displayed in the two main graphs displayed at the top of the page: Global Sources of Primary Energy, and consequently Global Temperature Change. In the first phases of exploring the En-ROADS simulation, students can work in small groups with a focus on a policy theme. Students can undertake research to investigate the theme and its impact on climate change, providing an overview for the class as an introduction. In their policy groups students can explore how changes to policy in their policy area can positively impact on projected Temperature increase by 2100. Students can simply move the slider along the scales to see the impact on the corresponding graphs.  Figure 2: In the example above, the levels of carbon dioxide removal for both Nature-based removal and Technological removal have been increased to the highest level. This results in an overall decline in Temperature increase by 2100 by 1% (increase is at 3.2 degrees celsius rather than 3.3). Class activity: Introduction - Policy Theme Group work Climate change research In groups of no more than 4, investigate a policy theme selected from - Energy Supply, - Transport, - Buildings and Industry, - Growth, - Carbon Dioxide Removal, or - Other Sources of Greenhouse Gas (Agricultural emissions, Waste and Leakage and Deforestation). Research how different policies, initiatives and case studies around the world attempt to address climate change. Provide a brief presentation and one page summary of the policy theme for your class. Basic En-ROADS Simulation In your group, provide a summary of suggested policy changes in your selected policy area that could have positive impacts on climate change projections. Class Collation As a class, collate a range of different policy changes that could reduce the impacts of climate change. Extended response Explain a how a range of policy themes related to climate change mitigation that could impact on the rate and magnitude of change. En-ROADS Supporting Resources
The En-ROADS website contains a range of supporting resources that teachers can use to support student learning while taking part in a simulation. These include both PowerPoint presentations and handouts, that support learning about the concept of climate change in general, case studies and benefits of different combinations of climate change solutions working together to multiply impact. Syllabus Links: The En-ROADs simulation provides an excellent, practical student-centred learning activity for students to engage in Study 3: Climate Change, of the Human-Environments Interaction for Preliminary Geography. This post has been cross-posted on the Powerful Geography Authors' Blog. A longer, more detailed version of this article will be available in the upcoming Geography Bulletin. The recent widespread algal bloom in South Australia is devastating that section of Kelp Forests (and associated ecosystems) in the Great Southern Reef. This is an issue that should be investigated with your HSC class if you are studying the Kelp Forest chapter for the Ecosystems and Global Biodiversity HSC topic. Watch the video below from the Great Southern Reef Foundation - South Australia's Harmful Algal Bloom Crisis. The South Australian Algal Bloom The recent bloom is caused mostly by an algae - Karenia mikimotoi, which can commonly last weeks to months, and is know to spread widely. Other forms of toxic algae are now also contributing to blooms. The bloom has been fueled by a marine heatwave and calm conditions, and has resulted in widespread mortality of fish, shellfish, crabs, stingrays, and cuttlefish, etc. Fish kills have been reported in the ocean off southeast cost of South Australia in late summer, South Australia since March. The bloom was first detected in late April and has since spread. It is impacting the South Australian coastline, particularly the Fleurieu Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, and southern Yorke Peninsula. Causes of the algal bloom Marine heatwave: According to the south Australian Department of Environment and Water, a marine heatwave started in September 2024. Sea temperatures are about 2.5 degrees celsius higher than usual. Excess nutrients: nutrients from the Murray River, including from flood periods. Cold-water upwelling: Cold-water upwelling is when deep, cold, and nutrient-rich ocean water rises to the surface, replacing warmer, nutrient-depleted surface water. In 2023-4 there was an unprecedented. The Great South Australian Coastal Upwelling System brings nutrient-rich cold water upward to the surface and can create phytoplankton blooms. This provides an important food source for krill and sardines. Watch the video below from the Great Southern Reef Foundation - Underwater Algal Bloom impacts... Background: Algal Blooms Localised algal blooms in waterways often result from a range of human-induced factors. Excess nutrients from wastewater, agriculture, and urban runoff are typically responsible for algal blooms in water ways. Algal blooms can outcompete other species like macro and micro algae, and aquatic plant species for sunlight, reducing their ability to photosynthesise. Blooms can also smother plants and algae. Species composition can change over time as more resilient species may survive at the expense of more vulnerable species. Fish kills and invertebrate mortality can occur as a result of hypoxia - lack of oxygen. The reduction in biodiversity will further threaten the resilience of ecosystems. Background: Marine Heatwaves Marine heatwaves are periods of unusually warm ocean temperatures which are becoming more intense and prolonged due to climate change. General ocean warming and higher sea surface temperatures are contributing to marine heatwaves. They can result in mortality or migration of species, changed composition of food webs, bleaching of species such as coral and kelp, and algal blooms. Watch the video below from ABC - An unprecedented algal bloom... Further reading - Algal Bloom articles
SA Algal Bloom Outbreak - ABC 2025 Algal Bloom - Great Southern Reef Foundation Like an Underwater Bushfire - SA Marine Algal Bloom is Still Killing Almost Everything in its Path This post has been cross-posted on the Powerful Geography Authors' Blog. As part of Climate Action Week Sydney 2025, the Australian Museum invites students in Years 7-10 to the Student Climate Leadership Forum—a FREE full-day program of talks and hands-on workshops to kick-start student-led climate initiatives. Date: Thursday, 13 March 2025 Time: 9:00 AM – 2:30 PM Location: Australian Museum, Sydney Cost: Free Your students will: - Hear from experts on practical, realistic steps to build climate resilience. - Be inspired by real-world examples of local climate action. - Participate in interactive workshops to develop school sustainability initiatives. - Receive guidance from Museum educators to create a tailored, actionable climate plan for your school. Gather a team of up to eight students and one teacher and join us in shaping a sustainable future. Students will leave with a structured climate action plan to implement back at school. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to empower young leaders and drive meaningful change. Register now to secure your free spot - places are limited: https://australian.museum/event/climate-action-week-student-leaders/ Brought to you by the Sydney Science Trail and the Australian Museum's Climate Solutions Centre, with the support of Climate Action Week Sydney. #youthforclimate #climatechangeaction #climateaction #climateactivist  Note: This post is at the request, and on behalf of the Australian Museum, Sydney.
James Heafey and I presented a session on Ecosystem Restoration - Engaging students in Geography through ecosystem restoration projects, at the recent Australian Geography Teachers Association conference. As it turned out, this was a really relevant topic for the conference - there was a sand dune restoration project not even a kilometre from one of the hotels I stayed in, and while in Kakadu I flew over the Ranger Uranium mine, currently undergoing rehabilitation. Does the Ranger example even count as ecosystem restoration? I think not, but it is worth including it in the discussion, and asking some questions... This presentation has built on the work of a number of Geography and Science teachers over the last few years who have worked on some of these projects. Click the image below to view the full presentation.  2021-2030 is the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Ecosystem restoration refers to initiatives that assist in the recovery of degraded ecosystems and in some cases conserving ecosystems still intact. It seeks to initiate or accelerate ecosystem recovery following damage, degradation or destruction, and involves creating the conditions needed for recovery. Actions related to ecosystem restoration could include altering landforms, planting vegetation, removing invasive species, changing hydrology, etc. Ecosystem restoration activities can be short or long term, but it will take a long time before the ecosystem can become self-organising again. The process of restoration may take years or decades. Ecosystem restoration projects are an excellent opportunity to improve student engagement in Geography, Science, Marine Studies and STEM, and provide a real world context for students to apply their knowledge and skills in a meaningful way. Criticisms of Geography can be that it tends to be very problems focused. We often study an environment or an issue, the geographical processes related to it, the various issues and implications related to a problem, and then right at the end (often when we have lost student interest) we start exploring possible solutions and ways of addressing sustainability. A focus on ecosystem restoration projects, enables students to explore positive activities that are occurring in their community, and then explore what those solutions are addressing, the processes and the environment. It is almost turning the learning on its head and provides an almost "positive psychology" approach to learning about environments and Geography.  Currently in Sydney there are a range of ecosystem restoration projects underway that are having regular successes, regularly receive positive media attention, and are winning awards. Seabirds to Seascapes is a three-year project, led by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). It aims to bring important ecosystems and marine wildlife back to the harbour. Seabirds to Seascapes consistes of three main projects: Project Restore – restoration of Sydney Harbour seascapes through installing Living Seawalls and replanting sea grasses and kelp. Penguin census – counting little penguins and monitoring breeding colonies and their foraging behaviours along the NSW coast. Seal survey – monitoring Australian and New Zealand fur seal populations in New South Wales. It involves a range of government organisations, research institutions and community groups including: DCCEEW's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Biodiversity, Conservation and Science Division (BCS), Science, Economics and Insights (SEI), Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS - University of Technology Sydney, Macquarie University, the University of NSW and the University of Sydney), Taronga Conservation Society (penguin count and seal census), CSIRO, Marine conservation groups and Gamay Rangers.  Beyond Sydney and the Seabirds to Seascapes projects, there are a wide range of organisations involved in ecosystem restoration projects, many which have been operating over a long period and which already provide opportunities for schools and student involvement. Landcare and Greening Australia are the obvious examples, and tree planting is an activity students have been involved with for many years. WetlandCare Australia, and OzFish are involved in a range of projects. New York Harbour School and the Billion Oyster Project  In. exploring ways that schools might be able to get involved in the ecosystem restoration projects occurring in Sydney, I came across the New York Harbour School and Billion Oyster Project. The New York Harbour School connects the school - located on an island in the NY harbour on Governors Island, with learning - both theoretical and practical, about ecosystem restoration. Students are introduced to the of study of aquaculture, marine biology research, marine policy and advocacy, marine systems technology, ocean engineering, professional diving, and vessel operations in addition to their traditional high school coursework. Billion Oyster Project is restoring oyster reefs to New York Harbor in collaboration with New York City communities. Oyster reefs provide habitat for hundreds of species, and can protect our city from storm damage — softening the blow of large waves, reducing flooding, and preventing erosion along the shorelines. Field stations are restoration sites where Billion Oyster Project, or our partner organizations, host regular field days utilizing an oyster installation. They are targeted for long-term community and student engagement with an emphasis on local involvement. - Billion Oyster Project website The New York Harbour School and Billion Oyster Project provide an example of student involvement in an ecosystem restoration project that is driving the learning of the whole school. This isn't a realistic expectation for most of us, and most schools, but what can we achieve in a normal mainstream school, with limited time and limited budget? Schools Foreshore Project Read about student involvement in the Balmain Foreshore Project: Balmain Foreshore Project - Introduction Gardening Below the Surface - Operation Posidonia Balmain Foreshore Project - Trial Activities Balmain Foreshore Project - Implementation Balmain Foreshore Project - Living Seawalls Balmain Foreshore Project - Living Seawalls: Pre-Installation Biodiversity Survey Balmain Foreshore Project - Launch and 2023 Reflection Balmain Foreshore Project - Bush care, Year 9 2024 Balmain Foreshore Project - 2025 Update Click the image below to view the Balmain Foreshore Project section of the presentation.  Below are the Year 9 and 10 student worksheets. Click the download button to view them full size.
View the Balmain Foreshore Project website here: sites.google.com/education.nsw.gov.au/balmain-foreshore-project/home Work is now underway to introduce a Hunters Hill Foreshore Project, based at Hunters Hill High school. Initial meetings have taken place and funding is currently being sought. This project will focus on mangroves, and the installation of Living Seawalls, but will link the project with the new Senior Geography syllabus implementation.   The first workshop I attended at the AGTA Conference was "Forest Learning - Forest, People, Places”. The session covered an introduction to forestry, a discussion about how forestry can be renewable and sustainable, carbon capture, the chain of custody and certification of sustainable forestry. It was run by the staff from Forest Learning - Beth Welden, Veronica Tyquin, Hanna Lillicrap.
Virtual reality headsets are around $1000 each, so it is probably not realistic for schools or classes to have multiple headsets for student use that only get used every so often. For cheaper student access, there are templates for the folding cardboard headsets available online, and these can be used with students own phones (assuming permission is granted outside of the phone ban).
 As excursions are becoming more difficult to organise (risk assessments, bookings, costs, WHS requirements, clashes in school calendars, etc, etc) it is great to find varied experiences for students that allow them to be exposed to different environments and activities within their classroom. A best case scenario is a situation where virtual activities like these, can be used in conjunction with outdoor, real fieldwork experiences to enhance
Some of the highlights of the AGTA conference were listening to the experiences of some of the teachers from the NT – Ian Morris OAM and Steve Hawkins in particular, but also several others who I had informal conversations with. There’s lots to learn from them about working with their communities, developing better cultural understanding and providing more inclusive educational experiences. Particularly interesting was the concept of "bothways" - schooling systems working together Yolnu communities to implement bilingual pedagogy, cultural knowledge transmission and parental and community engagement. Below is an article from the Australian Journal of Indigenous Education - "Renewing the Yolnu "Bothways" philosophy: Warramiri transcultural education at Gawa. Our Geographical Secrets – Ian Morris Ian was the first Science teacher in Arnhem Land, where he began as a 19 year old, working with the local community on an island off Arnhem Land coast. Ian spoke about information he had been taught over many years from David Burrumarra, a senior Yolnu mentor, about the social and cultural impacts of historical sea level rise off the coast of Arnhem land. Sahul refers to the combined Pleistocene landmass of Australia and New Guinea. The Pleistocene was a time when sea levels were lower, and an extensive area of the northwest of Australia was exposed. This area included an inland sea and large freshwater lake. There were fluctuating sea levels, and two periods of rapid sea level rise, resulting in the rapid drowning of around half of the Northwest Shelf, transformed coastlines, and offshore island geographies. The changing sea levels and changing landscapes affected migration patterns – when sea levels were low, people could travel more easily. The gap between Timor and Sahul was reduced down to 90 metres. The period of the last rapid sea level rise around 4000 years ago when it reached our present sea level, was the topic of much of Ian’s presentation. The physical sea level rise, and the drowning of habitable areas had very obvious social impacts and cultural changes for local communities – physical displacement, social upheaval and a change of diet. Historical knowledge of these changes in sea level is found in oral history of over thousands of years old. Ian worked with and learnt from the Warramiri people, who shared some of their oral history with him and their association with the ‘Freshwater Ocean’. The clan group was pushed off the coastal plains, off traditional country into other peoples' country, and had to live off the coastline as they didn’t have hunting rights. This also occurred for many other clan groups. The clan group told of how they lived on the shores of a freshwater island east of Elcho Island, and that saltwater inundation forced them to move inland, westward and to higher ground. Oral accounts describe that in some locations the water rose so quickly there was no time for preparation. The new sites they moved into were equivalent to “refugee camps”. This was the result of sea level rise from the last glacial melt. Changes to sea levels in the region is also recorded in detail in a variety of other ways, for example species found in rock art of the Warramiri in caves and overhangs of the Arnhem coastline include stingrays, surgeonfish, whale, octopus and clams. Shell middens also provide evidence of occupation in particular sites – some 4000-8000 years BP and up to 9 metres deep. Work is being done to date the middens as some of the older parts are disintegrating. As the sea level rose, freshwater creeks became tidal forests, mangrove seeds floated further inland and took root, and as the saltwater moved further inland, marine life followed – particularly sharks and stingrays (best eaten when they are “fat” with swollen livers – an excellent source of omega three oil). Mangroves are an important location for finding food and species like mangrove worms, and shellfish kept communities alive and were an important source of protein. Cycads were an important food source (once detoxified). There is also evidence of communities planting food - wild tomatoes, portulacca, toothache tree, bush potatoes, bush peanuts, black plum, wild almonds, as well as finger sop (fruit brought here by the Macassins from Indonesia). Sea level changes caused enormous social upheaval, and there is also evidence of conflict in locations where communities were forced into higher ground along new coastlines. Most community groups along the coastlines would have lost their entire territory and been pushed into neighbouring communities’ land. Evidence of conflict between groups is seen in battle scenes in rock art in some of these areas, and in their mythology. Slowly social stability returned as their children married out into mainland clans.
Listen to: Naturalist Ian Morris talks snakes, crocs and adventures in Arnhem Land on ABC Radio Darwin.
Watch: Tales from the Territory from ABC Darwin. (you will need to log into Facebook to view the video). The Australian Geography Teachers Conference was held in Darwin this year. This biennial conference rotates around each state, and if you are a Geography teacher, is worth the investment to attend. The event usually includes a series of lectures and workshops, field trips and a couple of social events including a conference dinner. The welcome event was a viewing of "Wilding" at the Deckchair Cinema. Unfortunately, I was still on my way back from Kakadu, so I missed this event, but heard it was excellent. There were a range of presentations and workshops at the conference. Here are a few other posts detailing a few of these: The Conference Dinner on Thursday night was held at Crocosaurus Cove. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about the location. Crocosaurus is a tourist site in the middle of Darwin that houses a number of large crocodiles and where you can swim in a translucent cage with one. That experience is definitely not for me, but there were a couple of people from the conference that went for it. We were able to pat a little crocodile on entry which was pretty cool. The food was seriously amazing - literally the best steak I have ever eaten, and the entree was amazing as well. At the Conference Dinner at each AGTA Conference, awards are given out for resources released in the previous two years, and the Dom Biddle Friend of Geography Award for outstanding service to Australian Geography - won this conference by Debbie Claridge from Tasmania.
There is real significance in having a range of social events associated with a longer professional learning event like this. People relax, get to know each other and are more likely to be open and share ideas and resources. The conference also used the Eventee app, which the organisers used to share updates, and allowed attendees to share photos of field trips, compete for prizes and message each other.
Well done to the AGTA Organising Committee for an excellent conference. I’ve had an amazing week in Darwin for the 2024 Australia Geography Teachers Association conference. I highly recommend attending the national conferences for Geography teachers at all levels of experience. The 2026 conference location should be announced soon. Prior to the conference I visited Kakadu National Park for the first time in 25 years. Still amazing. As part of the tour we visited Nourlangie, Yellow River, Ubirr, Cahill’s Crossing and Arnhem Land, and were lucky enough to do a quick flight over the park. What a privilege. Below is a gallery of photos of some of the Aboriginal artwork seen at Ubirr and Nourlangie. There are some sites which are open to tourists and which we can view and photograph, and other sites which are off limits to visitors and/or which tourists are not allowed to photograph. All of the photos below are at sites open to the public and which we were allowed to photograph. Some of these sites provide locational and environmental information, and many have spiritual, historical and social meaning and are used to record and pass on information. There is a lot of signage at these sites to provide the publicly available explanations of the rock art, some information about Aboriginal names for places, concepts and objects.. My favourite site was at Ubirr where there was an immense rock shelf with a huge amount of intricate paintings. As well as the amazing cultural experiences, Kakadu also has a huge range of animal life to see. The crocodiles are pretty awe-inspiring, but there is also so much bird life around. Below is a series of photos - some on the Yellow river, and then East Alligator River near Cahill's Crossing and further upstream near Arnhem land, which we traversed on the Guluyambi Cultural Cruise. This cruise was led by an Aboriginal guide who shared information about local mythology, culture, traditional uses of plants and animals and ecology. The birdlife on the Yellow River cruise was really varied - my favourite was the Jabiru - a bird that looks like it is straight out of Alice in Wonderland, and grows to 140cm tall. I remember using Kakadu as a case study as a beginning teacher, but I don't think I have used it that many times since then. It would really make a great case study in a range of different topics, and provides an excellent opportunity to incorporate authentic and meaningful information about Aboriginal culture and perspectives in a way that fits so naturally with concepts around environmental management, physical characteristics of environments and human use and ingenuity.
Principals and Senior Executive teams should aim to build strong working relationships with teacher unions rather than seeing them as a threat to their authority. At the core of this relationship is reciprocal respect and mutual understanding of the various awards and determinations that dictate teachers' and support staff's basic entitlements. Apart from the legal requirement to follow awards, there are a range of other benefits to a productive relationship with the teachers unions.
Leaders and unions can work together to advocate for better funding, resourcing and policies. In doing so, the needs of leaders - taking into account all the accountability, departmental and legal requirements that they have to meet; and school teachers and support staff - taking into account competing demands and the realities of working at the coal face; can be taken into account. This creates policies and practices which reflect a broader understanding of the reality of schools at various levels. Honouring the basic rights of teachers as outlined by awards and determinations, creates a culture where teachers feel respected, trust is built and workplaces are generally happier. Staff morale is important in ensuring people work well together, are happy to do extra-curriculum activities and are willing to put their hand up for leadership positions and participate in whole school teams. If teachers feel like they have unreasonable workloads, or feel that they are not being treated respectfully they will withhold their labour outside of the basic expectations. Principals are under pressure to make funds stretch to meet a huge number of competing demands, and the temptation can be to just expect teachers to do more and more. At the same time, teacher burnout is a significant issue, with over 70% of teachers in a recent survey by Black Dog Institute reporting experiencing burnout. Working collaboratively with unions can ensure that teacher burnout can be minimised, reducing leave taken for mental health management and creating more stable staffing. The same Black Dog Institute survey mentioned above indicates that nearly half of teachers are considering leaving the profession. Teacher retention in individual schools can also be an issue, and instability as a result of teacher retention issues can impact on student learning. Managing teacher workloads and expectations on staff is something that can be collaboratively managed with a productive relationship between Senior Executive and unions. In short, both principals and unions should be focused on the wellbeing and health of teachers. Better care for teachers will result in better outcomes for students. |
