EkoSkola Malta

Empowering Children’s Participation – Malta

The Empowering Children App aims to promote and support the fundamental right of children to meaningful participation, by having their opinions actively sought and taken into consideration in institutions and systems at various levels and spheres of society. This is the first digital platform that creates a digital safe environment at national level for children and youths aged under 18, to actively engage and share their thoughts on all matters relating to Government policymaking. The Empowering Children App will make documents (and public consultations) available in child-friendly versions and give children the opportunity to shape their future on matters that concern them. If you are under 18 years, we would like you to take part, learn, and express yourselves. We want to encourage your valuable contributions to various ongoing discussions and/or other policies and we will make sure that your feedback is passed on to the right people. Be part of the change you want to see. Your opinion counts!

Earth Day Action Toolkit – for all year round!!!

Every April 22nd people from around the world come together to advance sustainability and climate action in commemoration of Earth Day. In the below links you will find loads and loads of actions that can be taken by individuals, communities, businesses, schools, families, home owners… in short everyone.  

The Environmental Impact of Chocolate

Delectable but destructive: Tracing chocolate’s environmental life cycle Chocolate is a treat beloved across the world. But how much do we know about our favorite guilty pleasure’s environmental impacts? A recent study, published in the journal Science Advances, sheds light on key ingredients that make their way into many chocolate products — often untraced, and possibly linked to deforestation in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The study found that high volumes of cocoa, palm oil and soy — key ingredients used in bulk to make some of our chocolate favorites — are currently traded with little to no traceability via indirect supply chains. Read more in the article below published by the Mongabay News and Inspiration from Nature’s Frontline, written by Sean Mowbray.

The psychology of fast fashion – Driven to shop

Fast fashion is new, trendy clothing sold at a low cost and designed to be worn just a few times. With fast fashion, consumers can see an item of clothing worn on the runway or the red carpet and then purchase it online at lightning speed. One of the most prominent names in fast fashion today, adds an average of 6,000 new styles to its site every day, giving consumers an endless stream of new items to shop for. Consumers can now purchase clothing faster, cheaper, and more conveniently than ever before. So what’s the issue? Behind the glitzy and brightly colored clothing found on these sites, there is a much darker and uglier story. Fast fashion poses significant threats to the environment and the human labor it employs.

A Closer Look into the Material Drivers of the Clothing Industry

Today, clothing manufacturers are paying more attention to the chemicals and materials they place into our wardrobes. This is no coincidence. Their awareness is due to upcoming legislation such as The Fashion Act and the European Union Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles that aims to reshape the retail industry through stringent requirements. The age of profit over people, rapid industrialization, and endless consumption must end now.

Maggots in Compost Pile: What it Means & What To Do

Maggots are often associated with death and decay, and their small, squirming, wiggling appearance does little to offset the unpleasant impression they give. So encountering them, especially when that encounter is a completely unexpected surprise, can be off-putting. Unfortunately, one of those places a chance encounter might happen could be in your compost pile. If this happens to you, the first thing to do, or not do rather, is panic. Maggots in your compost are indicative of a few different things, and can be handled in a few different ways. While it is ultimately a matter of personal preference and comfort level, it doesn’t have to be an entirely negative experience. Here’s what the presence of maggots in your compost pile means, and options for how you can handle that presence.

Learning Corner for 5-18 year olds by European Commission

If you’re a primary or secondary school pupil, this is where you’ll find games, competitions and activity books to help you discover the EU in a fun way, in the classroom or at home. You can also find out more about studying or volunteering abroad. If you’re a teacher and want to help your pupils learn about the EU and how it works, this is a source of teaching material for all age groups. As well as finding inspiration for lesson plans, you can also discover networking opportunities with other schools and teachers across the EU. You can find material about food, farming, fisheries, environment, climate, energy, culture and much more… NOTE:  This resource is available in various languages.  Links to the Maltese and English versions can be found below.   More direct links in attachments below too.

The importance of Eco-Friendly cars

Two students, Eva and Sofia, did some research and sent in this article with a lot of really great information on the importance of eco-friendly cars… In the past decade, the automobile industry has experienced a revolution. While traditional vehicles are still going strong, the creation of affordable, mass-produced hybrids and electric cars has started a revolution. Many people are choosing electric cars over fossil-fuel vehicles because they are cheaper to drive and help reduce damage to the environment. The cost of charging an electric car is much less than the cost of filling up the tank, and the cost of a new hybrid or electric car has dropped considerably over the past ten years. These cars also aren’t as loud, which reduces noise pollution and makes communities quieter. While it seems like electric cars are the most logical move, it’s only recently that technology has made them both affordable and efficient….

A Consumer’s Guide to Reducing Pollution

A surprising amount of pollution starts at home. The car you drive, the household and personal care products you buy, the chemicals and equipment you use to keep your lawn and garden in shape all contribute to water and air pollution. But there are consumer choices you can make that will reduce your environmental footprint.  Click on the link and refer to subtitles below… How to Prevent Air Pollution: The Car You Drive Household Products Energy Use Preventing Water Pollution: Pesticide and Fertilizer Alternatives to Prevent Water Pollution Reducing Landfill Waste 25 Things You Can Do to Reduce Pollution (with infographic)  

Mediterranean Environmental Learning – Free online training courses

Several self paced online training courses are available in this catalogue thanks to MIO-ECSDE.  You just have to sign up for free and choose the courses you wish to do. Catalogue includes various topics such as marine litter,  odour pollution, wetlands, waste management, pollutants, waste water…

21 useful tips to save energy in summer

If you’re one of the many people who transitioned to flexible or full-time work from home, you may have noticed your energy bills creeping up… Here are some COVID energy-saving tips which may apply always actually. Many of us have been mostly cooped up inside our homes. This has resulted in higher spending on gas and electricity, particularly during the height of lockdown. Here are some tips to save water and energy in the house all through the year actually.  Some may not apply for you but others certainly will.

Creating the Best At-Home Composting System

With landfills filling up and this planet crying for help, there’s no better time than now to start giving back to Mother Earth. One great way is to start a home composting system. Instead of pitching your kitchen waste in the garbage can and forgetting about it, why not recycle it into soil for your yard? You’ll reduce the amount of landfill waste and turn that biodegradable waste into nutrient-rich compost that you can use as free fertilizer for your garden or flowerbeds. It’s like turning your garbage into gold. Composting isn’t just for serious gardeners anymore. We have some great tips to get you started on your own easy, at-home composting routine. Composting is not only an eco-friendly family project, but it also reduces your carbon footprint. Composting isn’t complicated, and your plants – and the Earth – will thank you. for more info follow the link below…

18+1 IDEAS FOR ACTIVITIES WITH STUDENTS ON PLASTIC WASTE

This new educational material for students (in English and Greek) promotes the minimisation of single use plastics and the proper recycling in our lives. The material is produced in the framework of the MEdIES project “Plastic waste? Into the blue bin, away from the blue sea”,  and is designed to be used by students aged 10-12 years old. It aims to raise awareness on the state and impact of marine litter, especially single-use plastics, as well as on proper recycling, and to motivate a behaviour shift at a household, school and community level. The material comes to support the educational interventions of MEdIES in schools (designed for late primary & early secondary level) but it can be used autonomously by schools/teachers working on these issues. It is a 48-page long publication available in PDF. Download the material in the English language from here

EkoSkola Newsletter 1 by St Dorothy’s Senior School, Żebbuġ

We are pleased to announce our first EkoSkola Newsletter, put together by the EkoSkola members under the guidance of their educators. Please download the attached document to view the newsletter. We are very proud of the students’ contribution to this initiative and we hope you enjoy it! The School Leadership Team St Dorothy’s Senior School, Żebbuġ May2021

Outdoor Learning Pack

Take learning outside with this great resource… Learning doesn’t just take place inside, so why not be inspired by this fantastic and comprehensive pack from the Woodland Trust for Scotland, and use the great outdoors as a key teaching tool? Bursting with tips, tools, case studies and lesson plans, this valuable resource contains all sorts of useful ideas for outdoor learning. However, the type of learning described is something quite different from ‘outdoor pursuits’: it’s all about taking your normal everyday curriculum, and teaching it outside. From Wild Art to Word Art, with plenty of Science, English and Maths in there too, these materials will help you get started with learning in the natural environment! Thanks to Woodland Trust Scotland.

How to build a sustainable wardrobe

How to build a sustainable wardrobe is on our minds and it’s easy to see why. According to a report by the EPA, the volume of textile waste in the U.S. alone has increased to 17 million tons. Clothing and shoe waste accounts for 5.8% of this staggering number, and continues to rise. Want to know how to do your part to decrease this waste? Keep reading to learn more about building a more sustainable wardrobe. More information and hints in the link given below…

Our Planet, Our Future

The Teacher’s Hub provided by the European Commission  contains a selection of classroom exercises and relevant materials for the “Causes”, “Impacts” and “Solutions” modules of the interactive site for students “Our planet, our future”. In each section, you’ll find an introduction worksheet, various thematic worksheets and one answer sheet.   Our Planet, Our Future: Fighting Climate Change Together Climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing our world today. Our planet is experiencing significant and accelerated climate change that began over a century ago. This educational tool is developed by the European Commission. It is based on information contained in “Our Planet, Our Future: fighting climate change together”, initially published in 2015 ahead of the Paris climate conference and updated in 2018.

DING DONG – Ready for the Green challenge

As a teacher, you are always looking for new, engaging content to teach. Here is the Ding Dong challenge toolkit, including sustainability tips. Download yours in your language and start the Ding Dong challenge with your pupils: English (EN) български (BG) čeština (CS) dansk (DA) Deutsch (DE) español (ES) eesti (ET) suomi (FI) français (FR) Gaeilge (GA) ελληνικά (EL) hrvatski (HR) magyar (HU) italiano (IT) latviešu (LV) lietuvių (LT) Malti (MT) Nederlands (NL) polski (PL) português (PT) română (RO) svenska (SV) slovenčina(SK) slovenščina (SL)   Resources and materials

Been there together GAME

BEEN THERE TOGETHER is an alternative to mobile games, which pull the player into virtual reality. On the contrary, BTT encourages player’s perception of their surroundings and active participation in society. It helps people… ● create relationships ● train social courage ● leave their virtual bubble ● feel more comfortable in their environment How does it work? Today, more than ever, we need to empower community resilience and group collaboration. Questions and challenges provided by the game point to specific societal issues, stimulate discussion and collaboration. From a fun activity to a tool that allows us to better understand and work with several social problems. LET’S BE THERE TOGETHER and empower communities through collective action!  

Multimedia animation “The impact of our food”

This multimedia animation is a card game in which you have to sort foods according to one criteria among three: the carbon footprint (greenhouse gas emissions), the water use or the land use. Using this game, you will be able to compare the environmental footprint of different common foods. At the end of the game, you can download a pdf file containing all the cards in a printable version to play in offline mode.

Wild Classrooms Workout

Come on!  Work out your wild side! Get your students and children up and moving while teaching them the importance of species and habitats with Wild Classroom’s Work Out Your Wild Side challenge! Enjoy daily exercises tied to fun facts about species found in each of our five habitat-themed weeks. Pick and choose your exercises or complete all five weeks in full. Follow up the challenge by having your students/children complete the reflective writing assignment!

Eco-Hive

ECOHIVE IS THE LARGEST EVER INVESTMENT IN THE WASTE MANAGEMENT SECTOR THAT WILL DRIVE MALTA TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY. Similar to the dual role of bees both as pollinators for flowers, fruits and vegetables, and as honey producers, this project will process waste in the most sustainable and resource-efficient way possible while also turning it into precious resources – energy and agricultural compost. Hence, the name ECOHIVE. “ECO” ties to the environment and sustainability, while “HIVE” reminds us of a beehive, constantly active and buzzing with energy. Four new waste management plants will form part of the ECOHIVE project. ECOHIVE KIDS is the section dedicated to students.  Make the most of it!  There are lots of resources and ideas… Have you ever wondered what happens to the things that we throw away each day? Where do they end up? You might be the one in charge of taking the rubbish bag outside your door…but what happens to it after it is collected by the garbage truck? It comes to us! As WasteServ, all waste is processed, treated and turned into resources at the complex facilities. To help us in our mission,  the help of Commander Yellow and General Buzz have been engaged. With fierce determination and focus, our superheroes are committed to fight the Garbage Monster. Read their stories to find out how!

Trash Hack Campaign

Trash Hacks are small actions to reduce waste which can lead to big ideas for the planet. Join UNESCO to Trash Hack your life, neighbourhood and the world with Education for Sustainable Development. Be part of the solution When it comes to tackling the world’s waste, it can be hard to know where to start. But by making small changes to your life, you can reduce your negative impact, increase your understanding and start to see how you can be part of transforming the world. Trash Hacks will be different for each person, depending on their lifestyle, location and situation. Start by asking yourself: how can I Trash Hack my life? Look for ways you can start to act in your life by asking questions like: how much trash do I use? Where does my waste go? Where does the trash in my neighbourhood come from? More details and resources below…  

Our Planet series and related educational material

“There can be no greater legacy than giving young people the tools they need to save our planet.” Sir David Attenborough One Planet, Our Planet The habitats that make up our planet are connected and reliant upon each other. The astonishing diversity of life on earth depends on these global connections. Frozen Worlds Our poles are some of the earth’s last remaining wildernesses. And yet just as we are beginning to understand these extraordinary places, they are changing fast. and much more… Explore the links below and material found in them.

Toolkit for Young Climate Activists

Created by young people who are concerned about our planet´s situation and who, as activists, have faced many challenges when advocating and taking action. Its goal is to share clear, concise, easily understandable information that describes the course that global, regional and national climate action is taking, in order to prepare young people for full and informed participation. The five booklets interrelate and are designed so that you can read them in succession and progressively deepen your knowledge of each of the topics. You can also consult them independently, according to your needs. You can download any of the 5 available booklets, available: 1) Tools for climate action 2) What is climate governance 3) Climate Glossary for young people 4) The Pars Agreement for young people 5) Escazy Agreement for young people

ESD for 2030 Toolbox

The ESD for 2030 roadmap sets out the urgent challenges facing the planet and underlines the implementation of the new Education for Sustainable Development: Towards achieving the SDGs (ESD for 2030) framework, which aims to increase the contribution of education to building a more just and sustainable world. The ESD for 2030 roadmap outlines actions in five priority action areas on policy, learning environments, building capacities of educators, youth and local level action, stressing further ESD’s key role for the successful achievement of the 17 SDGs and the great individual and societal transformation required to address the urgent sustainability challenges. It also underlines six key areas of implementation: country initiatives on ESD for 2030, ESD for 2030 Network, communication and advocacy, tracking issues and trends, mobilizing resources, and monitoring the progress. To complement the ESD for 2030 roadmap, UNESCO has developed this ESD for 2030 toolbox to provide an evolving set of selected resources to support Member States, regional and global stakeholders to develop activities in the five priority action areas and activities in support of the six key areas of implementation. For further information and suggestions, please contact [email protected]

A Student’s Guide to Conservation and Environmental Science

What is Environmental Science? The term ‘environmental science’ is the academic study of the environment. Environmental science studies include the biological and physical effects on the earth from both natural and natural processes. The environmental science field can include topics of studies such as zoology, oceanography soil science, biology, and plant science, atmospheric science, geology, mineralogy, and so much more. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences – For Students Learning and Teaching about the Environment – US EPA The Environment and Environmental Sciences The GLOBE Program Environmental Science Lessons – TED-ED Earth & Environment Classroom Resources Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides, and Online Environmental Resources for Educators Environmental Education Lesson Plans Lessons – Kids Environmental Sciences What is Environmental Conservation and why is it important? ‘Environmental conservation’ refers to the practice of protecting the earth’s natural environment through organizations, governments, and personal actions by individuals. The study of environmental conservation is so important because it enlightens us as to what we need to do to conserve our planet and resources. As the years go on, the growth of the human population has degraded our ecosystems and has depleted our natural resources. Our earth can only sustain us for so long. Environment America – Conservation Conservation: History and Future National Geographic: Conservation Climate and Environment – US Department of State Conservation & Preservation Conservation, Preservation, and Environmental Activism: A Survey of the Historical Literature Natural Resource Conservation Information United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Forest Conservation & Environmental Awareness Wildlife Conservation Forest Conservation: 14 facts you need to know What is soil conservation? World Wildlife Fund: Forest Initiatives Wildlife Conservation Society Conservation Science Wildlife Conservation Network The Conservation Fund Library of Congress: American Memory Timeline – Conservation in the Progressive Era Global Wildlife Conservation About Soil Conservation Benefits Smithsonian’s Conservation Ecology Center Water Conservation Information Did you know?: On average in America, each household uses over 300 gallons of water every day! That’s a lot of water! It’s important to conserve our earth’s natural resources. Water is wasted every day. (Per capita water use: How much water do you use in your home?) Here are some tips and informative websites to help you conserve water: User low-flow water heads on the fixtures throughout your home. Only water your lawn when it needs it. Consider getting a rain barrel for outdoor water use! Saving Water Outdoors 10 Tips for Outdoor Water Conservation Fix all water leaks throughout your home. These small drips can add up! Water Conservation Tips Water Conservation Stop Water Waste Dishwashers save water! Purchase new dishwashers with the Energy Star label to ensure your conserve the most water possible. Water Conservation Tips Water Conservation and Rebates Water Conservation in the Home Replace older toilets with newer, water-saving models. Water conservation tips for both in – and outside of the home Don’t wash your car at home: Commercial car washes are water-efficient and waste much less water. How To Save Water Information on Conserving Energy Conserving Energy in Your Home: Consider solar …

WWF Magazine

World Wildlife magazine provides an inspiring, in-depth look at the connections between animals, people and our planet. Published quarterly by WWF, the magazine helps make you a part of our efforts to solve some of the most pressing issues facing the natural world.

Understanding Food and Climate Change – An Interactive Guide

Understanding Food and Climate Change: An Interactive Guide explores the links between what we grow, eat, and throw away, and the impact of climate change. But why explore the relationships between food and climate change? Because food is an essential human need and offers the potential for personalizing climate change. Food production depends on natural resources that are linked to climate and weather. Understanding the global food system can help your students comprehend how personal choices about food can impact climate change. By talking about food, we can demonstrate why climate change matters to all of us. The link below leads to an interactive e-book with loads of information and activities. The Center for Ecoliteracy offers a no-cost suite of digital education resources that explore the fundamental relationships between climate change and the food systems that sustain human life. These publications consider the potential for food systems-oriented climate change mitigation and adaptation. The first two resources in the suite are Understanding Food and Climate Change: An Interactive Guide and Understanding Food and Climate Change: A Systems Perspective. Understanding Food and Climate Change: An Interactive Guide incorporates text, video, photography, and an array of interactive experiences to deliver climate science alongside multicultural, interdisciplinary viewpoints. Its aim is to promote awareness and understanding of global climate issues, their intersection with food systems, and promising strategies for addressing climate change. This resource includes suggested activities and connections to both the Next Generation Science Standards and the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies Thematic Strands. The companion publication, Understanding Food and Climate Change: A Systems Perspective, is a collection of essays that addresses topics that educators will encounter when teaching about food and climate change. These essays offer subjects for class discussion or student research and provide extensive resources for further investigation. This resource applies systems thinking to inspire readers to think in terms of systems, both human and natural. Used together, these publications serve as a strong foundation for developing and deepening our understanding of how we interact with nature. They are valuable resources for anyone engaged in shaping a more positive future. Copyright © 2018 Center for Ecoliteracy 2150 Allston Way, Suite 270 Berkeley, CA 94704-1377

Nature for all Discovery Zone

Welcome to the #NatureForAll Discovery Zone. Curated from #NatureForAll partner resources, and ranging from videos to lesson plans, comic books to coloring books, this collection will help you connect people with nature, instill love of nature and learn about nature wherever you are. Refer to the link below for loads of online resources where you can browse hundreds of partner resources, from comic books to lesson plans. and a Conversation Space – A unique online platform allowing you to interact with nature enthusiasts interested in connecting people with nature.

Earth School

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, an unprecedented coalition has come together to launch “Earth School,” which provides free, high-quality educational content to help students, parents and teachers around the world who are currently at home. Initiated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and TED-Ed, Earth School takes students on a 30-day “Adventure” through the natural world. The curated Earth School content features videos, reading materials and activities — which will be translated into 10 languages — to help students gain an understanding of the environment while considering their role within it. This is the biggest online learning initiative in UNEP’s history and is available for free on TED-Ed’s website.

20 Ways To Go Green At Work

Throughout recent years, more and more people have sought to adapt their domestic lives in order to “go green”. Measures such as reducing home water waste, reducing energy consumption, and opting to buy local produce all have a role to play in helping the environment and have been readily adopted by millions of people. However, while domestic adoption of “green” tactics has been accepted, many businesses have struggled to find ways to “go green” in their business environments. In an effort to remedy this issue, below, we have put together 20 easily-implemented ideas that can help you to bolster your environmentally-friendly activities in the workplace.

8 Ways to Go Green With Your Car

In the modern era, it is not just a fad to go green with your vehicles rather it is a need of the hour. Considering the levels of pollution that are rising remarkably around the surface of earth, we need to ensure that we do our best to reduce it. There are certain things that we cannot control on personal level. However, the small practices such as going green with the car and trying to reduce pollution are a few things we can do to make a positive contribution towards safeguarding our environment. A few simple steps can help you in ascertaining that your car is safe with the environment point of view: Ensure the Regular Servicing of the Vehicle Time to time servicing of the car has many benefits to it. First and foremost it makes your car efficient in terms of fuel as well as performance. Since the fuel efficiency means less wastage, it ensures the vehicle is environment friendly and doesn’t cause much pollution. The servicing of the car should be done at regular intervals. We sometimes try to save time and money by skipping the servicing schedule. However, our little timely efforts will make significant difference to the cleanliness of environment we breathe in. The servicing includes- checking the performance of the car engine, the condition of its tyres, the changing of oil, oil filter and air filters etc. Dispose of the Wastage Properly Cars do have their own wastage that needs to be controlled and disposed of in an efficient manner. The old tyres and batteries are often seen lying here and there around the garages and road sides. If one takes care of their duty as a responsible citizen of the society, it will be possible to keep our surroundings clean and green. Use CNG Instead of Petrol and Diesel Although most of the car manufacturing companies have started making vehicles that mostly run on gas. It not only saves the environment from getting polluted but also saves a lot on our monthly expenses. Filling up your fuel tank with the gasoline is much economical as compared to petrol or diesel. Therefore, try to avoid buying the car that runs on petrol or diesel. These fuel oils release carbon components in the air due to combustion. Such vehicle pollution is one of the major contributors in the heightened pollution levels around earth surface. Drive with patience. Slow accelerating can save you lots of fuel and this will increase the mileage. Support the Eco-Friendly Moves by Your Government The governing bodies in a few countries have adopted some proactive measures to control the vehicle pollution. It sometimes causes minor inconveniences to the civilians such as odd and even schemes, “no vehicle day” celebrations, promoting of public transport etc. If the government in your country is taking some solid steps to control the pollution, try to follow them. It may be inconvenient for the moment but it is extremely beneficial for our environment. Initiate Car-Pooling Car-pooling is one of …

Eco-friendly gardens: 7 ways you can help protect the environment with self-sustaining gardening habits.

If you’re looking for a fun outdoor project this spring, planting and taking care of an eco-friendly garden is a great choice. It’s a fulfilling activity that helps you enjoy nature while staying mindful about your environmental impact, and it’s an ideal way to add beauty to your property. There are even more benefits to eco-friendly gardening if you choose to grow vegetables and herbs, as you can use them in delicious, home-cooked meals. You’ll have peace of mind knowing the food you’re using is organic—and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you grew the plants yourself. Ready to do your own eco-friendly gardening? Here are seven tips to help you get started.

4 Easy, Affordable Ideas for Creating a Water-Friendly Garden

Whether you’re worried about the impact of climate change on future generations or you simply want to save on your monthly utility bill, a water-friendly yard is a great way to reduce your consumption of one of the planet’s most valuable resources. That’s because there are plenty of easy, inexpensive ways to create and maintain a lawn and landscape that require less water. Here are four ideas to help you get started.

My Green Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to an Eco-Friendly Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in any home. It’s often the beating heart of a household, where people eat, socialize, relax, and congregate. With such a vital role, it should come as no surprise that your choices, knowingly or not, can have an environmental impact. More and more people are making efforts to ‘go green’ at home. By this, we mean making conscious efforts to make their home more eco-friendly. There are many reasons to so; it’s good for the environment, it can save you money, and it can have positive impacts on your health. From recycling to switching to energy-efficient appliances, you can make your kitchen a sustainable place by implementing a few simple changes. Make your kitchen greener and eco-friendly with a few simple steps. If you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, you can choose more efficient ways of running your kitchen. Similarly, if you’re hoping to lead a healthier lifestyle, you can opt to remove toxins from your home. Finally, if you want to reduce your bills and save money, the kitchen is a great place to start. In this article, we cover the details of all three. Ultimately, you, your family, your finances, and the environment can all benefit from going green in the kitchen. The fact you’re even reading this article shows that you’re willing to at least consider it, which is a great start. Stick with us as we outline how you can overhaul your kitchen to be an eco-friendly hub in your home.

20 Things You Can do to Conserve Energy

Whenever you save energy, you not only save money, you also reduce the demand for such fossil fuels as coal, oil, and natural gas. Less burning of fossil fuels also means lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary contributor to global warming, and other pollutants. You do not have to do without to achieve these savings. There is now an energy efficient alternative for almost every kind of appliance or light fixture. That means that consumers have a real choice and the power to change their energy use on a revolutionary scale. The average American produces about 40,000 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. Together, we use nearly a million dollars worth of energy every minute, night and day, every day of the year. By exercising even a few of the following steps, you can cut your annual emissions by thousands of pounds and your energy bills by a significant amount! Read more below…

Turn Your House Into A “Green” Energy Machine

Renewable energy is energy that is replenished by nature itself. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable power sources will never be exhausted. This form of energy is also known as “green energy” because it can usually be harnessed without creating lasting harm to the planet. Rather, people can use it in a way that is completely in harmony with nature. Green energy normally produces little pollution, so even larger energy-producing operations can have limited environmental impact. For all these reasons, green power is also called “alternative energy” — an alternative to fossil fuels. Some examples of green power include wind, solar, and geothermal. One of the reasons people might integrate renewable energy into their homes is to reduce their carbon footprint. The carbon footprint is a measure of how much carbon dioxide a household contributes to the atmosphere. Scientists who study climate have come to a consensus that the rising concentration of carbon dioxide and other “greenhouse gases” in the atmosphere is associated with higher average temperatures on Earth. These gases work to trap solar radiation within the atmosphere, thus influencing how much heat from the sun becomes locked up in Earth’s vicinity and affects the planet’s surface. Read more in the link below…

How Does Eating Meat Impact Your Water Footprint?

You care about the world’s precious water resources: you turn off the faucet when you’re brushing your teeth and you definitely don’t take twenty-minute long showers. While these acts, along with the use of appliances that save water like toilets and shower heads, are fantastic ways to conserve water … if you really want to make a difference with water conservation, then there is a bigger piece of the puzzle to consider. Every food and beverage product we consume: from soda to pineapples to cheese crackers and pork chops, etc. requires water for its production. Obviously, fruits and veggies need water. That’s a given, but surprisingly, there is another group of foods that is the biggest water guzzler of them all and that is animal products. Meat, dairy, and eggs require more water to “produce” than any other food out there.

Questions & Answers About Drought & Water Conservation in Plant and Tree Care

Through these questions and answers one will find guidelines on how to use less water and keep your plants and trees alive.  though based in California hints are valid for all. Obviously,  it all depends on the type of trees and plants you have.  Ideally you grow indigenous plants and trees since they need the least water depending on the country.

Self-sustaining gardening habits

If you’re looking for a fun outdoor project this spring, planting and taking care of an eco-friendly garden is a great choice. It’s a fulfilling activity that helps you enjoy nature while staying mindful about your environmental impact, and it’s an ideal way to add beauty to your property. There are even more benefits to eco-friendly gardening if you choose to grow vegetables and herbs, as you can use them in delicious, home-cooked meals. You’ll have peace of mind knowing the food you’re using is organic—and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you grew the plants yourself. Ready to do your own eco-friendly gardening? Here are seven tips to help you get started.

Creating a Water-Friendly Garden/Yard

Whether you’re worried about the impact of climate change on future generations or you simply want to save on your monthly utility bill, a water-friendly yard is a great way to reduce your consumption of one of the planet’s most valuable resources. That’s because there are plenty of easy, inexpensive ways to create and maintain a lawn and landscape that require less water. Here are four ideas to help you get started.

My Green Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to an Eco-Friendly Kitchen

Why Go Green in the Kitchen?   The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in any home. It’s often the beating heart of a household, where people eat, socialize, relax, and congregate. With such a vital role, it should come as no surprise that your choices, knowingly or not, can have an environmental impact. More and more people are making efforts to ‘go green’ at home. By this, we mean making conscious efforts to make their home more eco-friendly. There are many reasons to so; it’s good for the environment, it can save you money, and it can have positive impacts on your health. From recycling to switching to energy-efficient appliances, you can make your kitchen a sustainable place by implementing a few simple changes.

Heat Wave Safety

Learn how to stay safe during a heat wave and how to treat heat-related illness like heat exhaustion. In recent years, excessive heat has caused more deaths than all other weather events, including floods. A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessive heat, generally 10 degrees or more above average, often combined with excessive humidity. read more in the link below

EkoSkola Newsletter – St Michael School, Santa Venera – Ħarġa 21

Environment and school initiatives: Issue 83

Find here a variety of tools and ideas – which may support your own daily work for ESD.

Composting for kids

Read an explanation of composting as well as step-by-step guides to creating a composting bin and how to use the compost as mulch. This site was suggested by Peyton Vogel and her friends.

Not Just Numbers

Not Just Numbers is a complete teachers’ toolkit about asylum and migration in Europe. The kit was developed in 2009 by UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with funding provided by the European Commission. Materials available A teachers’ manual explaining the main facts and definitions on asylum and migration in Europe, and a step by step explanation of a few class exercises. A series of video portraits of migrants and refugees available online via the links below and on a DVD. Video of Iranian refugee Rean Video of Kosovo refugee Adelina Video of Congolese migrant Doré Video of Italian migrant worker Tino Video of Mexican skilled workers Veronica and Alfredo A two minute video exercise without subtitles showing migrants and refugees arriving in a boat on the sea. A set of photos for use in a photo exercise. Download as pdfs: Photo 1; Photo 2; Photo 3; Photo 4; Photo 5; Photo 6; Photo 7 All material also available in Maltese and various other languages.

Letter to Students from Bishop Grech on the Occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Bishop Mario Grech wrote a letter to children about the Environment on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which Pope Francis wishes to be celebrated by the Catholic Church, in communion with the Orthodox Church, on the 1st of September starting from this year.

Mediterrenean Trends: Uses and resources of the sea around us

MedTrends is an EU project, funded by Programme Med 2007-2013, aims at illustrating and mapping the most likely integrated scenarios of marine economic growth at a transnational level in the Med-EU countries for the next 20 years

Song: Sustainable is Possible…

Eco-Schools are using this song to promote sustainability and the Eco-Schools Programme through a music video. You can use the lyrics , song and perhaps even record your own music video.

Consumer Classroom – also in Maltese…

Consumer Classroom is a new collaborative website for teachers about consumer education. It provides free, high quality resources for teachers along with interactive and collaborative tools to help teachers prepare lesson plans to share with students and other teachers from across the EU. Sign Up now on www.ConsumerClassroom.eu

Awareness on Hunger in countries

A highlight video from Sesame Street’s newest primetime special, Growing Hope Against Hunger.

Eco-Schools National Operators’ Meeting 2012

Nature Trust Malta is proud to have hosted the Annual Eco-Schools National Operators Meeting held in November 2012.  Representatives from around 50 countries participating in the Eco-Schools Programme attended.

EkoSkola f’Tagħna t-Tfal – Ġunju 2013

F’din il-ħarġa insibu sora f’forma ta’ diskussjoni bejn naħla u żunżana…  Kif għandna nġibu ruħna meta naraw naħal jew żunżan???

EkoSkola f’Tagħna t-Tfal – April 2013

Din il-ħarġa tippreżentalna diskussjoni ħelwa bejn siġra, vann u jidhol ukoll għasfur.  Ejjew naraw x’għandhom xi jgħidulna….

The Enviromental Effects of Smoking

What are cigarettes made up from?… Air pollution from cigarette smoke… Cigarette related littering… Tobacco hurts people and their environment… Cigarette filters – silent killers… want to learn more?  Download the PDF document given below.  You will find more information and links about the topic.

Damage done by Balloon Releases…

What is wrong with balloon releases?
Organizations, communities, families and individuals from all over the world release millions of helium filled balloons into the air each year to celebrate or publicize some special occasion.

Modern Slavery – Sweat Shops

As some corporations and industries of famous brands become increasingly
globalized they try to beat the competition and make more profits by doing business with regimes that violate human rights.

LEAF Newsletter – Issue 1

The need to learn about forests goes beyond how green or less green the Maltese islands might or should look to the odd tourist or the keen environmentalist. In essence it is a deeper need to understand the key role forests play for sustainable life on our planet and whether that role is being compromised by the way of life we lead. This newsletter is a first step to start learning about forests.  You are invited to download this newsletter and get to know more about the local situation and issues abroad.

Fonzu l-Fenek – Educational Song

A children’s song in Maltese featuring a day in the life of Fonzu l-Fenek. Kanzunetta bil-Malti għat-tfal dwar ġurnata tipika ta’ Fonzu l-Fenek.

Eco-Year Plan

Eco-Schools Wales have very generously shared a year plan…

The Fair production Video

This FAIR PRODUCTION You Tube video takes you on a journey to Tibetan green workers in the Dalai lama’s hometown of Dharamsala, to weavers and artisans at leprosy colonies in Nepal, to coffee plantations in El Salvador and Maya Cooperatives in Guatemala.

Videos – stunning galaxy of marine wildlife around the Maltese Islands- PANACEA

Deep within Malta’s blue sea lies a galaxy of marine wildlife coming in all shapes, sizes and colours, or so we’re told. For despite the rich heritage, most Maltese know little of the underwater world encircling the island’s 300-kilometre coastline.

The Earth Dog Story – Earth Dog returns to Save the Environment

The Earth Dog Story, first published in 1992, returns as an app in iTunes and an eBook as part of the U.S. Department of Energy environmental outreach program with Weekly Reader. Earth Dog is a superhero who teaches kids about taking care of the environment.

Show you care, do your share!

The St Monica Gzira Primary EkoSkola Committee prepared a video as part of a campaign with the title: “Show you care, do your share.” The campaign was planned as part of the U4energy competition category C.

Earth Preservers Website

Earth Preservers is an environmental news and information website for kids that relates the environment to a wide-range of current events and topics. Resources include short films and documentaries, interactive quizzes, classroom resources, poll questions, and a monthly newsletter.

Tar Creek

This video tells the incredible story of the Tar Creek Superfund site in NE Oklahoma and the massive and deadly remains left by the lead and zinc mines there.

Take 2: The Student’s Point of View

The Take2 Youth Media Program takes advantage of today’s youthful fascination with technology to motivate active learning in environmental science, English, and media literacy. Working individually or collaborating in teams, students create short documentaries or public service announcements that are designed to inform, entertain, or advocate on issues illustrated by the footage provided.

School Compost Programs: Pathways to Success

By Kary Schumpert and Cyndra Dietz, Eco-Cycle This article describes how composting can help schools achieve zero waste and provides the how, why, and steps to follow. After the oft-repeated three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) comes the lesser known, but equally important fourth R, rot, for compost. There are a number of methods that a classroom, school or school district may use for establishing a compost program. The finished product is a valuable soil amendment, adding fertility to local farms, school gardens or classroom plantings. What must be kept out of compost is as important as what should go in. However, much of a school’s waste stream that is not recyclable, and is organic, can be composted. ..

Online Environmental Educational & Education for Sustainable Development Newsletter

This new online resource, Research, Sustainability, and Learning: “Bridging the gap between science and the practice of learning for nature, the environment and sustainability,” will present environmental education and education for sustainable development research being done worldwide.

Teaching in Nature

In this project, teachers from primary and secondary schools across a range of subject areas used collaborative action enquiry to plan and execute pupil excursions to local outdoor natural areas. The outdoor areas visited were designated National Nature Reserves (or other local wild places such as areas of Special Scientific Interest). Teachers were entirely free to try any approach they wish. Each group of teacher-researchers worked closely together, sometimes using a theme or focal topic, to visit their site to conduct planning and to design their class visits. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) staff members acted as guides and also advised on where to find local knowledge about the place. Funds were made available to cover for teachers while they engage in planning / attending workshops. Staff of the University of Stirling and the teacher researchers collected a range of evidence of the activities undertaken. Some of these are on the website in the form of video, audio, pupils’ work and teachers’ plans and commentaries.

Play, naturally: A review of children´s natural play

The authors provide an extensive review of the literature related to children’s natural play. They begin by examining the human relationship with the natural world and the importance of play and direct interaction with the physical environment to children.

Nab the Aquatic Invader!

Nab the Aquatic Invader! is a fun way to learn about aquatic invaders. By using this site you can check out lots of unusual species that create real problems in the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf, and Great Lakes regions. There are many ways that this site can help you with your class projects. By doing the activities and playing the games on this site, you will learn about nature and be inspired to help the environment by “nabbing” these pesky critters and seeing that you can make a difference. You may want to start out at your grade level, but if you are a “junior detective” don’t be afraid to take the “super sleuth” challenge. And, if you are in the higher grades, feel free to check out the “junior detective” case file activities.

What is Fairtrade ?

Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.

Games Page on the United States Environmental Protection Agency

This webpage contains links to loads of games, videos and quizzes related to the environment, energy, water, mystery solving, science, recycling, waste and much more…

EPA United States Environmental Agency

This webistes provides loads of resources, games, news and info to students, teachers and parents. Topics included are climate change, sustainable energy, Earth Day, science experiments, environmental games

Friends Environmental Education Network (FEEN)

In 1999, a group of educators from Friends schools began the Friends Environmental Education Network (FEEN) to further environmental stewardship and green practices in schools. Since then, FEEN share ideas, inspiration, and friendship. FEEN participants firmly believe that a commitment to sustainable living and environmental stewardship needs to be a fundamental component of a Quaker education. This website provides input about various green practices, projects, etc all realted to nature, environment, food, green buildings & spaces, etc.

Let’s Go Chipper Ambassadors

Let’s Go Chipper is a website which provides award-winning educational APPS, books, movies and music that connect children with nature and the great outdoors! When is the last time you heard a parent say, “Go out and play.” With a wink to childhood and a mission to reconnect children and families with nature, the Let’s Go Chipper!TM series excites all back into the great outdoors. The nature inspired stories are eco-educational and correlated to national academic standards in arts and literature, science, and social skills.

Electronic Field Trip…

National Park Foundation provides the opportunity to experience various electronic fieldtrips. Past electronic field trips include the Sea Change, the Climate Challenge, Exploring Nature’s Plumbing System, and various others.  

Butterflies & Bulldozers

Butterflies & Bulldozers is a story about the rights of nature and the rights of people, compromise and commitment, and the tough choices we all have to make.

Interactive Earth Science Animations

These educational animations contain text, graphics, and video links on earthquakes, volcanoes, and earth structure. Produced by Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

The Fish Game by The Cloud Institute for Sustainability

This online game is designed to teach sustainability by demonstrating the problems overfishing can cause. Players fish for 10 days, earning money for each fish, along with other people doing the same. They learn the rate that the lake restocks the fish population over the 10-day period and how to balance that with their own needs as well as having to consider what impact others are having on the fish population.

Burning in the Sun

Burning in the Sun, an inspirational documentary featuring a young West African man who starts a business building solar panels from scratch and selling them to rural customers in Mali. Addressing climate change, poverty, and self-sufficiency, the film demonstrates how a small-scale, local business model can provide jobs, appropriate technology, and empowerment to people everywhere.

Film: White Water, Black Gold

White Water, Black Gold follows David Lavallee on his three-year journey across Western Canada in search of the truth about the impact of the world’s thirstiest oil industry.

Sustainable Schools Project Kits and Guides

Shelburne Farms’ Sustainable Schools Project has released three new resources in celebration of National Education for Sustainability Week. All of these resources are available as free downloads from the Sustainable Schools Project Website.

EkoSkola f’Tagħna t-Tfal – Novembru 2011

The November issue is aimed to attract attention towards the consumption of local food as compared to imported food and the food miles involved. It-tieni episodju jattira l-attenzjoni dwar il-konsum ta’ ikel lokali u kemm ikel impurtat jinvolvi konsum ta’ riżorsi biex jasal Malta.

Education for Sustainable Development in the National Curriculum Framework

How does ESD feature in the NCF? How can it be integrated?  What is sustainable development?  Replies to all this and more in the prsentation available for download below.  Presentation produced by Prof Paul Pace.

EkoSkola f’Tagħna t-Tfal – Ottubru 2011

Mr Johann Gatt, EkoSkola Coordinator is contributing to Tagħna t-Tfal with short stories about eco-issues… this is the first in line introducing EkoSkola and encouraging the use of lunchboxes instead of using plastic bags, foil or paper to wrap lunches in. Is-Sur Johann Gatt, Koordinatur ta’ EkoSkola qed jagħti kontribut fil-publikazzjoni Tagħna t-Tfal permezz ta’ stejjer qosra li ppjanati li jqajjmu nteress dwar kunċetti ambjentali fost it-tfal… din hija l-ewwel ħarġa li tintroduċi EkoSkola u tqajjem kuxjenza dwar skart li jirriżulta minn ippakjar ta’ ikel flok ma tintuża lunch box.

Eko-Kif? – Dokumentarju ta’ Kulleġġ Sta Tereza, Skola Primarja Sta Venera

EkoKif? is a 19 minute plus documentary produced in Mlatese by the students of St Theresa College of St Venera about the importance of an ECO-Friendly Life with the students themselves proposing  ways to reduce electricity and water consumption.  

National Curriculum Framework 2011 for Malta

Details about the National Curriculum Framework, explanatory videos, feedback forms, questionnaires, information booklets and fliers, contacts and the consultation documents (5) – Towards a Quality Education for All – The National Curriculum framework 2011 can all be accessed and dowloaded from the link

Tips how to go green and save money at the same time.

Short video with tips – for older students. Produced by Howcast. Protecting the environment will make you feel virtuous and put some extra money in your pocket. To complete this How-To you will need: Time, Effort, A willingness to be slightly inconvenienced.

Energy Cartoons – tips towards saving

A family is carelessly and unknowingly wasting energy from the moment they wake up. Until something unexpectely happens… Produced by Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign, an initiative of the European Commission.

Some ideas to make your own eco-songs using tunes from popular songs & rhymes

Here are some links showing how other schools made up their own eco-song.

Heal the world – Song by Michael Jackson

Music and lyrics of the song Heal the World

Earth Song – Michael Jackson

Music video by Michael Jackson performing Earth Song. © 1995 MJJ Productions Inc. Lyrics of the song are in a separate weblink and provided as word document.

Waking up – video by the GAIA foundation

A man wakes up from a nightmare of a forest in destruction. As he stirs other visions flash before his eyes with his early morning actions. Frustration and anger turn to calm realisation as he slowly wakes up to the fact that his daily actions are connected to the world around him.

The story of stuff

Where do things we buy come from? How are they produced? Where do they go when we throw them away? That’s the story of stuff… Also there’s the story of bottled water, the story of electronics and the story of cosmetics…

Climate change and lifestyles guidebook for youths

Loads of information, activity ideas, tips, online resources and case studies about climate change – considering the food we eat, things we buy, transport, energy, third world countries, water, jobs, lifestyle, good life, leisure and entertainment and above all ways to take action.  All this is available in the UNESCO produced downloadable pdf Guidebook.

Food miles – where does the food we eat come from?

Food miles are a way of attempting to measure how far food has travelled before it reaches the consumer. It is a good way of looking at the environmental impact of foods and their ingredients. It includes getting foods to you, but also getting waste foods away from you, and to the landfill! It is time to think about where your food has come from and what environmental effects this has had.

HOME The movie – a changing world

With aerial footage from 54 countries, the film HOME shows how the Earth’s problems are all connected. It shows how in the past 50 years – one single lifetime – the Earth has been more radically changed than by all previous generations of humanity. A film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Our future is how we make it – u @ 50 – an amazing palindrome

This is only a 1 minute, 44 second video and it is brilliant.   Make sure you read as well as listen…forward and backward. This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old.   The contest was titled “u @ 50”  by  AARP. This video won second place. When they showed it, everyone in the room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause.  So simple and yet so brilliant. Take 2 minutes and watch it.

26 minute video about renewable energy

11 year olds speak about global warming, sources of carbon dioxide, wind power, solar power, tidal power, electric cars, hybrid cars, food miles…

Swimming for survival – Turtles

Loads of information, photos and games – all about turtles…

National Geographic Kids Website

Loads of information, videos, fun and games from National Geographic especialy for kids (all ages!)…

Incorporating Environmental Education into the Primary School Curriculum: a Teacher’s Manual

The following pages are extracts from a manual produced by the Faculty of Education in February 1991 to implement a pilot project on the incorporation of environmental education (EE) into primary teacher education. The project was under the auspices of UNESCO.

Resource for schools from WWF

The WWF and BT Green Ambassadors scheme aims to encourage a new generation of sustainability champions. It provides everything you’ll need to set up and reinvigorate your schools’ green team. With free kits for every team member, team kit and online teacher’s handbook, and a comprehensive website, you will have everything you need

How Green is My Town?

How Green is My Town?” is a grassroots effort to empower citizens and local decision makers to address the issues of climate change, sustainability, and environmental health at the local level.

Earth Day Network

Teach about the history of the environmental movement with Earth Day Network’s newest curriculum unit. This online resource for all ages and users provides lesson plans, activity ideas, and digital multimedia resources for the classroom. http://www.earthday.org

Film About Environmental Education

A Simple Question explores the remarkable STRAW Program — a collaboration among elementary school students, ranchers, government agencies, and environmental professionals to restore habitat and save the endangered California freshwater shrimp.

Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood

Just as more attention is being focused on the need to connect students to nature at a younger age, PLT has published a new curriculum guide and music CD to engage children ages three to six in outdoor exploration and play. Eleven field-tested, hands-on activities showcase over 130 “early childhood experiences”

NASA Gives Kids Their Own Guide to Climate Change

NASAs new Climate Kids Web site, targeting grades 4-6, de-mystifies global climate change science using simple illustrations, humor, interactivity, and age-appropriate language. The interactive Climate Time Machine shows how global changes affect our planet over time.

Sea Turtle Education Program

SEE Turtles, a non‐profit conservation project, educates and inspires students and adults to take an active role in protecting sea turtles. This school outreach program includes hands-on educational trips to Costa Rica and Mexico, engaging classroom presentation by sea turtle experts, lesson plans on sea turtle ecology, threats, and more. http://www.seeturtles.org/1350/school-programs.htm…

Film: Big River

Following up on their documentary King Corn, the filmmakers have returned to Iowa to investigate the impact their acre of corn has had on the people and places downstream.

2010 Film Catalogue Released

The Video Project has been distributing independent films on environmental topics for over 25 years. Current films cover sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, species decline, pollution, resource protection and conservation, climate change, and more.

One minute short film – Green Proposals

Lots of green proposals in a one minute film – friends of the Earth Green film.

Innu tal-EkoSkola/EkoSkola Anthem

Gozo College, Xewkija Primary presented Nature Trust Malta with an original song about EkoSkola.  Original music by Mr Ivan Farrugia, words by Mr Mario Borg, both from Xewkija, Gozo.