A Symposium of Educators and Resource Providers
October 22 to 23, 2010
Recognizing the crucial role of education in developing understanding of biodiversity issues, on October 22 and 23, 2010, BEAN hosted a two-day symposium on biodiversity education. This symposium examined resources and best practices for formal and informal biodiversity programming, and took place across three of Ontario’s biodiversity gems, the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto Zoo and Royal Botanical Gardens, as venues.
Over 100 teachers, non-formal educators, representatives from NGOs, conservation authorities, industry, and government gathered over these two days for a series of workshops and interactive presentations aimed at addressing how biodiversity messages, resources and activities could be incorporated into the formal and non-formal classroom. Participants also learned why biodiversity conservation is a major environmental issue facing our society and the next generation.
Highlights include:
- A videoconferenced presentation by Tim Flannery, author of The Weathermakers
- A live presentation by internationally-renowned wildlife artist, environmentalist and teacher, Robert Bateman.
- A videoconferenced presentation by world-renowned biologist and father of modern biodiversity science, Professor E. O. Wilson
- 18 concurrent presentations from a diverse range of organizations involved in environmental education and conservation
- A presentation by Rick Beaver of Alderville First Nation on Traditional First Nation’s Knowledge and Species at Risk
- A speech by the Minister of Natural Resources, Linda Jeffrey
- Action-oriented workshops on identifying barriers to incorporating biodiversity education in the classroom and strategic approaches to overcome those barriers
- Participant consultation on draft recommendations to strengthen biodiversity education initiatives in Ontario’s Biodiversity Strategy
Please click on the menu items listed on the right side of the page to access presentations and other outcomes of the day.
BEAN would like to acknowledge our platinum-level sponsor for the symposium:
