Sustainability in my Backyard Challenge

Many of us are concerned and want to take action to save our planet. In 2019 you might have been involved in a #FridaysforFuture strike or other climate activism. In 2020, in light of the Coronavirus, Greta Thunberg encourages us to:

“Listen to the science and local rules and guidelines. Prioritise health and safety. (As) striking in public with others may put your health at risk, choose other kinds of climate activism…

Be creative and have fun."

Thanks (for nothing!) to the Coronavirus pandemic, we will all be spending our Easter school holidays “safe at home”. So, we thought, why not start our sustainability initiative right there, in our own backyards?

A challenge for GISS students (of all ages). We invite you to get your ‘creative hats’ on and find
clever, fun or funky ways to answer this question:

What does “Sustainability in my Backyard” mean to you?

What is your “backyard”?

Your “backyard” can be whatever it means to you. Perhaps it’s a literal backyard (behind your house) or a front-yard, or a balcony, or a window-box or a strip of grass in front of your building? Is it your household more generally, including how you shop, cook, recycle, use or save energy? Is it your local area? Such as your street, neighbourhood or local council area. Or is it the whole country?

What should/could I do?

Your answer should take the most creative form that your heart desires or inspires.

Here are a few examples:

Make an art work, take a photo of your garden or on your walk in the bush, create a recipe or a poster

Share your hopes and dreams for the future with a poem, a short story or send a letter to the Editor or an elected representative (e.g. Councillor or MP)

Write a speech or record a video

How to & when?

You have until Friday 1 May (so make good use of the time you have in the school holidays!)
Send your entry (or a photo/scan of your drawing or sculpture or a link to to your video, etc) go into the GISS MS Teams space and request to join the Eco-GISS Team. Once you're in this team you can attach your file or link.
Please include your name (or names - if you work together with siblings or friends) and age(s).

What’s in it for you?

Fame! We plan to curate a showcase of the entries on our Sustainability at GISS page. This
might include links to your work or a video collage of a number of entries. Unless you don't
want us to, we will highlight the name and age of the artist wherever your work is published.

Questions?

Need more information or have a question? Contact us at sustainability@giss.nsw.edu.au

And lastly we would like to add some links and information that we find inspiring, perhaps you will too:

Sign up for a Pinterest account and search for fun projects
Earth Easy is a great resource for anything green and sustainable
As is Cool Australia
There are lots of interesting programmes you can stream for free on SBS Demand
The german TV station ARD has lots to offer too
Do a quiz: The facts about plastic pollution
WDR has 'Die Sendung mit der Maus'
Harvard University is suggesting to watch these movies to inspire sustainability
ZDF Mediathek – Schluss mit Überfluss

Plan B on the German TV station ZDF has lots of interesting episodes

What does “Sustainability in my Backyard” mean to you?

And lastly we would like to add some links and information that we find inspiring, perhaps you will too:

We look forward to hearing from you and seeing what you come up with!

Happy Easter from all of us in the GISS Sustainability Group