A letter from our NSW President…
Dear AAEE NSW Members and supporters,
It’s hard to fathom how our world has changed in just the two weeks since I last wrote to many of you in our March Member e-Newsletter. In a matter of weeks, the world’s attention has become single-minded in its focus as countries scramble to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
We’re aware that this situation will have already had, and will continue to have, significant impacts on teachers, families, community educators, government staff and small business owners in our environmental education community. We’re working on ways we can provide valuable support and resources to our members and sustainability educators across the state in these challenging and uncertain times. I will stay in touch as the details of these responses progress.
In the meantime, if you have suggestions for what we could do to support you, we would love to hear them. Additionally, if there is something you can offer in support of others through our networks, we are open to promoting this far and wide. We need to all work together now more than ever.
Operationally, our project teams already work remotely and we have used Zoom effectively for our Executive Committee meetings and project delivery for some years. So, we are well positioned to continue our work to advocate for sustainability education and support the work of educators across the state as this story unfolds.
Our sector is well aware that the climate crisis continues despite this current health emergency, and will remain once we come out on the other side. We’re committed to keeping the urgency of the climate crisis as a priority going forward, as the survival of all species (including us) is dependent on a safe climate.
If you have an update or suggestion to share about how we could face this new landscape together, please contact us to share it with us. We’d love to hear from you and stay connected.
I am thankful today that physical-distancing does not mean nature-deprivation. We need time outside in our natural environment (however we may be able to safely access it) now more than ever.
Warm regards,
Sue Martin
President, AAEE NSW