Eco‐Wise Action Workshops A GUIDE FOR PRESENTERS
Eco‐Wise Action was funded by the Department of Sustainability and Environment
Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 2 Resources provided to run your own workshops............................................................................................... 2 Running the workshops .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Tailoring the workshops to different audiences ................................................................................................ 3 What do you hope to achieve? ............................................................................................................................... 6 Set goals ............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Identify stakeholders.......................................................................................................................................... 6 Review results .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Evaluation of Eco‐Wise Action ................................................................................................................................ 6 Monitoring Questions ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Evaluation Questions.......................................................................................................................................... 7 Example of a final report summary.................................................................................................................... 7 Measuring benefits to the environment ............................................................................................................ 8 Optional Draft Resource Booklet ............................................................................................................................ 8 What next?.............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Getting more involved ............................................................................................................................................ 9 About Environment Victoria............................................................................................................................... 9 Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................................... 9 Feedback and Questions....................................................................................................................................... 10
Introduction
Environment Victoria mobilises people to safeguard our environment. We are a not‐for‐profit non‐ government organisation, and our goal is to get 5 million people to take Green Action. We have put together this free package of workshops ‐‐ on saving energy, saving water, and smart shopping and reducing waste in the home – to make it easy to help Victorians to reduce their environmental impact, while improving the comfort of their homes and cutting costs. We suggest offering four workshops that are 90 minutes to 2 hours long, but any of these workshops can be run on its own, and you can easily add or take away activities from the session plans to adjust the workshop lengths. You could also seek funding to purchase things like weather stripping, so participants can take something home and make changes right away. The Eco‐Wise Action workshops include home checklists with suggestions participants can take, ranging from simple things like blocking draughts to bigger things like replacing bar radiators with more effective heating systems. The package is based on our experiences of delivering Eco‐Wise Action workshops as part of our Regional Sustainable Living Program. The program was made possible through funding from the Victorian Department of Sustainability and the Environment.
Resources provided to run your own workshops
This package includes the following resources: • This Guide for Presenters includes suggestions for offering Energy and Climate, Water, and Smart Shopping and Reducing Waste workshops, as well as a celebration event. It also provides information on tailoring the workshops to different groups and an evaluation guide. • Workshop plans for four 90 minute to two hour workshops (although it would be even better if you could offer the energy workshop over two sessions).
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PowerPoint presentations on Energy and Climate, Water, and Smart Shopping and Reducing Waste. Electronic copies of three information booklets on Energy and Climate, Water, Smart Shopping and Waste, for participants to take away. An optional resource booklet draft for you to adapt and give to participants, with contact details of state and Australia based organisations to make it easier for them to take action. Eco‐Wise Action certificates for participants who attend all workshops and pledge to take Eco‐Wise actions for each of them.
The materials are provided as Word and PowerPoint documents to allow you to change them to reflect local information and the needs of your participants. The presentations and booklets will benefit from being updated with current and local information. You will be pointed to information that requires updating in the workshop plan for each workshop.
Running the workshops
One of the most valuable parts these workshops is providing opportunities for participants to share their stories with each other, so make sure you leave time for the workshops to be interactive. Encourage everybody to speak and acknowledge all contributions as useful. Encourage participants to report back to the group at the celebration event on all the actions (both small and larger) they are taking to become more Eco‐Wise. Where possible pass sustainability products like draught seals around the workshop, so participants can touch them and see how they work.
The suggested sequence of workshops is: 1. Energy and Climate 2. Water 3. Smart Shopping and Waste 4. Celebration Event. You might want to present just one workshop, or to divide one into two workshops, or begin with a topic that’s timely (for example, begin with water in the summer). We suggest you offer the workshops fortnightly or monthly, to give participants time to take action in between them, so they can share. Invite them to share their experiences with others at the next workshop. Tailoring the workshops to different audiences
Where possible, it is always good to tailor your workshops to the group you will be working with. Here are some suggestions. Workshops for seniors and people with disabilities • Put all booklets and handouts into 14 point font and have wide spacing between lines, for people with bad eye sight.
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Use a microphone or a room with a hearing loop, for people with bad hearing. Choose a venue that is accessible for anyone with mobility issues. If you are going to be displaying or giving away sustainability items, make sure these are suitable for your participants, e.g. the text is large enough to read. If you are using low flow showerheads, go for the ones on a long, flexible hose. Promote the ways you are making the workshop more accessible and invite potential participants to contact you to discuss their special needs.
Adapt the content of your workshop to the interests of your participants. Many seniors have grown up being careful not to waste anything and don’t need to be told to save energy by turning off lights, but may not be familiar with newer technology like stand by energy. They might not be directly concerned about climate change, but they do care about their grandchildren’s future, so talking about their grandchildren can be a good way to engage them in environmental issues. Workshops for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities
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Try to use a venue that is regularly used by the by the CALD community. Find a member of the CALD community to promote, lead or assist with workshops and provide some remuneration for doing this. Ask a cultural liaison to help identify concepts that are likely to be unfamiliar to that CALD community and the best way to explain them. Use short familiar words in workshops and booklets and include images and demonstrations. Promote the workshops through community networks, newspapers and radio and cultural and faith networks.
Aim to address issues that your target community cares about. If they’re recently arrived, much of their time and energy may be going to help family back home, so approaching environmental issues in a global context can make them more relevant. Many refugees have experienced drought first‐hand, so this can be a good entry point. It may be easier to attract people to a workshop if it is part of a cultural event which people are attending anyway. Workshops to people living in country Victoria
Participants living in country Victoria are often more self‐sufficient with water, energy and waste than people living in cities. Some won’t be using mains water and will already be familiar with making every drop count. For those using mains water, there might be a range of different water restrictions within a local government area. Participants may not have services such as kerbside recycling or drop off centres for hazardous waste. Avoid running the workshops from January to March, when communities might be focussed on bushfires. Like all adults, they will appreciate it if you become familiar with their circumstances and acknowledge the value of their life experience. Participants may have remnant vegetation on their land and want to know more about enhancing biodiversity. Point them to resources such as the Victoria Landcare Gateway (www.landcarevic.net.au/resources), Trust For Nature (www.trustfornature.org.au) and the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s Land for Wildlife and Bush Tender program (call 136 186).
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Participants might be travelling a long distance to attend workshops – try to facilitate car‐ pooling or more sustainable transport options. These workshops may be an important opportunity to socialise – allow time for participants to chat. Workshops for renters
Renters are limited in the changes they can make to their homes. However they can make a big difference through taking actions like shorter showers and different food purchases. They might even be able to inspire their landlords to take advantage of government rebates and make bigger changes such as installing more efficient water heating. See the Victorian Green Renters’ Guide at www.environmentvictoria.org.au/rentersguide. Workshops for low income earners
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Avoid advertising workshops as being aimed at low income earners, and avoid asking for proof of low income. Try finding local community organisations such as the YMCA who may have good networks and use their networks to promote workshops. Providing free sustainability items (possibly donated by local water and energy companies or businesses) will lower the barrier of cost and increase the number of participants who take action.
Many of the suggestions in the Victorian Green Renters’ Guide (www.environmentvictoria.org.au/rentersguide) will also be useful for households with limited incomes, whether or not they rent, because they focus on simple actions instead of on big investments.
Presenting these workshops to young people
Young people in Victoria rate the health of the environment as very important to them and it’s something that they want to do something about. Providing them with opportunities to develop communication, leadership and project management skills can assist them to influence their peers. The Youth Eco‐Challenge is a complete package for running an experiential sustainability subject within the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning. Many of the activities can be adapted for settings outside the classroom as well as in mainstream classes. It is available for download free of charge from www. environmentvictoria.org.au/VCAL‐Youth‐Eco‐Challenge and includes session plans, activities, handouts and other resources. Consider using social networking to promote your workshops to young people. Young people might be inspired by youth‐lead action programs such as the Australia Youth Climate Coalition (www.aycc.org.au) . It aims to build a generation wide movement to solve climate change before it's too late, through influencing cultural change and politicians. Talk about things that young people have the power to change. Instead of putting the emphasis on heating systems or rainwater tanks, which they might have difficulty in changing in heir household, talk about taking shorter showers and influencing others.
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What do you hope to achieve? If you have the time and resources, it is worth setting goals, identifying stakeholders and evaluating the project.
Set goals With program designed to change the way people behave it’s worth identifying the results you hope to achieve. If you do not have a clear goal it’s hard to evaluate your results. Don’t assume that education (while essential) will automatically translate into changed actions. Lots of programs raise awareness but don’t help people overcome the barriers to making change. When setting goals, you might want to put them in stages and not attempt to do everything at once. For example you could first get participants to complete the home checklists, with the longer term plan of using this information to reduce energy and water use and increase smart shopping behaviour. Identify stakeholders Identify everyone who is working directly with your participants or has a stake in the goals you are trying to achieve and look for ways to work together. Once you have identified possible partners, discuss your goals with them and look for overlapping goals. You may be able to complement each others’ work. For example your local water authority might run a program to exchange showerheads and fix leaking taps. By helping your participants to access to this program, both organisations can meet their goals. Review results Review your program to determine whether it has been effective and record the lessons learnt. We have included an evaluation process that you might be use to capture this information.
Evaluation of Eco‐Wise Action Try to find ways of evaluating your program which are interesting and appropriate for your participants. Filling in feedback forms may not be as effective as inviting discussion during sessions. Here are some suggestions on evaluating Eco‐Wise Action. Monitoring Questions
Collect this information as you deliver the program so you can improve following workshops or help participants overcome barriers. Comments from your participants are also valid. • Did the participants find the workshops useful? • What actions were identified that participants could do? • What sustainability actions were taken? • What barriers stop participants from taking action?
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What help was provided to overcome the barriers? What are some of the stories that illustrate the outcomes that were achieved?
Evaluation Questions
Answer these questions after the Eco‐Wise Action workshops have been held. If possible, ask participants after six months whether they have continued to reduce their impact on the environment. • Did the program help you reduce your energy and water use and waste production? • Were we able to help you overcome barriers in making change? • Who else (family, friends etc.) made changes due to this program? • What did we learn from running this program?
Example of a final report summary
Stories about individual experiences and quantitative data can be useful in reporting back to your organisation and funders. They can help you present a case for future funding and communicate the value of your workshops. You might be able to use your results to influence change in the broader community. This chart is uses the evaluation and monitoring questions above to develop a story of what occurred and what the results were. It was developed by Clear Horizon, based on work by Dart and Mayne (2005). Replace each ‘X’ with relevant data. We recommend developing it into a story.
Resources required
Activities conducted
Changes achieved by activities
Longer term outcomes
Impact on reducing personal environmental impact
We used ….. to conduct the workshops [e.g. Eco‐Wise Action package from Environment Victoria, member of staff etc.]. Our partner X provided $X worth of items/labour in‐kind for the project. We used X hours of volunteer time in supporting participants to make changes. We held X number of X hour workshops with X participants. Participants conducted X home checklists, which is x% of our participants. We assisted X participants install X number of sustainability items. We assisted X participants complete X number of behaviour change actions. We facilitated X number of participants to take up X partner’s retrofit item/service X people switched to GreenPower X people installed low flow showerheads X people turned down the thermostat on their heater etc. Our participants reduced their water usage by an estimated X litres per year per person Our participants reduced their carbon emissions via efficient energy usage by an estimated X kg of greenhouse gases per year per person Our participants reduced their waste to landfill by an estimated X kg per year per person.
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Barriers overcome Next time we would Our Goal
We were able to educate X number of participants who otherwise would not have taken any action. This enabled X number of participants to undertake a total of X number of actions. Access to water saving devices was provided to X participants. Access was provided to partners’ services for X number of participants Include specific learning Was to help our participants reduce harm to the environment; improve the comfort of their homes and save money.
Measuring benefits to the environment There is some public data available to help estimate potential savings from some actions (for example greenhouse gas emissions and water saved by installing a water saving showerhead). Please contact Environment Victoria to obtain these values to help you estimate the savings achieved by your program.
Optional Draft Resource Booklet
Participants in past Eco‐Action workshops asked for help in finding organisations, networks and businesses to help them to take sustainability action. We have included a draft booklet with information on state‐wide resources, which we encourage you to give to participants at the celebration event. It will be even more useful if you (or a volunteer!) can include local information.
What next?
We hope Eco‐Wise Action has generated some enthusiasm to do more for the environment. Here are some ideas to expand on the Eco‐Wise Action workshops: • Collect information from home checklists and use it to get additional funding or resources to overcome barriers to participants taking actions. • Get volunteers to help deliver Eco‐Wise Action workshops, help with evaluation, get sustainability items to give away, etc. • Get sustainability products like low flow showerheads from water or energy authorities and make them available to participants and the community. • Purchase sustainability items like draught seal in bulk and pass the savings on to participants. • Help participants to apply for grants or arrange work to be done (e.g. coordinate ceiling insulation). • Use local community organisations such as environment groups, service clubs and the University of the Third Age (U3A) to help install sustainability devices if participants need help with this. • Encourage the local paper to do a story about your program, which could encourage the wider community to take action too. • Plan a composting or growing food workshop at a community garden, or hold an event on sustainable transport, ethical investment or the grants and rebates
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available for sustainability. For background info on these issues, head to www.environmentvictoria.org.au. Organise your own ethical shopping supermarket tour using the fantastic guide at www.ethical.org.au/swac/owntour.php. Use the Safer Solutions learning modules to organise workshops on the “ABC of Chemcials”, “Safer Pest Control” and “Natural Cleaning”, at www.safersolutions.org.au/education‐resources/62/301‐introduction‐to‐learning‐ modules Ask some reputable suppliers of solar hot water systems and solar panels to present a forum about installing these.
Getting more involved • • • • •
Get involved in Environment Victoria! We’re aiming to mobilise five million people, to take green action. Go to www.environmentvictoria.org.au to sign up to be a part of it, and get updates, the Green Action of the Month, great resources and more. Start (or join) a climate action group. Start here: www.environmentvictoria.org.au/content/join‐climate‐action‐group Help with a Permablitz, to set up a food garden in someone’s backyard – visit www.permablitz.net to find out more. Volunteer to help a national park or bushland by contacting Parks Victoria’s Volunteer Coordinator on 13 196, or by contacting Conservation Volunteers Australia (www.conservationvolunteers.com.au). Talk to your local member of parliament about your concerns and what you would like them to do. See ‘Meet with your MPs’ in our Climate Action Group Toolkit, here: www.environmentvictoria.org.au/library/check‐out‐our‐climate‐action‐toolkit.
About Environment Victoria Environment Victoria mobilises people to safeguard our environment. As the state’s peak non‐profit environment group, we believe our future depends on all Victorians. That’s why we’re asking all 5 million of us to be part of looking after our environment. With your help, we can persuade every Victorian to get involved. It won't be easy. But 5 million people can get our representatives hopping. Get businesses bending over backwards to become truly green. Get the whole country to pay attention. Maybe even the world. So what do you say? Are you in? Visit www.environmentvictoria.org.au today.
Acknowledgments
This workshop package was made possible thanks to funding from the Department of Sustainability and Environment for Environment Victoria’s Regional Sustainable Living program. Thanks also go Michele Burton, Katelyn Fryer, Murray Irwin, Kathleen Kemp, Annette Salkeld, Domenica Settle and Nina Bailey.
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Feedback and Questions
We welcome feedback and suggestions to improve this package and help others learn from your experience. While we are currently unable to provide detailed support for this package, you may have questions that our project officers can answer. Please send feedback, idea or comments to Environment Victoria on admin@environmentvictoria.org.au or 9341 8100. Disclaimer Environment Victoria provides this workshop package as a guide. However, it cannot take responsibility or liability for any loss, damage or injury incurred as a result of the use of any of the information within this workshop package. We recommend that you obtain appropriate professional advice and assistance where necessary. Licensing Arrangements This information pack is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia licence. A copy of this licence is available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‐nc/2.5/au/ or by writing to info@creativecommons.org.au. You are free to copy, communicate and adapt the work, so long as you attribute Environment Victoria and the use is for non commercial purposes. This has been specifically chosen to enable you to modify and use the material to suit your individual requirements. Please note there are some instances where some of the material is not issued under the Creative Commons Licence. All logos are protected by copyright. The photos and diagrams in the PowerPoint presentation are either public domain or creative commons protected – see the presentation notes and relevant slides for detailed information.
Funded by the Department of Sustainability and Environment
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