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St. Edward's University

Publication Date

Fall 2011

Program Name

Australia: Sustainability and Environmental Action

Abstract

This creative independent study project began as a photo documentation of the environment along a two-week hiking trip on the Great South West Walk in Victoria. It developed into a lesson in experiential education in nature and environmental education through children’s literature that ultimately produced a photographically illustrated children’s story called The Future of Cobboboonee. The story, written in poetry, takes the main characters on an adventure into an unfamiliar world in search of more space for expanding their population. Ultimately, they learn lessons of sustainability and conclude that they must conserve their home, for it is all they have.

I used experiential education to learn for myself what it means to live away from society; to gather an outside perspective on the direction we are taking our planet. I documented the experience with a Nikon D80 digital SLR camera and three lenses. When I returned from my trip, I edited the photos to create the illustrations for my children’s story, which would establish a setting and mood for the story. The story is told through poetry that reads easily and humorously.

The book is intended to be used as a tool for environmental education for children as well as adults. It draws on the existing body of work by Australian authors and explores the potential for further developments into the field.

Disciplines

Natural Resources and Conservation | Sustainability

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