Partnerships in Environmental Education: The University of Notre Dame Australia, CALM, Local Government and the Community

Abstract

The Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), which is responsible for the management of natural areas in public ownership within Western Australian and wildlife management throughout the state, has entered into a partnership with the University of Notre Dame Australia to deliver some of the units within their Environmental Studies and Tourism programmes. CALM involvement with the university started in 1994 with the provision of occasional guest lecturers and involvement in field excursions with the students over a range of units (eg. during visits to national parks and other sites managed by CALM). More recently, however, CALM have taken the responsibility for presenting two units in their entirety: ES/ BS 181 Ecotourism and Heritage Management andES280/380 Recreation Planning and Management. In addition to the partnership between these two institutions, the two units directly involve local government and the community.This paper presents details of the two units and discusses how this partnership contributes towards community leadership and responsibility and represents effective environmental education.In order to appreciate the educational benefits of the partnership between CALM and the University of Notre Dame Australia, a brief overview of the two units taught by CALM is provided.The Ecotourism and Heritage Management unit focuses on interpretation techniques in natural and cultural heritage area management and the business of cultural and ecotourism. Subjects include interpretive planning, project design and evaluation as well as the planning, design and presentation of ecotours and other guided interpretive activities.