Early Childhood Environmental Resource List
& Local Guide
Kids Books
Water

















‘Water’ by Frank Asch
‘Water Dance’ by Thomas Locker
‘Why Should I Save Water?’ by Jen Green
‘Water, Water Everywhere’ by Cynthia Overbeck Bix
‘A Cool Drink of Water’ by Barbara Kerley
‘Cloud Dance’ by Thomas Locker
‘Down Comes the Rain’ by Franklyn M. Branley
‘One Well: The Story of Water on Earth’ by Rochelle Strauss
‘Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean’ by Arthur Dorros
‘The Magic School Bus Wet All Over’ by Pat Relf
‘A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History’ by Lynne Cherry
‘Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain’ by Verna Aardema
‘Where the River Begins’ by Thomas Locker
‘Little Cloud’ by Eric Carle
‘Water Pollution’ by Rhonda Lucas Donald
‘The Magic School Bus At The Waterworks’ by Joanna Cole
‘Common Ground: The Water, Earth, And Air We Share’ by Molly Bang
Waste
 ‘Rubbish’ by Amanda Graham and Lisa James
 ‘Michael Recycle’ by Ellie Bethel & Alexandra Colombo
 ‘In The Bin’ by Kellie Bollard
 ‘What If? A Book About Recycling’ by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom
 ‘Reuse’ by Ann-Marie Kishel
 ‘I Can Save the Earth!: One Little Monster Learns to Reduce, Reuse, and
Recycle’ Alison Inches & Viviana Garofoli
 The Dumpster Diver by Janet S. Wong David Roberts
 The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle: A Story About Recycling by Alison
Inches & Pete Whitehead
 The Adventures of an Aluminum Can: A Story About Recycling by Alison
Inches & Mark chambers
Page 1 of 12
Energy
 25 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save Energy The Earthworks Group &
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
 Done in the Sun: Solar Projects for Children Astrid Hillerman
 Energy from the Sun Allan Fowler
 Full of Energy Sally Hewitt, Helaine Cohen (Editors)
 Pass the Energy, Please Barbara Shaw McKinney
 What to Do When Your Mom or Dad Says…'Turn Off the Water & Lights'
Joy Wilt Berry
Nature
 Atkinson, K. 1990, Outback Animals, Allen and Unwin, Sydney.
 Parsons, A. 1990, Amazing Mammals, R.D. Press, Surry Hills NSW.
 Triggs, B. 1991, Possums, Houghton Mifflin, Wantirna South, Victoria.
 Breeden, S. 1995, Sally and the Rock Wallabies, Steve Parish Publishing,
Fortitude Valley,
 Brown, R. 1990, The World That Jack Built, Anderson, London.
 Foreman, M. 1990, One World, Anderson Press, London.
 Howes, J. and Harvey, R. 1998, Islands in My Garden. Roland Harvey
Books, Melbourne.
 Mullins, P. 1993, V for Vanishing, An Alphabet of Endangered Animals,
Margaret Hamilton
 Noonucal, O. and Noonucal, K. 1988, The Rainbow Serpent, AGPS,
Canberra.
 Sheldon, D. and Blythe, G. 1993, The Whales Song, Random House,
London.
 Vyner, T. 1994, The Tree, Picture Lions, London.
 Wagner, J. 1989, Goanna, Puffin, Melbourne.
 Waite, J. 1998, The Storm Seal, Koala Books, Mascot, NSW.
 Young, A. and Heinrich, H. 1989, Remnants Of Green: A Rainforest
Journey, Kangaroo Press,
Plus many more. Check www.thebookgarden.com and www.amazon.com
Teaching Resources:


Promoting Environmental Sustainability in Children’s Services, Lady
Gowrie Child Centre, Sydney. Training Kit which is no longer in print but
available at Lady Gowrie Library, Sydney.
Early Childhood Environmental Education Making it mainstream Julie
Davis and Sue Elliott. Early Childhood Australia Inc. 2003
Page 2 of 12




























Greening Services: Practical Sustainability Rachael Kinsella ECA Vol. 14,
No. 3 2007
Asking Children, Listening to Children by Ann Coffey (Book & DVD)
A Child’s Garden: Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children by Molly
Dannenmaier
Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart In Nature by David Sobel
Child Care Design Guide by Anita Rui Olds
Child Care Playspace Planning Guide, Child Care Playground Safety
Initiative www.kaboom.org
Childspaces: A Design Source Book for Early Childhood by Toni & Robin
Christie
Community Fundraising Idea Kit www.kaboom.org
Community Build Playground Manual www.kaboom.org
Creating A Family Garden, Magical Outdoor Spaces for All Ages by Bunny
Guinness
Creating a Space to Grow by Gail Ryder-Richardson
Designs For Living & Learning by Deb Curtis
A Guide to Transforming School Grounds by Ann Coffey
Contact John Dorner for order form
Hollyhocks & Honeybees: Garden Projects for Young Children by Sara
Starbuck www.redleafpress.org
How Children Learn Through Play by Dorothy Einon Barrons Educational
Series
The Hurried Child by David Elkind
Leisure: The Base of Civilization by Pfeiffer
Natural Learning — Creating Environments for Rediscovering Nature’s
Way of Teaching by Robin Moore and Henry Wong
www.naturalearning.org
Nature’s Playground: Activities, Crafts and Games to Encourage Your
Child to Enjoy the Great Outdoors by Fiona Danks & Jo Schofield
Nurture Through Nature (Under Trees Outside) by Claire Warden
The Others: How Animals Made Us Human by Paul Shepard
Plants for Play by Robin Moore www.naturalearning.org
Potential of a Puddle by Claire Warden
Removing Barriers to Childcare Facilities Development by Anderson &
Philibosian Can only be ordered only at
www.designchildcare.com
School Grounds in a Box by Ann Coffey
Sharing Nature With Children by Joseph Cornell
Small Wonders: Nature Education for Young Children by Linda Garret &
Hannah Thomas www.evergreen.ca/en
Special Places, Special People: The Hidden Curriculum of School
Grounds by Wendy Titman
Page 3 of 12




The Complete Playground Book by Robin Moore, Arlene Brett and Eugene
Provenzo www.naturalearning.com
What is Education For? by David Orr
The Wonder of It by Bonnie Neugebauer www.ChildCareExchange.com
Works by Wendell Berry Essays, poems, novels about connecting to the
land and being a steward of land.
Websites

www.eceen.org: NSW Environmental Education Network (ECEEN) website
with lots of information and resources, especially for members.


Water
www.sydneywater.com.au: Great information on saving water and some
educational resources too. Remember to contact Sydney Water if you
have any tricky questions

www.sca.nsw.gov.au: Sydney Catchment Authority manage Sydney’s
network of 11 dams. Find out the state of our dams and catchments,
where our dam water comes from etc.

http://www.epa.gov/watersense/kids/index.html: American EPA
website with online cartoons, games and teacher resources on saving
water

http://www.rouswater.nsw.gov.au/cmst/rw010/lp.asp?cat=104:
although not based in Sydney, Rouse Water have an excellent early
childhood water education program. Check it out.
Waste

http://www.northeastwasteforum.org.au: Lots of waste reduction tips
and advice including a great indexed guide to all waste related issues,
from Aerosol Cans, to Smart Shopping and Zero Waste.

www.eceen.org: NSW Environmental Education Network (ECEEN) website
with lots of information and resources, especially for members.

www.wastefreelunches.org.au: How to, ideas, case studies, downloads
etc for waste free lunches.
Page 4 of 12
Energy
 http://www.climatechange.gov.au/index.html: Basic explanation of the
process causing Climate Change and details of the Australian Governments
response to it.
 http://www.ipcc.ch/index.htm: Intergovernmental Panel for Climate
Change (IPCC) The IPCC is a scientific intergovernmental body set up by the
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and by the United Nations
Environment Program (UNEP). Hundreds of scientists all over the world
contribute to the work of the IPCC as authors, contributors and reviewers.
 http://www.foe.org.au/climate-justice: Friends Of the Earth Australia
website with a social justice perspective on climate change. Includes
information on what adults can do as the last generation with time to stop
climate change before it gets to catastrophic levels.
 http://www.acfonline.org.au: Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF)
Leading Australian conservation group with lots of information on Climate
Change campaigns.
 http://wwf.org.au/ourwork/climatechange/: World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Very good outline of causes and things we can do to address the issue.
 http://www.bgci.org/education/climate_change_communication/: Botanic
Gardens Conservation International Education: Lots of good links and
resources for teachers communicating about climate change.
Nature
 http://www.kidsgardening.com/: awesome website with info on
gardening with kids. Particularly good is the class room projects section,
which has great guides on creating edible nature play gardens.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/gardening_with_children/: The
‘projects at home’ section has lots of really good activities to do with
children in the garden.

http://betterkidcare.psu.edu/AngelUnits/OneHour/Garden/GardenLesso
nA.html: lots of really good activities to do with children in the garden.

http://www.global-garden.com.au/gardenkids.htm: Particularly good
website for craft. Gardening and garden activities for kids. Australian
Website.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/kindergarden/kinder.htm: Very
good website with many resources on how and why to start an
educational garden, garden activities etc. Contents includes practical
how to, nutritional benefits, philosophy etc, instructions for indoor
gardening and an online virtual garden. It is American so beware the
planting guides.
Page 5 of 12

www.ozprojects.edu.au website to support teaching of aboriginal
heritage etc


burarra.questacon.edu.au interactive website on indigenous culture

http://www.geocities.com/sseagraves/underthesea.htm: Under the sea
themed web page with resouces and activities for kids to learn about the
ocean, sea creatures and environmental concerns. Has great list of
ocean related kids books.

http://www.everythingpreschool.com/lessonplans/bugs/index.htm:
week long unit on insects

http://www.everythingpreschool.com/lessonplans/Birds/index.htm:
week long unit on birds

earthplay.net Rusty Keeler: join the e-mail discussion group on children
and nature and design
hookedonnature.org You can purchase great resources and workshops
schoolgrounds.ca Web site for A Guide to Transforming School Grounds
by Ann Coffey. Complete interactive guide to designing and building.
Local Support, Services, and Opportunities
You Colleagues in Council: Give them a call! They can help you with
environmental issues in your centre, provide infrastructure, do workshops for
staff, parents and possibly kids and answer any questions you need. Remember
they are your colleague in council and you should never hesitate to ask them
for help.
Council Staff…
Team Leader Environmental Issues: Nell Graham 9789 9422
nellg@canterbury.nsw.gov.au
Information, figures and technical know-how in the technical environmental
areas, such as greenhouse, solar, water tanks etc, plus Council’ current
environmental education , community capacity building and communications
programs.
Environmental Policy Officer: Vacant 9789 9488 nellg@canterbury.nsw.gov.au
Page 6 of 12
Information, figures and technical know-how in the technical environmental
areas, such as greenhouse, solar, water tanks etc, plus Council’ current
environmental education , community capacity building and communications
programs.
Waste Education Officer: Matt Davis 9789 9673
matthewd@canterbury.nsw.gov.au
Information, services and resources in the area of waste, waste avoidance,
recycling and re-use, plus workshop program.
Noxious Weeds Officer: Lana McGee 9789 9450 lanam@canterbury.nsw.gov.au
Information on local native biodiversity, weeds and local bushcare groups.
Team Leader Community Development Multicultural and Indigenous: Joanna
Stobinski 9789 9472 joannas@canterbury.nsw.gov.au
Community Information Officer: Cheryl Dewhurst 9789 9441
Information and contacts in community programs and services.
Area Coordinator Parks and Property: John Dodd 9789 9348
JOHND@canterbury.nsw.gov.au
For plumbing, electrical or other general maintenance around the centre.
Parks & Property Coordinator : Peter Goss 9789 9359
Peterg@canterbury.nsw.gov.au
Can arrange ground staff to assist with planting and ground maintenance.
Community Gardens
Community gardens allow residents to come together and share a common
interest. Gardening is not only recreational and good for the environment, but
provides a way for people to access certain foods which are fresh and organic.
Gardening together can break down barriers in communication and allows
residents to learn from each other and care for the environment together.
Gardening also helps us to minimise waste, by allowing us to compost and reuse
materials that may have been discarded.
Riverwood Community Garden
Canterbury has a community garden in Riverwood which is part of the broader
Community Greening project run by Housing NSW, Botanic Gardens Trust, and
Riverwood Community Centre. The Canterbury City Council built the garden in
its current location and supports its maintenance as needed.
Page 7 of 12
Community Gardens under development in Schools: Harcourt Public School,
Belmore North Public School, Beverly Hills North Public School, Undercliffe
Public School, Narwee Public School, Riverwood Public School, Canterbury
South Public School, and Ashbury Public School are all developing gardens on
their land. For more information on these gardens you will need to contact the
school directly.
To find out more about community gardens in Canterbury please contact the
Waste Education Officer, on 9789 9485.
Bushcare sites:
Peace Park Ashbury
This bushland is classified as Turpentine Ironbark Forest. This plant
community is listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the
Threatened Species Act.
Meets: the first Saturday of the month Trevenar St, Ashbury.
Time: 9.00 am – 12 noon
Contact: The Parks and Property Coordinator on 9789 9359 or
peterg@canterbury.nsw.gov.au
Bell Street Riverwood
The bushland is classified as the Cooks River/Castlereagh Ironbark Forest.
This plant community is listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under
the Threatened Species Act.
Meets: third Wednesday of the month at the end of Bell St,Riverwood, adjacent
to McLaughlin Oval and the M5.
Time: 1.00 – 3.00pm
Contact: The Parks and Property Coordinator on 9789 9359 or
peterg@canterbury.nsw.gov.au
Cup & Saucer Creek Bushcare
This group are regenerating the Sydney Sandstone Vegetation Community along
Cup and Saucer Creek.
Meets: the second Saturday of February, April, June, August, October and
December adjacent to Anzac Street, Canterbury.
Time: 9.00am – 12 noon
Contact: The Parks and Property Coordinator on 9789 9359 or
peterg@canterbury.nsw.gov.au
Local Community Groups
Cooks River Valley Association (CRVA)
The CRVA is an incorporated association made up of caring local residents who
are committed to rehabilitating the Cooks River and fostering community spirit
Page 8 of 12
within the Cooks River Valley. We work independently and with like-minded
groups to improve the quality of life and facilities in the local environment.
Our objectives are:
 To improve the health of the Cooks River, including its water quality,
the state of the riverbed and its flora and fauna.
 To improve the safety, attractiveness and amenity of open space in the
Cooks River Valley.
 To increase the availability of accessible community resources in the
Cooks River Valley.
 To increase community activities in the Cooks River Valley, especially
those providing opportunities to improve community connectedness
among residents of all ages and social groupings.
General Meetings in 2010 will be held on the fourth Tuesday of February, April,
June, August and October at the Hurlstone Park Bowling and Recreation Club,
Marcia Street, Hurlstone Park, at 7:00 pm. Executive Meetings will be held in
the alternate months.
http://www.crva.org.au/
MUDCRABS - Cooks River Eco-Volunteers
This community based group of volunteers meets every month to remove
rubbish from the river, clean up the foreshores and weed, mulch and plant in
designated areas of the river banks.
Contacts : Chris Bartlett (9558 2656) or Peter Munro
(munropete@ozemail.com.au)
Wolli Creek Preservation Society
Phone: 02 9554 3176
Fax: 02 9567 8502
Mail: PO Box 270, Earlwood 2206
Email:info@wollicreek.org.au
Web:www.wollicreek.org.au
Aims and objectives
Wolli Creek Preservation Society aims to preserve and enhance natural values
of the Wolli and Bardwell Valleys. Undertakes community education and
advice, bush regeneration, guided walks, talks and other events. Lobbies State
and Local Government to advance aims.




Eligibility: Acceptance by committee
Fees: Membership per calendar year: $12 household/$8 individual
Contact: Jennifer Druce (President), Peter Stevens (Vice-President)
Facilities Note: Information can be downloaded from the website.
Page 9 of 12

Volunteering Note: Volunteers welcome.
Mizaan Ecology and Awareness Group
Tel: (02)9708 1539
P.O. Box L-14
Mt. Lewis NSW 2200
A community group is undertaking flora and fauna regeneration program along
Cooks River. The group, which is an initiative of the Al-Ghazzali Centre for
Islamic Sciences & Human Development, aims to bring balance between the
environment and our wellbeing. Contact the Mizaan Assistant Director at
mizaancoordinator@alghazzali.org
South West Enviro Centre
39 Alma Road Padstow N.S.W. 2211
Ph. / Fax. 02 9771 3864
Aims and objectives
To encourage and facilitate community action to protect the natural qualities of
our Environment, to prevent its degradation and to provide a focal point for
individuals and groups who are concerned about the Environment



To increase community awareness of Environment issues by producing
newsletters, distributing leaflets and conducting seminars and
workshops.
To assist and support community groups and individuals to communicate
their Environmental concerns to government agencies and industry.
To establish and operate a not-for-profit shop front Environment Centre
in the South-West of Sydney which will be run by and for community
members.
Inner West Environment Group (IWEG)
www.iweg.org.au
Contact: Bruce Ashley 9560-9281
Greenway: Cooks River to Iron Cove
The Cooks River to Iron Cove GreenWay is an urban green corridor in Sydney's
Inner West that connects the Cooks River at Earlwood to Iron Cove Bay at
Haberfield.
The GreenWay is a community vision for a "recognisable environmental,
cultural and non-polluting transport corridor connecting two of Sydney's most
important waterways".
Page 10 of 12
The GreenWay corridor passes through Canterbury, Marrickville, Ashfield and
Leichhardt Council areas of Sydney's Inner West and incorporates Hawthorne
Canal and the Rozelle freight rail corridor.
http://www.greenway.org.au/
Wolli Regional Park: The park was created in January 2001. It covers an area
of 8.0 hectares. The Wolli Creek Valley contains the largest area of bushland
occurring in the City of Canterbury. It is also the most significant bushland
remaining in the inner southwest of Sydney.
The Wolli Creek Walk centres around Girrahween Park. Some of the attactions
of the park include picnic, barbeque and play facilities, a pond, lookouts with
extensive views over the valley and ample native flora and fauna. From
Girrahween Park a well defined bushtrack heads east through forest,
heathland, past sandstone rock faces and down to the base of 'Nanny Goat Hill'.
Wetland areas rich in birdlife lie to the south of the track which continues on
to Turrella Reserve. This walk is approximately 2 kilometers long and will take
about 1 hour.
Please note that although this is a most enjoyable walk, it can be difficult and
strenuous in places. It is recommended that appropriate footwear is worn, and
that inexperienced bushwalkers limit themselves to the developed parts of
Girrahween Park.
The park can be accessed from Bardwell Creek and Turrella Railway Stations.
Education materials and maps showing walking tracks are available from the
Wolli Creek Preservation Society website under the ‘Two Valley Trail’.
To download a brochure and educational materials go to
http://www.wollicreek.org.au/tvt/index.htm
Page 11 of 12
Where to buy locally sourced Native Plants
Marrickville Community Nursery
142 Addison Road, Marrickville.
Ph: 0412 435 948
Open to the public Wednesday mornings from 10am -12 noon, and on the first
Saturday of every month from 10 am to 1 pm. The Nursery propagates native
plants endemic to the Cooks River Valley, mainly for landscaping of foreshore
parklands and other restoration projects, but also for sale to the public.
Volunteers are a vital part of the Nursery, and new volunteers are always
welcome!
Marine Discovery Centre: Dedicated promoting the marine life specific to
Sydney. They demonstrate environmental themes such as the effect of litter
and polluted storm water, through giant recreations of Sydney’s marine
environment and stormwater systems. They cater for primary and early
childhood. They are currently developing an incursion for children’s centers
about litter chemicals and protecting marine life.
www.marinediscovery.org.au. Ph 9300 0242
Environment Updates Newsletter: The environment team at council send a
monthly update to anybody who wants it, this includes upcoming events and
workshops as well as different programs you can be involved in and other useful
bits of information. To be added to this list e-mail
nellg@canterbury.nsw.gov.au
Free Workshops and Events Listing
http://www.canterbury.nsw.gov.au/www/html/73-whats-on-in-canterbury.asp
Page 12 of 12