Small Green Steps now in the USA
The Small Green Steps program and associated online courses are now available to childcare educators across the USA. The online sustainability program has already been a hit with early learning organizations in the UK and Australia. The program was created by Sustainable Directions Pty Ltd who have now partnered with leading childcare training specialists IN SAFE HANDS, to offer the online program to the 530,000 childcare and daycare facilities registered in the USA. Details of the program and other sustainable learning options are:
Our new Adelaide Agent
We are happy to announce that Graeme Ward has joined the Small GREEN Steps team and is now available to assist early learning services in the ADELAIDE area. Graeme has been involved in the sustainability sector since 2009 and brings with him a wide range of experience particularly in the area of energy efficiency. Graeme is available to visit your centre to help you embed sustainable practices. In particular Graeme can provide:
Eco Bins
In order to help you in your Small Green Steps waste management activities, we strongly recommend the Ecobin system. Ecobin was established in Melbourne in 2008 and is a 4 bin waste separation system that helps you sort waste into four categories - Organic, Mixed, Landfill and Paper.
Status of the Global Climate - 2016 Statement
On 8 November 2016, the World Meteorological Organization issued the following press relesae on the state of the global climate:
It is very likely that 2016 will be the hottest year on record, with global temperatures even higher than the record-breaking temperatures in 2015. Preliminary data shows that 2016’s global temperatures are approximately 1.2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels, according to an assessment by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).*
Competition Time
Email us your favourite environmental or sustainability photograph in our very first Small GREEN Steps competition. The photo can be from an environmental or gardening project at your centre or the photo can be from your travels showing nature at its best.
Plastic Paradise
One of the world’s most remote places, an uninhabited coral atoll, is also one of its most polluted. Henderson Island, a tiny landmass in the eastern South Pacific, has been found by marine scientists to have the highest density of anthropogenic debris recorded anywhere in the world, with 99.8% of the pollution plastic.
Hawaii bans polystyrene containers
Polystyrene foam has grown to be an impressively famous element of the food industry. Like practically all plastics, it is very easy and convenient to use, which makes it a perfect material for single-use food containers thanks to its aptitude for preserving heat – or, rather, it would be perfect if not for its serious environmental impact.
Small Green Steps UK
The Small Green Steps program has recently been launched to childcare centres and nurseries in the UK. The majority of the original program material has remained untouched however the Australian specific material has been replaced by UK material.
Washed Ashore
Small GREEN Steps are proud sponsors of the 'Washed Ashore' marine debris sculpture project at St Andrew's Anglican College. Students were asked to make sculptures from plastic pollution gathered from local beaches.
Balloon Waste
The CSIRO recently outlined balloons to be in the top three most harmful pollutants threatening marine wildlife. Every day balloons are released or accidentally escape from outdoor events where they almost definitely end up in waterways and the ocean where they can be mistaken by wildlife for food.
Victoria Lagging
Almost every State and Territory in Australia has taken some steps to protect our valuable waterways and marine life, whether it is in the form of container deposit schemes, single use plastic bag bans or a government plan to combat marine plastic pollution.
Sustainability Books
The first of a line of Sustainability Books is now available to purchase. The books have been written for early childhood Educators to provide a basic understanding of key environmental and sustainability issues.
Renew your Small Green Steps certificate
Are any of your Small Green Steps certificates older than 12 months? Well now you can update any or all of your certificates at no extra cost by emailing us a request.
Credit Cards now accepted
We are now in the position to take Credit Card payments for Small Green Steps invoices. Credit Card payments are made via our MYOB accounting package and all processing fees are covered by Sustainable Directions Pty Ltd, the owners and developers of the SMALL Green Steps program.
Carbon Levels at an all time high
Levels of carbon dioxide in the southern hemisphere’s background atmosphere reached 400 parts per million, according to a measuring station at Cape Grim in Tasmania. World's carbon dioxide concentration teetering on the point of no return.
Repurpose unwanted kitchen items
Not sure what to do with those old cups and teapots? Well with a little bit of imagination, they can easily be transformed into a Bird House or a Bird Feed holders for your garden area.
Plastic Pollution - Not so Fun Facts
Are you still trying to get the message across about the growing impact of Plastic Pollution? Well here is a list of depressing statistics that you can chose from to mention in any communication to parents, families and staff to help inspire them to avoid single use products such as plastic bags, drink bottles, straws, etc.
Green Stars for Children
Green Stars for Children has been introduced as an optional component of the SMALL GREEN STEPS program and has been designed to involve children in environmental activities.
Little Learners show the way
Little Learners Early Education in South Morang, Victoria are well down the path to sustainability and a great example on how sustainable practices can be embedded across service operations. Approximately 40 staff from Little Learners are participating in the Small Green Steps program to add to their already impressive range of sustainability practices.
It keeps getting hotter
August 2016 was the warmest August in 136 years of modern record-keeping, according to a monthly analysis of global temperatures by scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York.
Greening up Music Festivals
We can all agree that camping out at music festivals can be a fantastic way to spend a few days, but we’ve probably all felt those pangs of guilt as we’ve piled back into the car on the final day only to look around at an apocalypse of rubbish that’ll take days to clear. Well the Caloundra music Festival in Queensland are showing the World how to host an environmentally responsible Music Festival.