What’s the ONE THING that keeps sustainability leaders stuck more so than anything else?

Lack of ENGAGEMENT…

I always ask people what their biggest sustainability challenge is and more often than not their reply is the same - getting others on board… Getting others interested... Having to do it all on my own...

Many of us spend months or years spinning our wheels, getting nowhere fast… often just chipping away, barely scratching the surface on our own.

It can be hard to understand why… Surely everyone knows we should be doing more… Just watch the news once in a while…

Maybe that’s the problem…

Sustainability can feel overwhelming, heavy and depressing.  It has an image problem.

Many of us feel helpless and hopeless.  What I do surely won’t make any difference… 

Many of us feel like we don’t know enough about it, lacking confidence, worried we’ll look silly, either in front of our...

Earth Day is coming up on 22 April, and it’s Nature Play week, closely followed by World Environment Day, National Tree Day, Biodiversity Month, National Recycling Week, NAIDOC Week, Water Week…. The list goes on…

Lots of people ask me what the point of celebrating all these days are, and is it helpful in terms of actually embedding sustainability.  Isn’t every day Earth Day!?

My answer is, it depends…

If you do a few things on the day, and that’s it, probably a token gesture and not really moving the needle in terms of embedding sustainability.

BUT…

If you’re strategic, purposeful and intentional about how you celebrate and what you celebrate then that’s a whole other story.

So here’s some things to keep in mind…

Is it relevant or meaningful for your community or program?  If you’re celebrating an event just to fill a hole in your program or you think you should, you might want to ask yourself if...

It feels like now is a great time to be focused on improving your sustainability practices and bringing sustainability to life for children.

It can feel overwhelming.  It’s an important role you’re playing as an educator working with young children, and it seems that with the recent changes to the EYLF and MTOP Frameworks, others are beginning to see the potential impacts you can make too!

Let's unpack some of the changes to the frameworks as they relate to sustainability, and what they might mean for you and your service.

Let’s dive in…

The Frameworks have expanded their definition of sustainability.  Previously the focus seemed to be on the environmental aspects of sustainability - encouraging children to show respect for the environment, connections to nature, use of natural materials, etc.

The revised Frameworks define sustainability as:

Sustainability: seeking to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future...

Have you ever felt like you're walking this sustainability road alone...?  I certainly have.  There seems to be a distinct lack of interest from anyone else and you feel like your spinning your wheels and not getting very far.

I've spoken to lots of educators who feel this way.  So, you're not really alone!  There are lots of others out there, plodding along doing the best they can with what they've got.

So what do you do when it's just you?  How can you still make a contribution and keep moving towards embedding sustainability?

Here's a few ideas of things you can do:

• Keep a positive mindset, others will join you on the journey, eventually!
• Lead a sustainability project in your service.  Maybe its the collection of plastic lids for 'lids for kids' or introducing a compost bin or herb garden.
• Celebrate sustainability events like World Environment Day, National Tree Day, Recycling Week, or NAIDOC Week.
• Identify the sustainability themes in children's...

In my last post I talked about one of the biggest lessons I learned to engage others in my sustainability programs and initiatives - Evolution NOT Revolution! If you missed it, check it out here.

This idea is carried over in this post, starting small and building momentum over time allows for deeper engagement and supports the idea of embedding sustainability, rather than big or momentary token gestures.

Baby steps are easier for you to manage as you find your feet and lead your team and community on your journey towards sustainability.  It gives you the opportunity to learn what works, what resonates and what sticks, without big investments of energy, time and money. 

Think of it as an 'emerging curriculum'.  You try something, adapt, see how you can build on what's working and extend the learning and impact.  You can't do everything all at once.  There is progression of learning and doing.

Embedding sustainability is not a linear process, it's more like an...

In this post we'll be looking at the importance of understanding the audience you want to engage.  Many times we assume people are uncooperative or undermine our efforts because they are disinterested, difficult, spiteful or lazy.  This is rarely the case, but we need to be willing to listen and take some time to understand their objections and concerns more fully.  

The reason for their lack of engagement is rarely what it seems on the surface.  It can take a bit of time an effort to uncover the underlying issues.  Listening is an important skill for anyone in a leadership role, that includes those leading sustainability.

Change is hard.  We must remember that is exactly what we are asking of those around us as we endeavour to embed sustainability.  It is especially hard for adults and those who have been doing things the same way for a while and it worked fine.  'If it ain't broke don't fix it' as they say...  Most children are a...

Welcome Back!  Last time we looked at engaging others through action via a Catalyst Project.  Today we're going to explore ways to engage others by following the interests of children.

As I'm sure you've noticed, children are innately curious about the world around them and their place in it. They are natural scientists and love to explore all kinds of natural and man made phenomena and ideas.  Once you know what to look for, it's easy to see the sustainability themes, ideas, and phenomena emerging in their play and interests.  

Consider these examples:

Growth and change as they follow the seasons, watch seeds germinate, leaves decompose or wonder at life cycles and metamorphosis.   Ice melting or water disappearing through sand.

Energy as they feel the heat through the window as the sun hits it, food and how their body turns it in energy, how plants turn sunlight into energy to grow, how sunlight, wind and water can be turned into energy. 

...

Today I want to dive a bit deeper into engaging your team and building momentum in the right direction with ACTION.  People often get caught up in the talking and planning and documenting of their sustainability policies and procedures as a first step.  While this is an important step in embedding sustainability, it doesn't really excite a lot of people, or inspire them to get involved.  You have to go where the energy is!

Most people generate momentum by doing. Once they start, it is easier keep going.  You can always go back to the talking and planning later.

Think of a Catalyst Project.  Something that you can do quickly with what you have.  Something a few people might be interested in.  A quick win to get some runs on the board as they say. 

You could do something small.  A one-off event like a nude food lunch or celebrate World Environment Day, International Mud Day or National Tree Day.  You could invite someone from your...

I wanted to share with you one of the most important things I've learned over the past 20 years of implementing sustainability programs with people who aren't necessarily passionate or on board.  That is, aligning your actions with your most conscientious objectors skills and interests.  You know that saying - 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer', well this is how it can help you embed sustainability.  

You know there is always one or two people who go out of their way to take down your ideas or complain loudly when asked to contribute to your sustainability initiatives.  They bring down the vibe and take the fun out of the experience for everyone.  You know who they are! 

It is important to get them on board before they take everyone down with them.  I have found that engaging them by aligning a project or practice with their expertise, skills or interests works like a charm.  Work out what they are really good at...

I promised to share a bit more insight on my first tip for engaging others in your sustainability programs and initiatives - Don't Make it Extra.

When you're trying to embed sustainability, or make any type of change for that matter, the first objection you often come up against is 'I don't have time for that!'.  Your team will probably feel like this is yet ANOTHER thing they have to add to their to-do list.  No-one wants to do more, especially if it's not something they are particularly interested in or passionate about.

My advice, create time and space for sustainability by considering all that you are currently doing.  Is there anything you can stop doing?  Something that you've been doing forever but doesn't bring much benefit or create value in your practice.  People always complain about having to do something that is a waste if time - that's a good place to start.

You can also consider what you have in place, and how you could tweak things...