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En-ROADS is a climate change simulation that allows users to explore how different policies and actions could address temperature increase by 2100. It has been designed by Climate Interactive, the MIT Sloan School of Management’s System Dynamics Group and Sustainability Initiative, and Ventana Systems. For an introduction and example of how to use the program visit my post on the Powerful Geography Author's Blog which provides some introductory lesson activities to be used with students. En-ROADs can be accessed here: https://www.climateinteractive.org/en-roads/  Figure 1: The En-ROADS simulator provides a user friendly interface that allows students to easily access basic functionality.  Figure 2: In the example above, the levels of carbon dioxide removal for both Nature-based removal and Technological removal have been increased to the highest level. This results in an overall decline in Temperature increase by 2100 by 1% (increase is at 3.2 degrees celsius rather than 3.3). Exploring Climate Change and Impacts on our Oceans The En-ROADS Climate Change simulation allows users to explore the impacts of climate change on a range of indicators with current temperature increase projections. It also allows users to explore the impact of implementing policy changes on these indicators. The ocean-related indicators in the simulation include: sea level rise, a sea level rise flood risk map, population exposed to sea level rise, ocean acidification, probability of ice-free arctic summer, loss in ocean life from warming.  Figure 3: The Flood Risk map demonstrating sea level rise under various scenarios can be viewed at the global scale or zoomed in to view specific locations, e.g. Sydney Harbour.
Figure 4 & 5: En-ROADS users can use the sliders to change policies to be implemented to address climate change. In the examples shown above, the selected policies resulted in a reduction in temperature increase as a result of climate change from 3.3 to 2.7 degrees celsius. It also shows a reduction in the level of sea level rise. These examples also show that a range of other data can be displayed, e.g. the impact of policies on Global Population.  Figure 6: The En-ROADs simulation can display information about the global population exposed to sea level rise, based on policies selected in the simulation.
Figure 7: In the examples shown above, the selected policies resulted in a reduction in temperature increase as a result of climate change from 3.3 to 2.8 degrees celsius. It also shows a reduction in probability of ice-free Arctic Summer in 2100.
En-ROADs is a powerful tool to allow users to explore the impact of climate change on our oceans, and to explore a range of policies that can be implemented to reduce its impacts. Lesson Activity: Students explore a range of climate change policies and strategies that can be address to mitigate the ocean-related impacts of climate change. 1. Experiment with the sliders on the main page of the En-ROADS climate interactive. Experiment with the climate change policies and explore how these strategies impact on sea level rise, population exposed to sea level rise, ocean acidification, probability of ice-free arctic summer, and loss in ocean life from warming. 2. Choose three policies that you believe will have a positive impact on ocean-related impacts from climate change. Provide a summary of the three policies, explain how they could be implemented in a practical sense, and how these policies might be communicated to the general population. 3. Choose one example of a location that is susceptible to ocean-related climate change impacts. Explore the sea level rise flood risk map. Zoom in to your chosen location, and provide a 2-3 paragraph analysis of how your chosen policies will impact on this location. Syllabus Links: The En-ROADs simulation provides an excellent, practical student-centred learning activity for students to engage in Study 3: Climate Change, of the Human-Environments Interaction for Preliminary Geography, or the Oceanography topic in Elective Geography. Access a longer, published version of this article.
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With the implementation of the new Senior Geography syllabus, teachers and student are trying to get their heads around how the new Geographical Investigation is different from the old Senior Geography Project and looking for resources and support to guide them. One often forgotten resources within schools is the school librarian. The Geographical Investigation requires stduents to identify an area for geographic inquiry; develop questions and a plan; use ethical processes in their research; collect, record analyse primary data; organise and process secondary data; present and communicate findings; propose recommendations; and critical review the plan.  Teachers should speak to their school librarian and see if they can support the class by offering library sessions and presentations, throughout the process of students undertaking their geographical investigation. Sessions could cover topics such as:
This blog is a summary of a presentation provided for the School Library Association of NSW.  We were happy to be invited recently to be part of the launch of a new Living Seawalls installation at Blues Point Reserve. This installation was a collaboration between Living Seawalls and SailGP. The launch involved a beautiful kayak led by Sydney By Kayak, and the event was also attended by students and staff from Reddam House.
 As part of Climate Action Week Sydney 2025, the Australian Museum invites students in Years 7-10 to the Student Climate Leadership Forum—a FREE full-day program of talks and hands-on workshops to kick-start student-led climate initiatives. Date: Thursday, 13 March 2025 Time: 9:00 AM – 2:30 PM Location: Australian Museum, Sydney Cost: Free Your students will: - Hear from experts on practical, realistic steps to build climate resilience. - Be inspired by real-world examples of local climate action. - Participate in interactive workshops to develop school sustainability initiatives. - Receive guidance from Museum educators to create a tailored, actionable climate plan for your school. Gather a team of up to eight students and one teacher and join us in shaping a sustainable future. Students will leave with a structured climate action plan to implement back at school. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to empower young leaders and drive meaningful change. Register now to secure your free spot - places are limited: https://australian.museum/event/climate-action-week-student-leaders/ Brought to you by the Sydney Science Trail and the Australian Museum's Climate Solutions Centre, with the support of Climate Action Week Sydney. #youthforclimate #climatechangeaction #climateaction #climateactivist  This post is at the request, and on behalf of the Australian Museum, Sydney.
The theme for Science Week this year is "Species Survival More the just Sustainability". As part of Science Week, in collaboration with OceanEarth, Ocean Youth and the Australian National Maritime Museum, The Harbour School Sydney held a professional learning evening for teachers at the Maritime Museum. This is a summary of my presentation: "Engage and Inspire - Proactive approaches to teaching about climate change and biodiversity".  This presentation was focused on practical examples that can be implemented in schools and classrooms. One of the ways that this can be done is through student investigations and fieldwork. Science and Geography are both mandatory subjects that include an investigation or inquiry as part of the core content. The processes for investigation or inquiry in the syllabuses for both subjects align quite easily, and associated field work provides an excellent opportunity for students to engage with biodiversity in a hands-on way.  Biodiversity refers to the variety of living things within a given area. There are a range of ways that schools and classes can integrate practical projects to learning about biodiversity: school gardens, habitat restorations projects, bushcare collaborations, streamwatch activities and biodiversity monitoring.  School gardens provide opportunities for use of outdoor spaces for learning about biodiversity. Examples include: wildlife habitats, rainwater gardens, and pollinator gardens.
There are a range of habitat restoration projects taking place in and around the harbour which address biodiversity and which are led by several of the universities. In some cases there may be opportunities for schools to engage with these projects to learn about biodiversity, engage with community organisations, research institutions and/or universities and learn about careers. An example is Living Seawalls installations on a school's seawall - obviously only relevant for a few schools, or growing mangrove seedlings for schools along rivers or creeks. Link: There are many local bushcare or Landcare groups that schools can connect with to learn about biodiversity in their local community. This also enables students to contribute to protecting biodiversity, connect with community and learn in a hands on way. Students can learn about water quality, the role of vegetation in filtering and retaining water, the interconnection between organisms, and terrestrial and aquatic environments. Link: Streamwatch enables students to monitor the quality and health of local waterways to contribute data to the scientific community. It raises awareness about the importance of water quality monitoring and conservation, and supports efforts to protect and preserve our waterways. Students ca identify and record the species of plants, insects, fish, and other organisms present in the stream. By learning to recognize different species and understanding their roles in the ecosystem, students gain insights into biodiversity. Link: Monitoring biodiversity as part of an investigation, enables students to develop ideas and strategies to improve biodiversity and contribute to citizenship science projects.
Links  Carbon Footprint Calculators allow students to get a clear picture of their impact on their environment and how their activities impact on carbon emissions. They can take actions to reduce consumption, change transport habits, make dietary changes and conserve energy.
While School Gardens have been discussed in terms of how they can address biodiversity, they can also be used to help students understand important ideas related to climate change. An understanding of the link between food miles and climate change allows students to make better decisions about the food they consume.
Link Students should be encouraged to use forms of Sustainable transport like buses, riding their bikes and walking. Messaging in newsletters and school assemblies that links transport choices with climate change can reinforce the impact of personal choice. This also provides an opportunity for student engagement with the School Senior Executive, P&C and wider community to support sustainable transport by advocating for infrastructure like bus shelters and bike racks and lockers, as well as staffing crossings. There are a number of excellent climate simulations that can be used to help students understand inter-relationships between causes and consequences of climate change.
Energy Audit Schools can engage companies that can undertake energy audits and ongoing consumption monitoring to find ways to conserve energy, work with School Infrastructure NSW (SINSW) to install solar and battery storage, and install LED lights can reduce the school’s carbon footprint, save lighting costs and improve lighting conditions. Links: To ensure that environmental targets are a priority at your school, staff and students can advocate for environmental objectives to be part of your school’s school plan. This makes schools and school leadership accountable for environmental targets. I recently attended the Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival at the Australian National Maritime Museum and at Bondi. I paid to attend on a couple of the days and attended a couple of the days as a volunteer. Day 1 of the Volvo Ocean Lovers Festival was the Blue Solutions Summit at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Keynote speakers were: Dr. Lucy Buxton from Ocean Decade Australia, Julie Hutchinson from Volvo Car Australia, and James Valentine from Australian Broadcasting Company. There were three discussion panels: Ocean Innovation, Ocean Plastic and Pollution, and Fishing and the Future of Food. There were lots of discussions about research and programs to protect our marine environment, and innovations in a range of industries. There were productive discussions about issues of ocean pollution and plastic, and sustainability of the fishing industry. The Youth Advisory panel was a great example of student engagement and leadership with their discussion - Have we left it too late? The Blue Solutions Summit was a great opportunity to learn new things, engage with a wide range of experts in a range of fields, and do something genuinely enjoyable. A few questions raised and comments that I thought were worth more thought… - Where can you have the most impact? Get involved... - What do you do better than anyone else? Do that…. - You can’t easily change the world, but you can change your world. Be passionate... I volunteered during the Ocean Lovers Festival School Days and assisted with the school excursions at Bondi. Some excellent student artworks were on display at Litterati. These were artworks created from common items of marine pollution. There were displays and hands on activities from a range of organisations including Sydney Institute of Marine Science, SeaLife, the Australian National Maritime Museum, Underwater Earth, University of Sydney and Ocean Sentinels. There were a series of talks including from Emily Rowland, Ocean Youth Ambassador; Cay-Leigh Bartnicke, Science Curator, Australian National Maritime Museum; Associate Professor Rachael Gray, The University of Sydney; Megan Trethewy – Research Assistant: Project Restore, Sydney Institute of Marine Science. My favourite activity was run by the Australian National Maritime Museum for primary students using an underwater drone to explore the ocean pool at North Bondi. Further talks, displays and markets took place over the weekend. This event was informative and engaging and reinforced my belief in the importance of environmental education, particularly in schools, to bring about wider change. In the future this would be useful for a half day excursion for : - students in Year 10 Geography studying Environmental Change and Management using a coastal, catchment or harbour case study - students in Year 12 Geography studying the Great Southern Reef or Great Barrier Reef as a case study for Ecosystems At Risk/ Ecosystems and Global Biodiversity - students in Elective Geography studying the Oceanography topic - students in Marine Studies or Marine and Aquaculture Technology Following a number of spear fishing incidents in which Blue Gropers were targeted, fishing of Blue Groper in NSW has been banned by any method, in new changes to strengthen protection of the species. A 12-month trial period will be put in place to allow the Department of Primary Industries to undertake consultation. Breaches may result in a $500 penalty infringement, or run the risk of court-imposed fines of $22,000 and/or 6 months imprisonment. Awareness raising activities will be undertaken, such as education activities and social media campaigns to improve community knowledge about the species and related restrictions. Background articles:
Man may face prosecution for allegedly spearfishing three blue groper on NSW south coast Man fined $500 for spearing blue groper at Sydney beach Further reading: Iconic Blue Groper now protected in NSW NSW Government introduces ban on all types of blue groper fishing (listen to the radio segment) Australian Marine Conservation Society - Blue Groper Any fishing of NSW’s beloved blue groper could lead to jail under new ban This weekend the $8.7 million McIlwaine Foreshore upgrade is officially being opened. This is a great example of integrating ecological concepts and design into a parkland and foreshore area. This remediation is an effort towards naturalising the river bank, though in a fairly stylised way. One of the aims of the project is to improve water quality of the river. The foreshore now includes: Rockpools: These are fairly large intertidal pools several metres long and with a possible depth of around 30 cm. The depth will most likely depend on rainfall and tidal flow over the top of the pools.
Saltmarsh: There is a small area that is a little bit separate from the other spaces which has been planted with saltmarsh (possibly beaded glasswort?). Saltmarsh is a sensitive plant, that generally grows well in low lying ground exposed to tidal inundation. It can be found in areas around Badu Mangroves in Sydney Olympic Park and around the Parramatta River Walk. Sandstone seawall: The sandstone seawall is very similar to the designs we have seen installed at Barangaroo. It uses natural material - sandstone, to replicate natural materials found in the environment. The porosity of sandstone ensures that it serves a positive purpose in water absorption and retention as in natural environments. However, the repetitive block design of the seawall is not as beneficial as a habitat as the randomness and diversity of sandstone shapes found in nature which have been weathered and eroded over millions of years. There are quite big gaps between the sandstones blocks of a couple of inches which may be beneficial in providing nooks and crannies for aquatic organisms to live.
 People can use their phone and the FrogIS app to record the calls of frogs and upload them to the app for verification. Once verified, the information is uploaded into a Geographic Information System, which can be accessed here: https: www.frogid.net.au/explore. This is a great activity for the general public, but could also be used in Geography, Science or Marine Studies classes. 
1 November - 6-7:30pm
Kamay Ferry Wharves online community forum on Seagrass translocation 2 November - 6pm Mosman Community Marine Restoration - Sydney Institute of Marine Science 4 November Let's Go Bug Hunting - Lane Cover Council 5 November Paddle skills day (beginner/intermediate) - River Canoe Club 5 November Operation Straw - November Cove Cleanup 5 November Environmental Workshops - Wildlife Walk and Bushcare - The Hills Shire Council 8 November Parramatta River Symposium - The City, the River and the Museum - Western Sydney University 9 November The “Reef” Behind the Reef: The Great Barrier Reef’s mystery Green Donuts. - Chau Chak Wing Museum 11 November Raft Up Club - Floating Festival 10 Nov - Sydney Harbour BYO, Swim - The Raft Up Club 12 November Bushland Team - Floating Landcare (This one is a bit out of normal area of operation, but looks really interesting) - North Sydney Council 16 November Ocean Crusaders - Cooks River Hardcore Clean - By Thirst Trap Canned Water 17 November Cooks River Hardcore Clean - Ocean Crusaders 18 November Opening of McIlwaine Park 19 November Sydney Harbour Marine Education and Research (MER) Activity - Dr Joseph DiBattista 22 November - Speakers Talk: Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race – A water level perspective - Australian National Maritime Museum 22 November Wetland Education and Training (WET) Program - Sydney Olympic Park 23 November Marine Muster Schools Event 25 November Pimp My Jetty Sydney Harbour - OzFish Unlimited 26 Novemebr - 3 December Ocean Festival - Northern Beaches Council 27 November - 1 December Beach Safety Week/ Big Beach Week - Surf Life Saving NSW |
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We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognise their continuing connection with, and knowledge about, land, waters and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures; and to Elders past, present and emerging.
