Sydney Harbour - Environmental Change and Management

This excursion explores the Environmental Change and Management Year 10 Geography topic. Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River Catchment provide an excellent setting to explore a natural harbour, and crucial watershed, that form a complex geographic region, shaped by natural processes and human activity.

The harbour and catchment have been impacted by historical land-use changes, heavy industrial use, and urban development. These uses have presented a range of challenges from pollution, urban runoff, and habitat degradation.

​Sustainable management strategies and habitat restoration efforts are being implemented to continue to improve water quality, biodiversity and the overall health of the river and the harbour. 

Syllabus Content

Investigative study
Select ONE type of environment in Australia as the context for a comparative study with at least ONE other country.
Students:

•  Investigate the biophysical processes essential to the functioning of the selected environment
  • Explanation of how the biophysical processes operating in the environment maintain its functioning    
• Investigate the causes, extent and consequences of the environmental change 
  • Examination of the causes and extent of change to the environment in each country  
  • Analysis of the short and long-term consequences of the environmental change in each country  
• Investigate the management of the environmental change, for example: 
  
  • Discussion of the factors influencing the management responses in each country eg worldviews, competing demands, technology, climate change    
  • Comparison and evaluation of the effectiveness of the management responses in achieving environmental sustainability  
  • Proposal of how individuals could contribute to achieving environmental sustainability for the environment in each country   

Geographical Tools

Fieldwork

• Formulate geographical questions for investigation
• Identify, collect and record geographical data and information
• Construct a log of events and activities that records the development of a fieldwork activity
• Synthesise and interpret fieldwork data
• Evaluate a fieldwork activity

Bookings

Cost

$40 per student

Minimum booking size

Excursions need a minimum of 15 students to run, or a minimum cost of $600 (including GST).
Please contact us if you have a class smaller than 15 and we can try to combine with a second school.

Booking Inquiry

Location

Resources

Sydney Estuary

Living Seawalls