Supporting children to care for the natural world from a young age is vital for our future communities. Much of children’s environmental education happens through observation and role-modelling.
At Ambrose Early Years Education, educators are dedicated to teaching through hands-on activities designed to ignite children’s curiosity and nurture their sense of environmental responsibility. This approach to learning about sustainable practices aligns with the Catholic Church’s Laudato Si’ encyclical released by Pope Francis in 2015, which calls for adopting a sustainable lifestyle in response to global needs.
With the support of a newly created Sustainability Network Group, the Ambrose early learning team collaborate on ideas, sharing their passion and enthusiasm, which significantly influences the children.
“Children are inspired by their educators’ enthusiasm and love participating in hands-on experiences,” said Natalie Bugelli, Director of Holy Family Early Learning Emerton and head of the Sustainability Group.
The children at Our Lady Queen of Peace Early Learning in Greystanes have been busy supporting the tiniest garden visitors by creating Bee Watering Stations. Introduced and guided by Educator and Service Sustainability Leader, Carmel De Bono, the children set up small dishes filled with colourful rocks and gems, which they carefully fill with water. These stations attract bees and insects, providing them with a safe place to drink without the risk of getting their wings wet.
“This encourages children to respect the environment and all creatures God created, even if they are small and can sometimes be dangerous,” Service Director Narelle Bolton explained.
“Caring for our environment instils kindness, respect, love and joy for the world around us.”
At St John XXIII Early Learning in Stanhope Gardens, children have been learning how to nurture the plants in their garden using coffee grounds generously donated by a local McDonald’s.
Ambrose St John XXIII Early Learning Stanhope Gardens Educator Rosemarie Espero shows children how to nurture their garden using donated coffee grounds. Image: Ambrose/Supplied.
Educator Rosemarie Espero noticed that bags of used coffee grounds were being discarded and knowing they are rich in essential nutrients for plant growth, decided to show the children how to repurpose them in the preschool’s garden.
Rosemarie values the crucial role educators play in nurturing children’s agency and their right to actively participate in all aspects of their lives. She explains, by teaching small steps towards sustainable living, Educators help children “empower their capacity to advocate and act for positive change.”
Recycling and reusing materials are central to many activities at Ambrose Early Learning Services. At St Luke’s Marsden Park, children have creatively crafted scarecrows for their garden using materials such as cardboard, spare clothes and old brooms.
This activity teaches children the importance of repurposing items in our daily lives, helping to reduce waste and its impact on the environment.
Children from Ambrose St Luke’s Early Learning Marsden Park with scarecrows created using recycled and reused materials. Image: Ambrose/Supplied.
Meanwhile, at Santa Sophia Early Learning Box Hill, children are fostering their creativity and innovative thinking by finding multiple ways to use and reuse materials through loose parts play. They use items such as bottle tops, pegs, leaves, buttons, gum nuts, twigs, stones, pebbles, beads, wool and paddle pop sticks, many of which are collected during community walks, for various art projects and construction activities.
Natalie Bugelli explains that the children at Holy Family Emerton have been learning about different types of recycling, which bins to use for various items and what happens to the waste once the garbage truck collects it.
“It is important to instil these values in children from an early age so they will carry them into the future,” she said.
“Not only does it help them understand the needs of the earth and why it is important to look after it, but the children also take the message home and continue the actions.”
Children at Ambrose Holy Family Early Learning Emerton learning about different types of waste and recycling. Image: Ambrose/Supplied.
Ambrose believes sustainability is not just an activity for children: it is essential. Children will inherit the future of our planet, making it crucial to instil a love for nature and a sense of environmental responsibility.
As Santa Sophia Ambrose Service Director Rachael Heylbut puts it, “In teaching the children about showing respect for the environment, we are reflecting the teachings from the Bible, respecting the world that God created for us all, and ensuring that it exists for those that will follow us.”
Zoe Cartwright is the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Community Ventures.
This article was originally published in the 2024 Season of Creation | Spring edition of the Catholic Outlook Magazine. You can read the digital version here or pick up a copy in your local parish.
