Have you ever been surrounded by a group of people who share your passion and are ready to make a difference? Dr Michelle Blewitt and Dr Scott Wilson had the pleasure of finding themselves in this exact situation in October 2018 at the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) Conference held at the Southern Cross University, Gold Coast.
Joined by Kate Keary, our Education Specialist, and Tony Wilson, from the Coastal Environment Centre, Northern Beaches Sydney, the team presented a workshop on AUSMAP to an very interested and passionate crowd. Filling these seats were attendees from across Australia, representing areas such as environmental education centres, teachers, local councils and Land Care.
The workshop began with an information session on AUSMAP followed by practical hands on activity, to develop an understanding of some of the techniques involved. The environment was buzzing and inquiries were pouring in from Cairns, Perth, Victoria and everywhere in between, wanting to incorporate AUSMAP into their programmes.
Immediate action of our methodology is already occurring in Cairns where, the educators from Holloways Beach Environmental Education Centre, have introduced AUSMAP to their STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) camps. With sieves in hand, we are confident that they will collecting reliable data on microplastics!
Thank you to everyone for their time and interest in AUSMAP, each time this information is shared we are growing our collective, building a stronger community, and eventually database, that will support the understanding of microplastics in Australia. It truly is something everyone can get involved with, if you have any interest or enquiries yourself please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Written by: Beth Vanderhaven (AUSMAP Social Media Coordinator, Volunteer), Program Director Dr Michelle Blewitt
Photos: Program Director Dr Michelle Blewitt