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<FONT FACE="rockwell"><center>Hello and welcome
to the ecological footprint project:
helping children to live
more sustainably. All the sections of the site are laid out on a
suspiciously simple looking series of links below...
A recommended starting point is finding out exactly
what an<BR> 'eco</FONT>
<FONT COLOR="#ffffff">logical footprint' is
and how a group in
Sheffield set about transforming it, to transform lives....
</center> </H3>
<H2> <FONT FACE="ARIAL">THE PROJECT </H2>
<BR>
<H3> <FONT FACE="ARIAL">The Footprint </H3>
<H5>The ecological footprint measures human impact
on nature. In
order to live, people consume, or 'use up', natural
resources, and this ulimately results in waste. Given that
we all have an impact on our planet an important question to ask
is do we take more from the Earth
than it has to offer?
The Ecological Footprint measures what we
consume of nature. It shows how much productive
land and water we occupy to produce all the resources
we consume and to take in all the waste we make.</H5>
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<H5> Given that the earth
is a finite size, that the resource base is not expanding whilst population and
consumption per capita are, what is a fair earth share to consume? Nature provides an
average of 5 acres of bioproductive space for every
person in the world. With a global population of 10
billion for the year 2050, the available space will be
reduced to 3 acres. This should also give room for the
25 million other species. Already, humanity's footprint
may be over 30 percent larger than what the world has
to offer as it consumes more than what nature can
provide.</H5>
<BR>
<H3> <FONT FACE="ARIAL">The Project </H3>
<H5><p>
The aim of the pilot ecological footprint programme
has been to promote
living more sustainably by increasing understanding
amongst Year Five Primary School children about the
natural world, its processes and systems, and how
our lifestyles can effect these.
</p>
<p>
The project works with three Sheffield
schools (two primary and one special) and uses the
ecological footprint concept as a framework for a
range of inputs and school visits that make use of
local expertise in education for sustainable
development. Teachers have been involved in the
planning stages and helped shape the content to work
with their National Curriculum targets.
The overall plan was to start with an inspiring
'hands on' trip exploring the natural world, followed
by a lesson where children work out their footprint.
Further sessions enable children to find out in more
detail the different aspects that make up their
footprint, how these effect issues of the environment
and development, and ways they and their families can
reduce their overall impact. The project will end
with a round up of the years work with a visit to the
Earth Centre and a recalculation of children’s global
footprint scores.
<BR>
<BR>
Specifically the project has involved:<BR>
· a day visit to Losehill Hall to undertake an Earth
Caretakers course
<BR>· a lesson from the Earthcentre where children work
out their ‘Global Footprint’
<BR>· a visit to Heeley City Farm, where activities have
ranged from children recycling their Christmas trees
to helping make compost
<BR>· a lesson from Schools and Homes Energy Efficiency
Project (SHEEP), which includes the construction of a
solar powered model car
<BR>· a lesson by Sheffield Wildlife Action Partnership
which has involved practical outdoor activities
centered around the issue of biodiversity
<BR>· a lesson by the Development Education Centre (South
Yorkshire) where children relate their global
footprints to the issue of global warming and less
industrialised countries
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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<CENTRE><H6>Here's to the ecological footprint project:<BR>
Children on their visit to the Earth Centre, Summer, 2001
</H6></Center>
<BR>
The recalculation of children’s ‘Global Footprint’
scores at the Earth Centre is a way of evaluating
the impact of the various lessons and visits.
In addition more qualitative
evaluation has included using a simple questionnaire,
undertaking a global post-it activity and
collating small group discussions.
<BR>
<p>
Click on the links below to navigate around the site.</p><BR>
<p>
<A HREF="whoweare.htm" TARGET="welcome">
Who we are/<BR>
Funding</a>
<p><a
href="projectresources.htm" TARGET="welcome">
Project Resources</a></p>
<p><a
href="evaluation.htm" TARGET="welcome">
<FONT COLOR="#FFOOOO">E</FONT>valuation</a></p>
<p><a
href="contactus.htm" TARGET="welcome">
<FONT COLOR="#FFOOOO">C</FONT>ontact Us</a></p>
<p><a
href="otherlinks.htm" TARGET="welcome">
<FONT COLOR="#FFOOOO">O</FONT>ther Links</a></p>
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