About Us

History

NZAEE promotes environmental education initiatives at both a national and regional level.  We have seven regional branches; Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Wellington, Christchurch and Southern.

NZAEE:

• Offers a national environmental education conference every two years
• Coordinates Seaweek at the national level
• Frequently hosts workshops and forums
• Is an active participant in a number of initiatives including the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. 
• Serves in an advisory capacity on an array of environmental education issues.

Take time to read our vision statement for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

Established in 1984, NZAEE's primary objective is to foster the development of environmental education in New Zealand. 

At the 2004 AGM, NZAEE adopted two policies that called for environmental education to be considered a formal component of the New Zealand Curriculum.  Our work programme continues to reflect our commitment to realising this important goal.

The NZAEE 2005 - 2014 UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development Vision Statement

To help achieve a successful Decade of Education for Sustainable Development the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education will have assisted in the progressive transformation of our society's understandings, values, behaviours, lifestyles and policies towards a sustainable future.

By 2015 NZAEE will have:

1. Encouraged Central Government to:
• Establish an inter-ministerial coordinating body on EE/ESF to oversee the implementation of EE/ESF in government policies and planning;
• Promote and support EE/ESF initiatives.
  
2. Encouraged local government to:
• Establish networks which promote and implement EE/ESF practices in their districts, cities and regions;
• Include EE/ESF policies and outcomes in their planning;
• Support EE/ESF actions within communities.
  
3. Advocated for the Ministry of Education and teacher training institutions to:
• Reorient the emphasis of present environmental education programmes towards the broader concept and practices of sustainability;
• Reorient the curriculum to include mandatory EE/ESF and to provide subsequent advisory support and review procedures;
• Model sustainable practices in the operation and management of teacher training institutions;
• Establish evaluation procedures for these practices and programmes.
• Maximised the opportunities presented as a national networking organisation by:
• Communicating and celebrating successful practices to assist EE/ESF becoming an accepted part of public and media consciousness;
• Maintaining a watching brief at local and national levels to assess the extent to which EE/ESF is prioritised by relevant organisations;
• Continuing support for local and national EE/ESF programmes and fostering partnerships for action.
  
4. Helped ensure that marine education is an essential part of EE/ESD by:
• Collaborating with national and regional stakeholders involved in conservation and sustainable use of the marine environment;
• Providing leadership and direction for Seaweek. 

A guiding principle is to reinforce that the environmental component of ESF is the association's priority, while recognising that the environment is inextricably linked with social, cultural and economic aspects of sustainability.