WCC 2016 Res 031 - Activity Report

New Zealand’s Strategy and Action Plan on Environmental Education for Sustainability includes specific actions to raise awareness of best practice; and demand for environmental education. New Zealand also runs campaigns and professional development to build capacity and capability in environmental education, and in connecting young people to nature.

New Zealand implements the motion through a broad range of networks:
• Government: Healthy Nature Healthy People has been shared with more than 50 government organisations within the health, education, wellbeing, recreation and corporate sectors. We have worked across government to develop a Strategy and Action Plan to advance Environmental Education for Sustainability across New Zealand.
• Educators: we support the New Zealand Association of Environmental Educators.
• Non-government Organisations: Partnerships, collaboration and networking with a wide range of NGOs, sharing best practice and supporting their work.
• Internationally: through international collaboration and relationship development, e.g. at the World Congress on Public Health (April 2017) and the Global Environmental Education Partnership.

New Zealand’s Healthy Nature Healthy People programme has included:
• development of outreach and recreation products designed to engage new audiences and encourage them to get out into nature;
• developing corporate partnerships that help us reach and engage with new audiences;
• social media campaigns encouraging people to head outdoors and into nature for increased health and wellbeing;
• an annual advocacy week focused on encouraging New Zealanders to explore their backyards and experience nature;
• working with the education sector to increase the use of conservation as a context for teaching and learning, site based education programmes and annual campaigns. We offer initiatives to activate New Zealanders and spark interest in conservation including trialling new ways to engage youth;
• development of case studies for our #NatureForAll platform and to raise awareness of exemplary practice country wide.

New Zealand has undertaken a number of research projects in relation to Healthy Nature Healthy People. These include research into:
• urban population engagement;
• community engagement and participation in pest eradication;
• the ageing and disability communities;
• connection to nature for both children and adults

New Zealand is playing a role in international conferences and programmes including:
• World Congress on Public Health in Melbourne (April 2017)
• WCPA Health and Wellbeing Specialist Group

Healthy Nature Healthy People has also recently been incorporated into the national Physical Activity and Nutrition for Under 5’s guidelines, launched by the NZ Ministry of Health.