NSW Environmental Education Centres

Natural learning

Awabakal Environmental Education Centre

Awabakal EEC

Awabakal Environmental Education Centre, is a NSW Department of Education school. The Centre has two campuses, the Dudley Campus, located adjacent to Awabakal Nature Reserve and the Wetlands Campus, located within the grounds of the Hunter Wetlands Centre. 

Awabakal Environmental Education Centre provides environmental and sustainability education for students and teachers in Newcastle and the Hunter Region. All programs reflect the NSW curriculum outcomes and the Department Environmental Education Policy for Schools requirements. Staff are Department of Education teachers with specialisation in environmental education. 

Awabakal Environmental Education Centre offers a range of educational excursion opportunities for students from Kindergarten to Year 12. 

The Dudley Campus has been operating since 1976 and is one of the oldest Environmental Education Centres in the state. This Campus sits on the edge of Awabakal Nature Reserve, with outdoor learning spaces, classroom and access to walking trails. 

The Wetlands Campus, located at Hunter Wetlands Centre, Australia, a 45 hectare site located west of Newcastle in the Hunter Region of NSW. It includes natural, rehabilitated and artificial wetlands surrounded by landscaped gardens attracting many wetland animals, including over 200 bird species throughout the year. The centre sits on Awabakal Country.

The school education program is offered through a purpose built centre, which includes a classroom, science laboratory and theatre. 

Awabakal Environmental Education Centre excursions are conducted on our campus locations in addition to a range of locations including Awabakal Nature Reserve, Glenrock State Conservation Area, Merewether Beach, Redhead Beach, Stockton Beach, Kooragang Island, Nobbys Beach, Newcastle Foreshore and inner city Newcastle. 

Visit Awabakal EEC website

Maps end here
Skip GoogleMap
Skip GoogleMap
Maps end here

Coastal Studies

Science

Stage 3

Students explore the rock platform and beach environment, participating in investigations looking at the physical conditions of these environments and adaptations that help living things survive in these conditions. Students also learn about actions they can take in creating a sustainable future in this environment.

Activities:

  • Rock platform adaptations exploration
  • Investigation of the effect of rock pool water temperature on biodiversity
  • Investigation of physical conditions on the beach including measuring air temperature, wind speed and sand temperature. Discussion of the adaptations of dune plants to survive in these conditions

AUSMAP (Australian Microplastics Assessment Project) Citizen Science activityProgram details

Program details

View all available programs

Coastal Change and Management (Stockton Beach)

Geography

Stage 5

Students investigate causes, extent and consequences of human induced environmental change at Stockton Beach. Students discuss biophysical processes and collect data on the physical environment. They investigate and evaluate the management of environmental change in this coastal environment.

The program will include:

  • Introduction
  • Observing, describing and evaluating environmental management and change at this location
  • Data collection on aspects of the physical environment (e.g. Air temperature, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, long shore drift direction) and discussion biophysical processes
  • Construction of a vegetation transect using a vegetation field guide
  • Conduct an investigation of micro and macro plastics at this location
  • Field sketch
  • Examination of coastal processes

Program details

View all available programs

Learning resources

Under development

Student activities

View all learning resources

NSW Environmental Education Centres

We would like to pay our respects and acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land and also pay respect to Elders both past and present.

Copyright for this website is owned by the State of New South Wales through the Department of Education. For more information go to http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/footer/copyright.