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Urban Bird Workshops Print E-mail

Blacktown Chinese Christian Church Seniors Group birdwatching in Nurragingy Reserve © Sue StevensWho is the workshop for?

This workshop was originally developed for use with members of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, but is suitable for anyone wanting to present a training workshop about the importance of native birds and bird habitat in urban areas. It could be presented as a stand alone workshop about birds, or part of a broader workshop about biodiversity, native animals, native plants, caring for bushland, or sustainable gardening.

This workshop can be used to deliver education in a community language or in English,  in a combination of both languages using a paid bilingual educator, or a council/agency staff member with a community group person being an informal translator. 

The workshop could be presented by:
  • Bilingual environmental educators (for more information about bilingual educators and the  (ECSLP)
  • Environmental educators (delivering in English)
  • Bushcare volunteer supervisors/trainers
  • Council/state agency staff
  • Volunteer environmental educators and interpreters

    New Holland Honeyeater © Sandy Beynon Ways to deliver a workshop

    • Workshops can be held indoors or outdoors, or a combination of both
    • Informal and ‘chatty’ indoor workshops have been trialled with CALD communities and have worked well
    • Outdoor workshops allow people to see living birds, and also provide an opportunity to discuss bird habitat and bird-friendly spaces
    • Indoor/outdoor sessions can be held on the same or separate days, depending on the group and available venue(s)

    What the workshop covers

    The workshop focuses on the positives of having birds in urban spaces, and how to encourage birds to your garden in ways that protect the bird’s health and help to bring back the smaller species that are disappearing from our urban landscapes.

    Topics covered include:
    • Why birds are good for you
    • Birds and habitats
    • Bird watching, bird listening and bird identification
    • Interactions between humans and birds
    • Bird friendly gardens
    Mizaan Ecology & Wellbeing group from the al-Ghazzali Centre for Islamic Sciences and Human Devleopment © Fifi Youssef Workshop resource kits, which include an outline for a 1.5 hour workshop and supporting material, are available from Birds Australia Southern NSW & ACT (BASNA) office at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , phone 02 9647 1033.

    Supporting material includes a resource booklet for educators to use as background to workshop topics, and to help them answer questions from workshop participants. Topics covered in the booklet include:
    • Why conserve birds?
    • Birds as environmental indicators
    • The natural balance & changes in Sydney’s birds
    • Birds and bird habitats
    • Bird watching & where to see birds in Sydney
    • What to do if you find a sick or injured bird
    • Bird food and bird feeding - should I feed wild birds?
    • Making your garden bird friendly
    • Glossary
    • Websites to visit
    Other supporting materials available for use in workshops are a PowerPoint presentation of 30 of Sydney’s most common birds and their calls, and a CD of common Sydney bird calls. These cover most of the birds featured on the Birds in Backyards A4 mini-poster, which is also available from BASNA.

    How to engage a bilingual educator

    Bilingual educators from the Ethnic Communities Sustainable Living Project (ECSLP) conduct workshops and promote projects on various aspects of biodiversity conservation and sustainable living in Chinese, Greek, Arabic, Spanish, Macedonian, Italian, Vietnamese and Korean. The ECSLP can also help put you in touch with local community groups. 

    If you would like support in working with your CALD community, ECSLP can provide:
    • Information about research into CALD communities
    • Broad advice about planning a project for CALD communities and specific advice about individual communities and their related organisations
    • Advice about the effective use of the ethnic media
    • Access to bilingual educators who can help you to:
    1. plan a culturally specific project
    2. develop culturally appropriate translated materials
    3. run face-to-face sessions
    4. access a specific community
    5. design an evaluation plan using culturally appropriate methods of monitoring
    To access this support or to find out more information, visit www.eccnsw.org.au or www.livingthing.net.au or contact the ECSLP Project Officer at the Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW) on 131 555.

    Please note: This program is currently available for the Sydney Metropolitan/Illawarra region only.


     
     

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