Sector board volunteers are the latest in a long line of contributors to life in the Noosa Biosphere. Please add acknowledgements to the Noosa Wiki
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Boronia Keysii © Stephanie Haslam
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The Education, Research & Development Sector Board
The Education, Research & Development (ER&D) Sector Board aims to foster education, research and capacity building within the Noosa Biosphere reserve. In doing so, there will become a heightened community awareness, along with some behaviour changes over time, that will lead to a more sustainable future. Please feel very welcome to contact us.
Current Members
Kate English
ER&D Board Gov. Rep.
Sonia Marshall
ER & D Board Technical Advisor
Tim Vercoe
David Turner
Neil Tindale
Ockie Bosch
Gemma Wright
Johanna Rosier
Riq de Carvalho
Stephanie Haslam
View ER&D board member profiles >About the ER&D Sector Board
“Biosphere reserves are the only internationally designated areas whose explicit mission it is to build context-specific and long standing relationships between conservation, development, learning and practical knowledge”. Dr Natarajan Ishwaran, UNESCO.
Education
The Man in the Biosphere Reserve system has ‘learning’ as one of the three complementary functions of a Biosphere Reserve.
With world class primary and secondary schools within our Biosphere boundaries the ER&D Board will capitalise on the opportunity to partner with schools to help educate our children about environmentally sustainable development.
See the youth section for some of our current projects.
Education should not, however, be limited to schools and school children. The ER&D Board is building links with other educational organisations and institutions within the region, around the country and around the world.
Research & Development
In partnership with the Environment Sector Board, the ER&D Board will be working with experts to establish benchmarks to monitor changes in our natural and built environment. This type of research is crucial in developing a greater understanding of both of our past and our foreseeable future.
UNESCO’s agenda of creating ‘living laboratories for sustainability’ provides our Noosa Biosphere with a focus; the ER&D board has commenced collaborative discussions with Universities and other research providers to help achieve that focus.
Knowledge into action
Converting knowledge gained into action is a critical step in the journey. The knowledge gained through research, community participation activities, along with knowledge gained from practical experience throughout our entire community, is knowledge worth sharing.
The Noosa Biosphere Reserve community of volunteers are helping to document that knowledge and make the linkages across various communities. Both local communities, including our Great Sandy Biosphere Reserve neighbour, and international communities are keen for an open dialogue on best practice initiatives.
Looking forward
As our conversations with other communities and education organisations become more progressed we will be holding workshops, forums and events where community participation is welcome. We also welcome hearing about what you are doing and how we can assist.
We look forward to your involvement.
Please feel very welcome to contact us.
Meeting schedules
The Sector Boards meet every 6 weeks, usually at the Sunshine Coast Council chambers in Tewantin. If you wish to attend, please let us know and you will be warmly welcomed. Please check our events calendar for upcoming meetings.
No announcements found.Meeting Minutes (latest)
Meeting minutes are recorded and subsequently approved at the next sector board meeting. They are hence being uploaded to the website with a 6 weekly delay. For older meeting minutes see the archive.
more information about our community sector boards
Documents & Resources
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Acknowledgements
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