Rio Tinto Earth Assist - a partnership between RioTinto and Conservation Volunteers Australia

School Holiday Program December - BOOK NOW!!

Sick of sitting in front of the tv during your holidays? Get out of the house and into the environment with the Rio Tinto Earth Assist school holiday program! Open to secondary school students from all over Perth, you will get the chance to meet new people, learn new skills and make a difference to our local environment.

To book, go onto the Bookings tab, fill in your details and submit it to us.

For more information, click here.

 

Rio Tinto Earth Assist program has won an award at the 2011 WA Environment Awards!

The hard work and enthusiasm of our student volunteers has made Rio Tinto Earth Assist a hugely successful program, with nominations and an award in the WA Environment Awards.

Rio Tinto Earth Assist was nominated as finalists in two categories of the WA Environment Awards: Estuaries, Rivers and Wetlands; and Environmental Education and Communication.

Rio Tinto Earth Assist took home the award in the category of Environmental Education and Communication!

This is a HUGE honour because it means that the environmental community has recognised that our program is making a difference not only to the environment, but to the education, experiences and attitudes of high school students in WA. Congratulations!

For more details, click here.

What have we been up to?

Recently, Rio Tinto Earth Assist worked Mackillop Catholic College and Busselton Senior High School down in Busselton. The students got to do firewood collection, Marine Debris surveys, nature reserve maintenance, plant propogation, and weeding. Some other activities that the students participated in included Birds of Prey presentations at the Eagle Heritage Centre, fauna handling and presentations, and a trip to the Dolphin Discovery Centre in Bunbury.

We also worked with Thornlie Christian College, with 2 groups of students, and took them to the Kaarakin Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre. The students collected seeds for the Nannup cockatoo rehabilitation centre as their forests were burnt from the recent fires. There was also some mulching done of a living stream project on Kaarakin, cage cleaning, and bird and wildlife feeding. The students thoroughly enjoyed their close encounters with the Black Cockatoos.

Thanks to all project partners involved, and thanks to all the students who got stuck in to make a difference in their environment.

Check out the article here!

Australian environmental news 

See what's happening in your backyard and check out the articles below.

• The decline in amphibians to accelerate
• Extreme weather to worsen with climate change
• Turtles and dugongs suffer in post flood environment
• Cane toads advance on to Bungle Bungles
• Tom McArthur's Pawpaw products - liquid gold!

ALSO! Check out these recent articles about our native Black Cockatoos and the Red tailed Phascogale.

  

Threats to Black Cockatoo habitats result in protests

In the first week of January, protesters and biologist and cockatoo rescue centre manager Chris Phillips took a stand against tree lopping of essential foraging trees for the rapidly decreasing populations of Black Cockatoos, both Red-tailed Black Cockatoos and the White-tailed Black Cockatoos. Protesters, a biologist and Chris Phillips said the 40-year-old trees are a vital feeding source for the endangered red tailed black cockatoos, which are fighting for survival because of land clearing across Perth.

Click here to read the article.

World environmental news

For all that's happening in the environment around the world check out the articles and videos below.

• Bringing back the dead mammoths
• Future of food now a global battle
• Protecting nature's nomads

• Nigeria's plastic bottle house 

Contribute to Australia's Environmental survey data with Climate Watch

 You can help our scientists by recording information you collect from you local area. Just go to the Climate Watch website and have a look around at how to get involved!

On 16th November 2011, bush ranger cadets from Mandurah Senior College completed surveys along a ClimateWatch trail in Marlee Reserve. Check out the article here.