Environmental Education

Environmental Education is rooted in the belief that humans can live compatibly with nature, act equitably with each other, and make informed decisions that consider future generations. Environmental Education aims for a democratic society in which effective, environmentally literate citizens participate with creativity and responsibility.

Cruickston Charitable Research Reserve resolves to provide access to its interpretive resources through its Interpretive Centre initiatives and programs to advance Environmental Education for the benefit of residents of, and visitors to, Waterloo Region.

CCRR strives to instill in both individuals and community the components of Environmental Education as enunciated in the Tbilisi Declaration, United Nations ESCO, 1978, and unanimously reaffirmed in the Thessaloniki Declaration, UNESCO 1997.

• awareness and sensitivity to the environment and associated challenges
• knowledge and understanding of environment and associated challenges
• attitudes of concern for the environment together with motivation and commitment to improve or maintain environmental quality
• development of necessary skills to identify and help resolve environmental challenges
• participation in activities that lead to the resolution of environmental challenges

CCRR has begun consultation to develop Environmental Education opportunities on-site that will assist and complement where possible in-school programs for public, private and separate schools within the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Events include programs and activities that promote life-long learning opportunities in Environmental Education for all citizens of our region.

Heritage Education

In time, the resources of CCRR will provide opportunities for the development of Heritage Education at Cruickston. Human history on Cruickston lands extends from the time of nomadic hunter-gatherers at the end of the last Ice Age to present-day.

What’s Happening

During Spring 2003, CCRR undertook pilot projects with several teachers and their students from elementary, secondary, college and university programs. Although not in position to offer interpretive programs at this point, CCRR is responding to requests by individual teachers with the purpose of identifying our niche within environmental education in this region of Ontario and to learn about expectations that educators have of our interpretive resources.