2013 TropEco Award winners

Curriculum Award

Winner

• Dr Louisa Tomas & Dr Kelsey Halbert - for co-developing and introducing core subjects in Education for Sustainability (EfS) in the Bachelor of Education.

As students transition into the degree, ED1411: Foundations of Sustainability in Education provides a strong foundation in the principles and practices of EfS, and challenges students to engage with contemporary sustainability issues as informed citizens.

As a capstone to the degree, ED4460: Service Learning For Sustainable Futures Empowers students to apply knowledge of sustainability and their capacities as agents of change as they transition out into the teaching profession.

Highly commended – Cairns

• Dr Sharon Harwood – for development and implementation of the subject - Planning for Sustainable Communities.

Highly commended – Townsville

• Dr Emma Gyuris – for development and implementation of the subjects - Environmental Economics and Environmental Impact Assessment.
• Solar Chemicals Research Group - for its work in developing three economically viable, green manufacturing processes, using sustainable starting materials and solar radiation.

Outstanding Research

Highly Commended

• Mangrove Watch - for their community and science partnership program for monitoring health and sustainability of coastal and estuarine ecosystems, involving 500 community volunteers and extending from Torres Strait to Moreton Bay and beyond.
• Solar Chemicals Research Group - for its work in developing three economically viable, green manufacturing processes, using sustainable starting materials and solar radiation.
• JCU eResearch Team - ’ for their outstanding contribution and commitment to the Townsville Solar City and Smarter City Projects.
• Dr Jairo Rivera – for the research and development of oxbile injections to rapidly and effectively kill crown-of-thorns starfish.

Campus Award

Winner

• Samantha Forbes & Alana Valero – for their Cairns Campus ecological restoration project.

This involved developing a detailed planting plan for two sites on campus, gaining support and funding from JCU Estates and TropEco and building a partnership with the Cairns Regional Council – where almost all materials, plants and equipment is being provided in-kind from Council.  Alana and Sam sourced expert advice where required and have put together a proposal that goes well beyond anyone’s expectations.  The final arrangements are underway and the planting will happen on 9 November 2013. The planting day will be a community day, with a talk on the theory behind what they are doing and a shared lunch for volunteers.

Highly commended – Cairns

• The Green Switch - Annemarie Theuma & Shelley Smith – for leading the Student Council to push for more sustainable operations and activities through the Green Switch initiative.
• Estate Office Cairns – for various initiatives to reduce their environmental impact and minimise waste production.

Highly commended – Townsville

• Gail Harrower – for her leadership in implementing sustainable initiatives at the JCU Halls of Residences
• JCU Green Bike Fleet – for providing International students with refurbished second hand bikes at low cost

Community Award

This award recognises someone who has engaged with and/or developed partnerships with the JCU or wider community to help promote a more sustainable society.

Winner

• Josh McIntyre – for transforming the Townsville bike workshop into a vibrant, social hub for cyclists, providing free mechanical services for students and staff, and initiating the refurbishment of second hand bikes for students, which led to the JCU Green Bike Fleet program.

Highly commended – Cairns

• JCU Sustainability Club – for its effective engagement of students and with the local Cairns community.
• Hansley Gumbaketi – for engaging with the Cairns community through the safer together forum and other initiatives.

Highly commended – Townsville

• Kallum Jones – for cataloguing over 200 species of useful plants and mapping out edible and useful plants on the Townsville Campus.
• Diane Garvey – for providing cycling skills training to the local community through the AustCycle program.

Culture Award

Winner

• The Green Switch - Annemarie Theuma & Shelley Smith - for leading the Student Council to push for more sustainable operations and activities through the Green Switch initiative.

• Events as part of the ‘Green Switch’ include:
• A weekly Student Kitchen offering a free healthy, vegetarian meal to students.
• Two ‘Clothes ‘n Stuff Swap’ days to encourage recycling, reusing and a shift away from consumerism.
• Initiating talks around the use of single use plastic bottles on campus and creating a plastic reduction campaign.
• - Implementation of the Bio-Regen food waste system.

These events directly engage students and challenge ideas surrounding every day practices.

Highly commended – Cairns

• Johanna Kloot – for her leadership in developing the JCU Sustainability Club and associated initiatives, with a vision to bring together a group of students that shared, networked, learned, and contributed to their community.
• JCU Sustainability Club – for developing a culture of sustainability at JCU through effective leadership, and development of human capital within its student members.

Highly commended – Townsville

• Dr F Joseph Pollock – for founding and implementing the activities of the organisation - Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Marine Science.

TropEco Excellence Award

Winner

• Annemarie Theuma - for her work in developing and implementing the Green Switch program and implementing more sustainable operations and culture within the JCU Student Association.

Annemarie has implemented a number of sustainability initiatives in the Student Association and has been an effective advocate and leader in sustainability discussions. Annemarie is the project manager for the Student Association’s “The Green Switch program” which came about as a result of a sustainability audit Annemaire undertook on the JCUSA. Annemarie has secured the growing commitment of staff and students to implementing sustainable practices in the JCUSA.

Highly commended – Cairns

• Johanna Kloot - for her leadership in developing the JCU Sustainability Club and associated initiatives, with a vision to bring together a group of students that shared, networked, learned, and contributed to their community.
• Alana Valero – for her work on various projects as a sustainability intern at JCU, volunteering over 250 hours, and the development of a restoration program for two sites on Atika Creek on the Cairns Campus.

Highly commended – Townsville

• Kallum Jones - for cataloguing over 200 species of useful plants and mapping out edible and useful plants on the Townsville Campus, volunteering over 250 hours to date.
• Jade Gould – for developing the JCU Indigenous Student Association and various leadership activities.