As a Marine Biologist and Ecologist, Dr Jason Morton has spent his 20-year career examining organisms and their environment. Over his tenure at Avondale, Jason has been involved in several initiatives that have contributed positively to climate action: “some of the things that we have been doing recently is waste management… obviously recycling and also the 10 cent return bottles, just so we can channel some of that money to charities.” Other initiatives include Solar panels on the roofs of the library and 7 at Avondale buildings.
The Lake Macquarie campus is home to 7-8 kilometres of walking tracks which 15 years ago were laden with the invasive weed, Lantana. The Sandy Creek track, which spans over 1km, was covered in Lantana for most of the walk. Jason recalls, “there was no ability to walk there because of the eight-foot-high [Lantana] all the way to the creek.” Over the past 15 years, thanks to many grants and volunteer efforts the weed has been majorly eradicated from the track. While removing the weeds were the main concern, management of the tracks also ensures that the waterways, wetlands and surrounding lands remain protected.
This ongoing restoration effort aligns closely with global sustainability priorities. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasise the importance of preserving ecosystems, promoting biodiversity, and ensuring responsible land management. In particular, SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) highlight the need for conservation initiatives like this one, which protect natural habitats and improve water quality. “There are 17 SDGs, some to do with people, some to do with planet,” Jason continues, “when it comes to the people ones, [Avondale] is not doing too bad… There's some that perfectly align, things like quality education, gender equality, reduced inequalities, even wellbeing and good health. So, the SDGs very much align with the core values of Avondale.”
Incorporating them into our everyday starts with knowledge, then heart, then action as Jason explains, “[Incorporating] can be done in many ways. It can be done with the mind, that is a cognitive, so what we're teaching. It can be done on an emotional level, so the heart, and this is trying to get action from students in their heart to want to do things. And the final thing is with our hands, which is our actions.”
