Warnbro Community High School is hosting an international Conference on Forward Educational Practices. At this conference world famous environmentalist Dr. David Bellamy is the leading keynote speaker.

Some of the delegates going to Salem, Oregon, for the International Youth Summit in September, 1997, are running their own presentations. The students are presenting their workshops on what the school's environmental group has been doing over the past 3 years. The students will also show people what they can do to help our environment. The 5 students who are presenting the workshop are part of the Australian Delegation. They are Colin Bunce, Melissa Swadling, Keah Paxton, Nerida Mills, and Rebecca Celenza. The 5 students have been attending after school classes for 1 hour every Wednesday to prepare for the summit. The students are being helped by Miss Keshwar who is the Learning Team One environmental teacher.

The workshops will run for 3 days, and people will pay $20 to come and see the presentations and to hear Dr. Bellamy's daily speeches. Some of the topics the students will talk about are the history of the Warnbro Environment Group, how to recycle, how to be water wise, and salinity. The workshop has created such interest that it will be video taped and photographed by a digital camera. It is also hoped that one or more of the local television stations will come down and video tape the days' proceedings so that the school can get as much exposure as possible.

It is a real pleasure being able to present a workshop and getting to meet and mix with Dr. David Bellamy. It is a really good way of learning how to speak confidently and that will help us at the summit come September.

This great man looms over his audience; he is a solid figure accompanied by an incredible, distinct booming voice assuring his identity in any place would not remain anonymous. Listeners take pleasure and honor in absorbing the amazing and relevant information of his lecture and his departure is followed by a long period of applause.

This man is Dr. David Bellamy, the number one environmentalist in the world. It is fair to say he is the leader of an army of "greenies", fighting the battle for the health and happiness of the world. Bellamy has taught and inspired thousands of people to help the environment and its inhabitants, and having him speak at the 1997 Warnbro Community High School Forward Education Practice Conference has been the school's greatest honor to date.

On Thursday, 17th April, an audience of 200 people waited expectantly to listen to the man whose face (in the eyes of the media) is synonymous with environmental protection and whose extensive academic qualifications, including five honorary doctorates as well as a traditional doctorate in the field of botany, would silence any challengers who might accuse him of not knowing what he is talking about. Dr. Bellamy's lectures tell of the earth at risk, threatened by a heartless enemy who needlessly steals the lives of 10,000 humans and three species every day. We can't expect our government to help us, nor our school, or even our parents because the insidious beast is ourselves. We caused the damage to our planet, are aware of it, and hence it is up to us to restore the world's beauty and keep the beast at bay.

Over the next few days, Bellamy reveals that the three main causes of environmental damage are overpopulation, ignorance, and apathy. In today's society the birth rate greatly exceeds the number of deaths, and by the year 2020 the earth will be shared by approximately 10.2 billion people. More land will be reclaimed to house and feed them and more waste products will need to be disposed of. There needs to be population control for both humans and animals to reduce the inherent stress on the environment.

Ignorance also needs to be addressed. Many people are still unaware of the damage we are causing to our environment or do not know how to help. Some people refuse to believe their lifestyle is damaging. For example, coral and reef ecosystems are destroyed daily by divers touching and removing the coral. If divers swam wearing no gloves or fins, they would not be as tempted to interfere with the sharp coral. Marine life is greatly threatened by overfishing, dynamiting and using cyanide to poison fish. Fishermen and companies could instead nourish the wildlife and begin a sustainable tourism industry which would provide enough money for food and essentials. Similarly, parts of Kalimantan rainforest are being converted into palm oil plantations even though it's incredible wildlife would collect a huge income from tourism.

Apathy also has an impact on the environment. If a positive contribution to the environment does not reap immediate and drastic rewards, people may be reluctant to continue helping. A lot of responsibility is also involved with helping the environment, and no one wants to take the blame for any mistakes. Yet, Dr. David Bellamy remains optimistic and confident the world will be resurrected in time. He firmly adheres to the Agenda 21 philosophy, Think Globally, Act Locally. He feels that the solutions will come from communities mending their own problems, and that the open-minded children of today will use modern technology to counteract environmental problems.

Above all, Dr. Bellamy's hope lies in the new generation. Listening to the doctor, his enthusiasm that life and beauty will prevail is contagious. Congratulations on a lifetime of accomplishments Dr. David Bellamy. We hope not to disappoint you.

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