Tsuyoshi Ito, Deputy Director
Eighteen junior high school students from Nagoya visited Geelong from 24-27 March to further their environmental education. This people-to-people exchange is made possible by the 2007 Wetlands Agreement between Nagoya City and the City of Greater Geelong, based on both cities having wetlands of international importance under the auspices of the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Since 2007, Nagoya has sent a delegation to Geelong every two years, with 2014 being the fourth delegation to visit. The environmental exchange activity focuses on measures to protect and maintain a sustainable wetland environment for migratory birds and other creatures, for the sake of future generations.
The delegation attended a welcoming ceremony organised by Gary Van Driel, General Manager City Services; Councillor Andy Richards, responsible for environmental issues, gave a warm welcoming address to the delegation. The students from Nagoya were deeply impressed by Geelong’s kind hospitality during their sojourn.
During their four-day trip to Geelong, through reporting on the condition of wetland conservation activities and engaging in environmental education with the local Queenscliff Primary School – including a field trip to the wetland conservation area – both cities’ school students deepened mutual exchange and understand through their work on environmental protection.
Particularly, while observing the living creatures at the wetlands extending on Swan Bay, both sets of students began to chat with each other; it seemed as if they all felt the magnitude and importance of protecting the wildlife in the wetlands.
