What's new

A local forest in Aotearoa affected by a tree disease was closed for biosecurity purposes, which left a group of Year 6 children cut off from a place of significance to them. The authors treat the sidelining of children's voices and knowledge as a form of epistemic injustice. They explored how a child-driven environmental communication project using the creative arts could foster children's agency and support protection of the forest. The arts helped the children engage meaningfully with the issue and express their own visions for sustainable futures. Acting as environmental communicators also restored their relationship with the forest and rebalanced the power structures that had left them feeling marginalised.

Why it matters in Aotearoa

Biosecurity closures can limit access to local places that schools use for outdoor learning. This study describes one way to keep children connected to such a place and to give their voices real weight in local environmental issues.

Putting it into practice

When a local site closes or becomes restricted, plan a project where students use art, media or performance to tell the community about the place and how to protect it.

How strong is the evidence

A study of one group of Year 6 children in one local setting. The abstract does not state the research design, sample size or how data were collected, so treat the findings as illustrative.

What to read

The full article, especially the sections on the child-centred relational approach and how the children's communication work took shape.

Who it's for