The meeting began with an insightful discussion about environmental education, representation, nature as a cultural and societal concept, and how virtual worlds like Second Life can be used to teach sustainability. When the talk drew to a close, Joseph took us on a guided tour of some selected in-world environmental education sites. The session was concluded on a small hilltop overlooking Genome Island, one of the great places we visited during the course of our little metaverse safari. For those of you who did not have the opportunity to participate the names, descriptions, and addresses to the environmental education sites visited during today’s meeting – and many more – can be found in this list of resources, kindly complied by Joseph for this occasion.
The organizers would like to extend a big thank you to all the participants, and to Joseph Clark, our guest for the day!
Selected Environmental Education Sites in SL In No Particular Order compiled by Joseph Clark (SL: JS Saltwater), Florida State University, December 2010
(Please note that these sites are constantly evolving and that this is by no means a comprehensive list–but it’s a good sampling of what’s out there in late 2010.).
· Campus Virtual FI-UNAM, Ingenieria UNAM. Information about a math ed project: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Ingenieria%20UNAM/241/131/23
· Etopia Eco Village - Environment, Etopia Island (193, 56, 22). Model cohousing and green-living arrangements: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Etopia%20Island/193/57/22
· US Department of Energy (DOE) Is, Energy (94, 186, 44). Exhibits and displays: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Energy/117/132/46
· CREATION MONOLITH BIOME (128, 127, 26). Biodiversity, classification, ecology, biology: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/BIOME/128/128/28
· Genome Island, Genome (117, 145, 52). Genetics: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Genome/118/145/53
· ><)))”> Splash Aquatics, Gooruembalchi (111, 176, 70). Lifelike and accurate marine life for your SL constructions: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gooruembalchi/120/179/70
· Dive and Explore, DAN (56, 127, 51). One of the better virtual coral reefs is just offshore: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/DAN/57/127/52
· Polluted Harbor, Caletta. A great place to stimulate discussion about the lifecycles of consumer products, or the hidden costs of industrialization, or even environmental justice issues: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Calleta/99/214/27
· Oil Rig, ANWR. This is the tongue-in-cheek “prim rig” but it’s a great “platform” for conversations about offshore oil drilling: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ANWR/102/168/40
· The Weather Channel HQ. NO LONGER EXISTS - but it was a great place to talk about nature in the media. And yet, isn’t all of this “Nature in the media”?
· Center of Water Studies, Better World. Great models of aquatic environments and a clearinghouse for information: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Better%20World/48/28/21
· The Abyss Observatory , Second Earth 3 (213, 35, 22). Excellent exhibit on deep-sea life: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Second%20Earth%203/214/35/23
Portals to environmental groups in SL:
· Commonwealth - Community for No, Commonwealth Island (67, 221, 31): http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Commonwealth%20Island/68/221/31
· ECO Commons @NPSL, ECO Commons (29, 20, 26): http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ECO%20Commons/30/20/27
Marine science and weather exhibits and activities:
· NOAA’s Second Island Okeanos, Okeanos (62, 214, 30): http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Okeanos/63/214/30
· NOAA Virtual Island in SciLands, Meteora (176, 160, 26): http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Meteora/177/161/27
Several “beautiful nature” builds that can be approached from a culture-studies perspective to unpack ideologies of nature:
· The SL Botanical Gardens , The Botanical Gardens (193, 59, 39): http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Botanical%20Gardens/194/60/38
· Tanglewood Forest, Caledon Tanglewood (128, 210, 22): http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Botanical%20Gardens/194/60/38
· *******JAPAN TEMPURA ISLAND ***, tempura island (168, 118, 22): http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/tempura%20island/125/45/33
Kim Holmberg/Zwiers EduFinland, Tapahtumat
