Denmark Environment Centre
Item
Title
Denmark Environment Centre
Website Frontpage
Description
We aim to inspire, educate and connect people in the community to protect, preserve and enhance the natural environment through education, research and advocacy. As a not-for-profit organisation, the Centre relies on membership, donations and volunteers to continue our valuable work .
The Denmark Environment Centre is one of the few remaining community based environment centres in Western Australia. The DEC undertakes advocacy, awareness raising
and support of other groups on a wide range of local environmental issues, such as:
Protection for Greens Pool
Forest protection and activism
Fire management
Catchment management
Water quality and bird habitat in Wilson Inlet
The DEC also houses:
a bookshop and gift shop
a herbarium
a specialist library
Our Vision
To encourage and nurture a sustainable community that has a high level of environmental consciousness and proactively protects its environment.
Our Mission
To inspire, educate and connect people in the community to protect, preserve and enhance the natural environment through education, research and advocacy. We encourage the community to adopt ethical and sustainable environmental practices.
The Denmark Environment Centre values
our reputation and credibility as a community organisation. This is based on our performance working with and for our community
the leadership we provide in showing how to reduce our impact on the environment
the integrity of our organisation in all that it does, and the respect we show for all people
education and knowledge as the means for effecting positive change.
The Denmark Environment Centre is one of the few remaining community based environment centres in Western Australia. The DEC undertakes advocacy, awareness raising
and support of other groups on a wide range of local environmental issues, such as:
Protection for Greens Pool
Forest protection and activism
Fire management
Catchment management
Water quality and bird habitat in Wilson Inlet
The DEC also houses:
a bookshop and gift shop
a herbarium
a specialist library
Our Vision
To encourage and nurture a sustainable community that has a high level of environmental consciousness and proactively protects its environment.
Our Mission
To inspire, educate and connect people in the community to protect, preserve and enhance the natural environment through education, research and advocacy. We encourage the community to adopt ethical and sustainable environmental practices.
The Denmark Environment Centre values
our reputation and credibility as a community organisation. This is based on our performance working with and for our community
the leadership we provide in showing how to reduce our impact on the environment
the integrity of our organisation in all that it does, and the respect we show for all people
education and knowledge as the means for effecting positive change.
Managed/contributed to the following campaigns
Type of group
Environment Centre
Primary environmental focus
Conservation & Protection
Geographic sphere or activity
Local
Known address
33 Strickland Street
(PO Box 142)
Denmark Western Australia 6333
(PO Box 142)
Denmark Western Australia 6333
Website link/s
Founding Year
1987
History of group
The Denmark Environment Centre grew out of the activities and supporters of a group called The Coalition for Denmark’s Environment, which successfully opposed a 1987 scheme to establish a local woodchip mill, to be fed by old-growth forest. It was decided that the environment movement needed a public face in Denmark and premises were rented on the main street to house an environmental shop, library and office space.
Denmark’s was the first environment centre outside the metropolitan area, and remains a not-for-profit community group that promotes environmental and conservation interests in the south coast region.
By 1989 a very small office at the back of the shop was shared with the emerging Green Skills organisation. A move was soon set in motion to purchase the land behind the shop, and by 2000, an office complex and meeting room were built with the assistance of Lotterywest and the community. This housed both the Centre’s administration and Green Skills but tragically this building burnt down on 4 July 2009.
In those early years, the Centre was involved in many campaigns and many successful environmental projects thanks to the dedicated volunteers who contributed their time and expertise. Read more about the projects here.
DEC has won many awards:
1990 Winner John Tonkin Tree Award (Community Group) Greening Australia
1993 Winner Alcoa Greening Australia Revegetation Award Landcare Australia
1993 Finalist Living Streams Award Ribbons of Blue
1994 Co-Winner (with Denmark Agricultural College) National Alcoa Greening Australia Vegetation Award Landcare Australia
2002 the Community Achievement Environment WA Award and a Joint Overall Winner of the Inaugural WA Environment Award
2003 Finalist in the Banksia Awards.
Denmark’s was the first environment centre outside the metropolitan area, and remains a not-for-profit community group that promotes environmental and conservation interests in the south coast region.
By 1989 a very small office at the back of the shop was shared with the emerging Green Skills organisation. A move was soon set in motion to purchase the land behind the shop, and by 2000, an office complex and meeting room were built with the assistance of Lotterywest and the community. This housed both the Centre’s administration and Green Skills but tragically this building burnt down on 4 July 2009.
In those early years, the Centre was involved in many campaigns and many successful environmental projects thanks to the dedicated volunteers who contributed their time and expertise. Read more about the projects here.
DEC has won many awards:
1990 Winner John Tonkin Tree Award (Community Group) Greening Australia
1993 Winner Alcoa Greening Australia Revegetation Award Landcare Australia
1993 Finalist Living Streams Award Ribbons of Blue
1994 Co-Winner (with Denmark Agricultural College) National Alcoa Greening Australia Vegetation Award Landcare Australia
2002 the Community Achievement Environment WA Award and a Joint Overall Winner of the Inaugural WA Environment Award
2003 Finalist in the Banksia Awards.
