Profile of Gabrielle Back
Gabrielle Back QMBA MFA PHF is an outstanding environmental campaigner, community artist and educationalist based in Coventry with vast experience in a huge range of projects.
Contents of this page
Creative Work
Most of her work has been devoted to specialist teaching and to promoting and raising awareness of environmental sustainability issues through her creative art projects and environmental community art work. Her art specialism lies in the use of eco mediums, some natural while others recyclable such as sand, paper, gravel, glass and plant imprint. She designs and develops creative eco projects and campaigns to involve hundreds of people and children in environmental issues. She produces large pieces of art work, namely collages to carry specific messages and to symbolise environmental problems and solutions. Gabrielle’s ‘Glastastics’ are her own unique specialism creating 2D art work from recycled glass.
Awards
As an educator Gabrielle has achieved over 100 major school and community awards with her students for her environmental projects. Her own personal awards are also numerous and include a nomination for the world energy globe for an energy education initiative, eight national green apple awards, environmental teaching award, European award for environmental education including two living international awards; QMBA for environmental improvements; Coventry and Warwickshire community award; roll of honour and good citizen; the millennium fellowship with royal commendation and most recently she has been recognised as one of the West midlands Green Leaders.
She was awarded the Inspirational Educator Award for her outstanding contribution to teaching of Environmental Education. The Worshipful Company of Educators, who organize the awards, promote the development of professional educators and recognize excellence and innovation by education practitioners with the provision of awards at all levels of education and in a wide range of organisations that assist learning, The statement information relating to Gabrielle’s success stated: “The quality of the candidates was very high and the judges decision making was quite challenging. The judges were immensely impressed with Gabrielle s lifetime dedication to education and the environment and the creativity of her engagement with young people and communities through the creative arts. She is clearly a major national leader with an International reach through her inspirational projects and influential work.” One judge stated “The impact of Gabrielle’s work is inestimable and invaluable.”
Voluntary Work
The impact of Gabrielle’s work has been extensive both locally and nationally, through her voluntary work with National Association for Environmental Education UK (NAEE) as honorary general secretary and then chair person, she has contributed to the progression of Environmental Education for Sustainable Development in schools in England. She is founder member of National Savers (an Environmental Charity) and has engaged hundreds of children and adults through projects such as switch off campaigns, life styles surveys, carbon reduction footprint, helping hands, creative energy focus and currently creative green living.
In 2000 she had extensive involvement in the Earth summit youth representation and the apple pledges project. She has also held many national and international representative positions including active participation in the First international EED World conference, international seminar on sustainable development and the N.A.SA teacher researcher programme.
Gabrielle’s Eco Community art work has been exhibited in numerous venues and her range of publications include, children’s green poetry anthologies “Green to Grey”; “Climate Change”; “Illustrative Perceptions and Solutions” and “Rain drop Tear drop”, the first compilation of children’s poems on energy conservation, together with many EED journal letters, articles and educational resources.
Groups She Works With
Founder, Trustee and Chair of Savers Environmental Charity.
Executive Committee member of the National Association for Environmental Education (NAEE). Past General secretary and chair. Current trustee and Community Ambassador.
Extensive involvement with Rotary International at National, district and local level. Chair of national GB@I Environmental Sustainability group. Environmental Officer for Heart of England District 1060. District International Chair and Past Area Governor. Past and current President of Coventry Rotary Breakfast club.
Executive member of the Positive Images Festival and member of the planning committee.
Environmental Ambassadorial roles include World Ambassador for the Green Organisation, NAEE Executive Community Ambassador, Climate Change Ambassador for the Warwickshire Federation of WIs and PIF ambassador.
Numerous Environmental Awards including many Prestigious Green Apple Awards, Millennium Fellowship award, Rotary Service Above Self Award. Paul Harris Fellowship, SWM Green leaders award. QAVS to name just some of them.
The most recent publication was last year called Green Hearts. Environment poems published from the Green Hearts Youth Competition Project.
Environmental Projects
Most of the projects she has worked with are award-winning, having gained the very prestigious Green apple awards and other national recognition. The projects are developed to engage schools in themed Environmental research and creative competitions to address specific issues. They are also designed to involve community groups in creative Eco workshops. Most projects culminate in a public exhibition of participants activities and results, and focus on raising awareness to specific environmental issues.
Creative Recycling And Climate Change Surveyance
The Butterfly Project focuses on Education and Environmental sustainability using butterflies as indicators of climate change. It includes surveys and has a creative recycling element, to produce a giant recycled butterfly collage.
Energy Action Projects
This project raises awareness to energy issues particularly to climate change by engaging all sectors of the community into action to find solutions.
Climate Change Challenge
The project comprises of numerous initiatives for promoting and addressing climate change issues such as Energy efficiency, global warming, effects on wildlife, etc in a creative way.
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
Individuals ,schools, community groups are encouraged to find out HOW BIG IS THEIR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT. They can calculate their carbon footprint by completing a life styles calculator and working out the impact.
Creative Eco Action Surgeries
The project includes a selection of environmentally themed hands on creative workshops.
RE-CREATE -Turning Waste Into Art
This project focuses on how you can turn waste paper and card into practical and beautiful objects.
The Acorn As The Inspiration For Recycling And Conservation
Inspired by the Acorn it was used to raise awareness to recycling
through the production of a giant recycled Acorn collage. This was also a
competition for schools to produce recycled Acorns.
Climate Change Endangered Species Project
The Project Focuses on how arctic animals such as Polar Bears are affected by climate change, Pupils in schools are encouraged to produce leaflets and posters on the topic.
Green Hearts For The Environment Project
This project concentrates on young peoples research and creativity on the topic of climate change and recycling to produce poems and green Hearts recycled depictions. It was a competition for schools and has resulted in a Green Hearts publication and Exhibition.
Save The Planet From Plastic Pollution Project
Schools and community groups were engaged in plastic recycling workshops, School pupils recycled plastic bottles and other plastic objects into creative monsters and gremlins and entered a competition. Community groups participated in a two week plastic challenge, and creative workshops to produce recycled collages and other art work.
Heart Of England Rotary Projects
Young Environmentalist youth Competition.
Planting projects including crocuses, daffodils and trees.
Around the world recycling project.
Endangered species. Adopt an animal.
Earth Hour switch off.
Simple recycling projects.
Gabrielle Back QMBA MFA
‘Green Leader’
“lf everyone just took one action that would reduce their Carbon footprint then this would benefit the environment and ultimately have an in valuable impact on our planet. If we really care one action is a small price to pay”.