By Cathy Fitzgerald, Haumea Ecoversity, New Zealand/Ireland.
Cathy Fitzgerald, an ecological artist and researcher from New Zealand who is based in Ireland, found a close connection between ecological art and sustainability education through the Earth Charter. She co-founded Haumea Ecoversity that has pioneered transformative ecoliteracy education in Ireland and modeling eco-pedagogy.
In 2021, she joined the Earth Charter International semester long Education for Sustainable Development programme. She indicated that a particularly impactful moment in her ESD Earth Charter learning journey was “gaining a profound appreciation for the Earth Charter’s overarching ecological vision and finding affirmation of the immense educational shift required across the world.” She later developed and delivered many workshops and courses including a seven-week online course for creative and cultural professionals in Ireland and internationally. Cathy and her trusted co-facilitators have worked to bring ecoliteracy training and holistic education grounded in the Earth Charter to Irish Local Authorities.
Cathy brings artistic practice into sustainability learning, helping people explore the Earth Charter’s principles through creativity. She also helped translate the Earth Charter into Irish, making its values more accessible to Irish-speaking communities. For Cathy, art and education can work together to deepen care for the living world. Guided by the Earth Charter, her work connects creative expression with ethical responsibility and invites more people to imagine a sustainable future.
