Children’s television, environmental pedagogy and the (un)natural world of dirtgirlworld

In recent years, the importance of environmental education for young children has been globally acknowledged. At the same time, children have become recognized as ‘green consumers’ and as potential audiences for media messages about sustainability. Increasingly, many children’s films and television programmes fall within the loose genre known as ‘eco-media’ and/or seek to cultivate environmental awareness in young audiences. However, questions about authenticity arise when screen media texts adopt the role of informal environmental educator. This article investigates the troubled relationship between screen media and environmental learning with specific reference to the animated children’s television programme dirtgirlworld. The brainchild of Australian media creators Cate McQuillen and Hewey Eustace, dirtgirlworld promotes sustainability practices through unconventional means – including the use of a blended animation style and the development of an augmented reality iPhone app. This article investigates the strategies that McQuillen, Eustace, and their team have employed to authenticate dirtgirlworld's environmental messages. Looking closely at the television series along with some of its transmedia extensions, the article argues that dirtgirlworld enables environmental learning by representing, positioning and addressing the child audience as ‘agents of change’ within natural and digital spaces.