Geography Excursions

Hey

Hey Geography students enjoyed an egg-cellent excursion to the SRS-run Benetook Farm on Friday, 1st March. As part of their unit on Food Production, students needed to see an example of utilising the land to grow or create food. Benetook farm offers employment to many people with disabilities in our region, and a key way they do this is through their eggs, laid by their many happy hens. The students were able to assist with an egg collection and saw the process from hen to carton! The egg-sizing machine was fascinating, and we also saw the process to clean, check for cracks, stamp and finally pack the eggs for distribution around our local area. Students collected soil samples to be used for testing and will use their photos, observations and research to prepare field reports on the state of Benetook Farm. As well as the enjoyment of meeting the workers and feeding the chooks, we had some fun on the bikes and were able to complete the on-site maze before we headed back to school! Thanks, Benetook Farm, for hosting us!

Dalet

The intrepid geographers of Dalet sallied forth to the Etiwanda Wetlands on the 5th March, battling flies, dust, prickly plants, ants and maybe a sugar high or two from their TAFE lunch. Our knowledgeable guides (environmental officers Shaphal & Nadia from the Mildura Rural City Council) led us from GPT (Gross Pollutant Trap) to pond to pump. They explained just what a man-made wetland is and what role this particular wetland plays in management of storm water runoff in Mildura. Due to the extremely dry conditions we have had for the last couple of years, there was very little water in the wetlands, but it was interesting to see the birdlife enjoying what was there and to see the progress of the native revegetation projects. The students helped with two water quality tests, asked many excellent questions and used their iPads and clipboards to record plenty of data to be used in their field reports. It is always fun to get out of the classroom (theory) and into the field (practice)!