iSea iCare Excursion

Have you ever stood on the bow of a boat looking down in amazement at energetic dolphins flipping all around you? Last Friday, the Year 6 Sustainability Leaders were lucky enough to witness this incredible sight when we were on the iSea iCare excursion.

We had to wake up early to get ready, because we had to meet at school at 7:15am. Once we arrived at school, we got into Ms Douglas’ car and drove to Sorrento Pier.

When we arrived at the beach, we headed towards Sorrento Pier to prepare for our boat trip. The first step was trying on flippers for when we went snorkeling. Most of us ended up grabbing the wrong size! Next, we put on our wetsuits. We had to wait for Freddy and Charli to get theirs off the boat when it arrived back to the pier. It was hilarious watching them try to put them on wet. Finally, after a short briefing, we boarded and set sail.

We were delighted to find that dolphins caught up with us less than ten minutes into the boat ride. We climbed around to the front of the boat to watch them darting around and leaping out of the water! We stopped at two different snorkeling destinations where we slid off the boat, right into the freezing water. We got to see lots of seaweed, seagrass and dolphins. Some people even saw flatheads. The weedy sea dragons were gliding around through the seagrass and someone was lucky enough to hold out her hand and have one sail right over it! Charli and Freddy did duck dives underwater. We were all exhausted by the time we climbed back onto the deck of the boat, ready for our hot chocolate.

After that terrific boat ride we drove to Shark Shack and treated ourselves with fish and chips. Right after fish and chips we drove to Maccas! Yes, we were in Dreamland! We got the iconic ice cream sundae and ended the trip with a talkative ride home.

We had learnt so much about how incredible and unique our sea life is in Port Phillip Bay and how we need to look after it. We would rate this experience a 10/10.

Tomorrow

National Ride to School Day!

The solution

Students who ride or walk to school contribute to their minimum physical activity level of 60 minutes per day. They are also more focused and ready to learn compared to those who are driven.

We are encouraging you to ride, scoot or walk to school on the 22nd of March

Make your March oarsome

Paddle for Patterson Community Clean Up is coming right up!

Join us for the inaugural Paddle for Patterson community clean-up day.

It's oarsome, free, exciting, family-friendly and a meaningful way to unite our local community for an important cause.

Lisa are you ready to grab your kayak – or register to borrow one of ours – and get on deck as we navigate the tranquil waters, collecting litter lodged in the reed beds to prevent it from reaching Port Phillip Bay.

We're planning a fantastic lineup of environmental action based activities, including:

Fun Games: Join in on the entertaining games like the recycling relay race
Marine Mammal Foundation: Check out the amazing collection of interesting artefacts showing insights into the biology and lives of marine mammals.
Stalls and Partners: Explore stalls from environmental organisations and partners, and discover ways to get involved in local conservation efforts
Community BBQ: Refuel with delicious bites and connect with fellow eco-enthusiasts over a sizzling BBQ
Launch of the 5-Year Lower Dandenong Creek Litter Action Plan
Container Deposit Scheme: Cash in on your litter haul

Date and time: Saturday March 23, 9:30am - 1pm*Where: Upper Sections of Patterson River, National Water Sports Centre

*Feel welcome to drop in at any time, for however long you wish. To reserve your spot for a free kayak clean up (or for more information about the event), please do so by clicking the button below.

Register here

This community clean-up event is proudly brought to you by the Lower Dandenong Creek Litter Collaboration, Parks Victoria, Melbourne Water, the City of Kingston, City of Greater Dandenong, City of Casey, EPA Victoria and yours truly, the Port Phillip EcoCentre.

Looking forward to making waves and cleaning up our waterways!

Secondary School News