Sustainability

Autumn 🍂

The Garden has survived the heat of a Perth summer with the help of shade, topped-up reservoirs in the wicking beds, and plenty of care. Crops have been plentiful - spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, honeydew melon, jalapeños, chillies, silverbeet, basil, mint, lemongrass, oregano, pumpkin and beetroot - all of which were offered to staff for a gold coin donation, with proceeds going to Vinnies.

New additions to The Garden include a bird feeder, bee water stations, bird baths and the most amazing artwork on the walls facing the space. The artwork was designed to visually connect the walls of the Art Block with The Garden, drawing inspiration from embroidery art and Australian native animals and flora.

The wonderful Art Department staff - Jazmin McKechnie and Lauren Gissing - have generously given much of their free time to create the colourful visual feature shown in the image above.

The Parents’ Association also visited The Garden as part of a formal welcome, to view the progress made so far and discuss the next stages of the space. These will include levelling the land, completing the reticulation and installing turf.

We aim to complete this work during the school holidays, after which chapel flowers can be planted, borders created, and the sensory and wellbeing space further developed.    

Last week, we attended the CEWA Earthcare Network Meeting at City Farm, Perth. This networking event provided an opportunity for Sustainability Coordinators from CEWA schools to meet and respond to the call to action through the CEWA Laudato Si’ Sustainability Strategy.

A key focus of the meeting was permaculture principles, highlighting the idea that when nature is allowed to do what it does best, there is no waste in nature.

Helen Botica and Claire Hughes

Sustainability Coordinators