BUILDING COMMUNITIES IN ALPINE ENVIRONMENTS

The Australian environment has so many wonderful little surprises. One of them is the Baw Baw frog. It is elusive, fascinating and, unfortunately, critically endangered. Their tadpoles hide under vegetation in their yolky egg froth, rather than swimming; and as for its habitat, the Baw Baw frog lives only in alpine bogs on the Baw Baw plateau at an elevation of 1500m, within a 10km2 area. Unfortunately the eco-community of the frog has been heavily impacted by the chytrid fungus transported to their bogs through invasive hooved animals. Zoos Victoria, combined with Mount Baw Baw Ski Resort, have created an innovative partnership to support a breeding program for the Baw Baw frog, and to rebuild the eco-community of the frog on-site at Mount Baw Baw. 

Our VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies class recently visited Mount Baw Baw to better understand how recreation and conservation can operate alongside each other in this beautiful part of Victoria. Between the 7th and 9th of August we ventured up among the snow gums to ski, snowboard and learn how the environment is being managed at the ski resort.

Our Thursday morning began with a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs. Soon after, we picked up our hired gear and headed to the slopes. The students tried their luck on the slopes of Mount Baw Baw before their lesson, which consisted of many wipeouts and laughs from both students and staff. The students then proceeded to their ski and snowboarding lessons, learning how to compete with gravity with increasing mastery.

After a big morning of skiing, we settled into the restaurant for a discussion with the environmental coordinator of the Mount Baw Baw resort. We then headed back out to the snow towards the dingo rescue enclosure. The VCE students were lucky enough to meet the female dingo named “Warragul”, who received pats and authorised treats from the students. After a quick dinner, the Baw Baw resort staff led us on a night walk showing us views all across Gippsland. 

Throughout this trip, it became clear to us as teachers that this group of OES students had grown together into their own community during the year spent learning together and participating in a range of outdoor experiences. As they cooked, played cards, snowboarded, enjoyed the environment and threw snowballs together, you could see a real, common enjoyment, trust, friendship and bond between these students that had not been there at the beginning of the year. They had grown their own “eco-community”, that sustained itself - no longer reliant on teachers, but each other. And instead of bringing in things that were damaging to their community, like the chytrid fungus which has been devastating to frog communities worldwide, these students have brought love and acceptance. At our school we follow the example of Jesus in this way; he shows us how to love and accept those who are different to us, and shows us how to live in real, thriving community.