Resource Smart School

2025 Brunswick South Primary School Learning Story: Biodiversity - and the Walk on the Wildside Program

Introduction

Here at Brunswick South Primary School, we have been working on biodiversity and habitats across the school grounds, in our curriculum, and also together with our school community, such as parents, carers, volunteers and local business support.

Through our learning, activities and communications, we’re linking our local actions to support the environment, and have a better understanding of how our actions are part of changes which can impact globally as well.

Activities

By working on ResourceSmart Schools, and supported by funding from Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant, students from Years 3-6 have been able to participate in the Walk on the Wildside program, and demonstrate leadership by helping create change.

The Walk on the Wildside program was created to:

Increase biodiversity within our school grounds.
Provide habitat for indigenous birds, especially the smaller insect-eating species that are under threat.
Create nesting opportunities for local parrots who face shortages of natural tree hollows.
Build knowledge and appreciation of the indigenous birds and plants unique to our area.

Some of the Project elements include:

Linking STEM and ARTE classes to research and adopt local birds or plants
Creating a list of locally-appropriate plant species to include in biodiversity and habitat replanting projects - both by students, and at working bees, and researching and including woi wurrung species names wherever available
Working with local support organisations, such as Melbourne Men’s Shed, CERES, Melville Timber and Hardware, and Brunswick Communities for Nature for plants and resources
Researching species, building, painting and professionally-installing 20 Nest Boxes, including for possums, galahs, lorikeets, and red-rumped parrots.
Painting our adopted birds and plants, and undertaking species and habitat research to contribute to a school-wide gallery launch, including the broader School Community
Putting together a book for over 175 paintings and research
Running a Biodiversity Scavenger hunt for students attending the launch
Going on a Wurundjeri-led cultural excursion to our local Merri Creek
Having a bird expert run incursions to discuss available habitat features and support identification of local species
Including the above events and milestones in school communications

This year’s focus around the biodiversity module of RSS has been a great success, with our Habitat Quality Assessment score dramatically increasing from 78/100 in 2023, to 92/100 this year. Outstanding actions already in planning for early 2026 include installing Bat Boxes, and providing water for birds and insects using funds raised by the Environment Action Team this year!

We also look forward to hosting other Resource Smart Schools in 2026 as part of the program!