Sustainability @ TPPS
2023 Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant ‘Healthy Animals, Heathy Us’ project update
Our Grade 4 students have been very busy working on our ‘Healthy Animals, Healthy Us’ Landcare project. We started by reviewing the observations they took of the chicken area last term. The students discovered lots about the space! Their main concerns were that there were low points in the fence, issues with water runoff into the coop from the large slope in the free ranging area and hot westerly afternoon sun heating up the indoor chicken coop in the hot months. Using lots of different plant types, including local indigenous plants and the plants we researched that would provide nutrient rich food to the chickens, the students designed solutions to their concerns. The designs that they created were extremely detailed and well thought out! As a grade level, we manage to design solutions for all the issues!
Next the students had to prepare the space. They weeded, moved compost and raked around mulch. It was a busy time! Finally, we were ready to plant. Over two weeks, we planted over 60 plants! The students also guarded the plants to protect them from the chickens and lay down weed matting to give the plants a chance to outgrow the grass.
We encourage you to visit the space to see the students design solutions! Look out for:
- Indigenous sedge (waterway) plants in from of the chicken coop - designed to collect and filter water runoff from the slope
- Indigenous grasses in the upper rock ring - designed to slow water runoff and attract insects for the chickens to eat
- Fragrant lavender to the east of the chicken coop - designed to be a nice smell next to the sometimes smelly coop
- Wormwood to the west of the chicken coop - an important medicinal plant for chickens
- Leafy greens in the most eastern raised bed - designed to provide important nutrients in the chicken’s diet - placed out of the space so the chickens don’t help themselves
- Large indigenous shade tree (still to be planted) to the west of the coop - designed to cast shade from the hot afternoon westerly sun
- Indigenous shrubs along the fence lines - designed to cover low spots in the fenceline, create a windbreak and eventually protect the space from ball flying from the play areas
The students have gained so much practical knowledge from this project and have had a lot of fun learning new skills. Well done, Grade 4!
Lead to Sustain Conference at Currawong Bush Park
On Friday the 27th of October, selected students from Grade 3 attended the annual Lead to Sustain Conference run by Manningham Council at Currawong Bush Park. The Lead to Sustain Conference is a unique opportunity for young students to connect with and explore sustainability in an open, supportive environment. Our students learnt from sustainability leaders and partook in a range of workshops throughout the day. Some of the workshops included learning about worm farming, making insect hotels, exploring and learning from the beautiful bush at Currawong Bush Park and getting up close with some sea creatures and local native animals.
Our students had an absolute blast and showed impeccable behaviour that was commented upon by numerous teachers from other schools. Well done, Grade 3s! We are excited to embed the learning from the day into our school efforts of becoming more sustainable.
Please click on the link below to keep up to date with the everything our amazing school and students are doing to make Templestowe Park a sustainable school.
Click on the 'Home' section on the top right hand of the website to learn about all the things our students and school community do.