Biodiversity Update 

On Saturday 19th October, the day AFTER the Year 12 final day (and the day after the extreme weather) saw a sunny morning that allowed a small group of staff, alumni and community members clear a 10m2 area of innocuous and noxious weeds from the Birrarung bank, install weed mat and mulch and install the new jumbuck (sheep) and Marram (kangaroo) statues around the Murnong ‘shrine’. 

The Corten steel statues were funded by a City of Yarra biodiversity grant and help to tell the story of the Murnong’s evolution through the long-term cultivation by Wurundjeri women to the post-colonial land clearing and grazing pressure of post-colonial. The installation is adjacent to the yarning circle and is open to the public. We hope you take the time to go down and check out the space and maybe even next month come along to the community working bee from 9-11am on the third Saturday of each month. 

For more information, please contact Steph Corkill or Andrew Vance. 

Prior to this working bee, an independent Biodiversity Audit was held by a representation of Sustainability Victoria, Emma Grace from CERES Environmental Park. Emma came to school and taught our environment team how to conduct the audit, explaining the significance of each question, like, “what does the % cover of hard, impervious surfaces have to do with preserving nature” and "why does mulching garden beds and composting food waste on site make such a positive impact?”

After walking through the school and observing all the attributes that contribute to the biodiversity score, MGC was awarded a score of 95/100. A testament to all the hard work by volunteers at working bees and lunchtime workshops but also the commitment by the MGC facilities team. Well done to everyone involved! Click here to find out background on the Resource Smart School Biodiversity audit.