Sustainability

On the last day of term 2, we held our Schools Tree Day as part of Planet Ark’s National Tree Day.

Planet Ark's National Tree Day started in 1996 and has grown into Australia's largest community tree planting and nature care event.

It's a call to action for all Australians to get their hands dirty and give back to the community.

While every day can be Tree Day, we dedicate celebration of Schools Tree Day and National Tree Day to the last Friday in July, and first Sunday in August respectively. . . Each year, more than 3000 schools participate nationwide in environmental activities that educate individuals about the world around them. Activities range from planting bush tucker gardens, building habitat for native wildlife, nature play and more. (https://treeday.planetark.org/)

Our school chose to nominate our day as 24 June. 

With help from Newham Primary School’s students and teachers, parent volunteers and Howard Stirling and Penny Roberts from Newham District Landcare (NDL), we planted over 100 different indigenous plant species as part of our revegetation project in our Biodiversity Learning Hub. Everyone did an amazing job, with preps and 1/2s buddying up with the older students. Thanks to the team of parent volunteers and NDL who prepared the holes and helped with putting tree guards around our precious plants.

We have nearly achieved all our goals for the Biodiversity Learning Hub set up, with habitat features in place (nest boxes, lizard lounge rocks, bug hotels, logs), mulch spread, outdoor classroom nearly completed and a rain gauge and weather station installed. 

Simone Wood and Libby Fullard also had a meeting with the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation to obtain some cultural information about some of our plants and the animals that will hopefully frequent the area. This information will be included in interpretive signage that we will be getting soon.

Small groups of students will be rostered on for weekly watering over the remainder of the year as we all work together to nurture our plants and watch them grow. Over the years, the students will also be observing, investigating and monitoring the area to see signs of fauna from bugs to arboreal mammals.